“I feel ‘Stand To’ is intertwined with the themes that this festival in particular explores. Both characters in the story deal with loneliness and isolation in very different ways and this is what brings the conflict between both of them. It explores truthfully the difficulties and sadness that PTSD can bring on individuals and those who they love most. I often feel isolation and loneliness are feelings that aren’t often chosen, but rather are thrown onto the shoulders of individuals and how they navigate these feelings and the decisions they make sometimes can be detrimental to themselves and others. I wanted to explore the effects of PTSD on military soldiers and their families as I feel it’s a story we don’t often hear about and it’s relevant now more then ever. Conflicts throughout the world have affected lives everywhere and it’s up to the artist to tell these stories, in hope of them reaching audiences from all backgrounds to increase their understanding or relate to the themes presented in this piece. I hope this film speaks to every single person that watches it, and if it helps people relate or learn something new my intention has been achieved.”

Harrison Tipping is a British actor, writer and director currently living and studying in New York at the Stella Adler studio of acting. He is a member of the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain with whom he’s performed in four different shows and over the last two years he started to make his own work. Stand To will be his second short film in which he’s acted in, and his first time writing and directing for film. He’s passionate about telling stories which he feels aren’t often spoken about and strives to tell stories and interesting and dynamic ways.

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