“Custodian”

Director Biography

Craig McKenna was born in Edinburgh, Scotland where he studied Television Operations and later graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in Film & Photography through Screen Academy Scotland and Edinburgh Napier University.

Working professionally as a Production Designer, Art Department Assistant and Set Dresser, Craig has worked on numerous productions including; 'Convergence' (Futuristfilm 2018); 'Meet Me By The Water' (SFTN 2015); 'Moondogs' (2015); 'Beowulf' (ITV. 2014) and Rivercity (BBC Scotland).

Craig's previous short film, 'When The Tide Comes In', was nominated for Best Composer at the Scottish BAFTA New Talent Awards in 2015 and later won Best Short Film, as well as an Honorable Mention, for Actor Donald Morrison at the 2015 Festigious Film Festival.

" 'Custodian' brings together the professional experience garnered, alongside the strong working relationships that I have developed with fellow creative practitioners in the Scottish and UK Film industry."

Director’s Statement

The premises of Custodian sees a noble crusader challenge, revile and be subsequently punished by selfish and immoral Gods. The theme of lost faith – in our own potential, and sense of a higher purpose – is at the heart of this film. The joint plight of characters that exist (initially) worlds apart yet symbiotically sees our story remain a timeless one. It is my hope that audiences will identify with the plight of Custodian's characters and find a reclaimed faith in themselves through the most difficult of times.

Written at a crossroads in my own life, 'Custodian' reflects a point in time when I, like many aspiring artists, have struggled to stay true to my heart when faced with crippling moral and financial circumstances. So many options are presented to us by commerce and society to ‘walk away’ or ‘give-up’. When we add bereavement or loss of connection, we find ourselves lost in the most horrific of ways.

I am delighted to say that 'Custodian' was the most creatively challenging, stretching and satisfying production I have been involved in.

My aim with 'Custodian' was to make this the most creatively challenging, stretching and satisfying production of my career, to date. It certainly was all these things. This began with loosing our original lead actor due to personal issues. It was however deeply fortuitous that the script came to the attention of actor Jeremy Theobald, who brought a stoic sense of gravitas and the subtle aristocratic air to the character of Jaden. From here, building a cast was a joyful experience, and was where I then specifically approached Danielle Farrow and Nicolette McKeown to fill the roles of Tess and Mickey respectively. It was the start of an incredibly creative journey and collaboration with artist of considerable calibre and fervour.

Relationships with cast and crew were at the core of 'Custodian', two of which were Director of Photography Steve Johnson and Costume Designer Despina Isaia.

I have been fortunate to have a strong personal and professional relationship with fellow filmmaker and cinematographer Steve Johnson. Upon completing the first draft of the script for Custodian, Steve was the first person I approached regarding potential involvement. Our prior working relationship gave us an incredible shorthand and mutual respect of each other’s respective disciplines that carried on through script development into the post-production.

From the earliest point in the production, the blossoming relationship between Despina and I was borne from a shared respect for the ‘holy trinity’ of Production Design - Costume, Wardrobe and Make Up. The period and fantasy elements of the film required a discerning approach to be informed and believable, and were vital to making the world of Custodian legitimate for the audience. Understanding the wealth of narrative and additional depth of character that can be communicated, almost subterraneous, opens up possibilities for our characters who are many centuries old. When brought together with cinematography, these holistic collaborative elements combine to support the performances, nuance and story.

Initially starting out as an existential debate between two immortal characters, Custodian quickly developed to revolve more around the characters of the stricken hero Jaden and grieving musical protege Mickey. Her character added an even greater crisis of heart and moral jeopardy to the story, and gave a parallel to the plight of Jaden.

Production took several years to complete due to health reasons, bereavements, and the availability of an increasingly in-demand crew. Indeed during my own issues with Deep Vein Thrombosis, my own confidence, physical abilities and convictions for the arts were severely tested. What reconciled this in me, was gratitude and pride in the wealth of talent and faith the crew had in the production. 'Custodian' became a crusade in itself, and ultimately a celebration of the incredibly talented and creative professionals in Scotland. There was a genuine bond of community and support within this small, tight-knit production, and this carried the film, triumphantly through often challenging periods, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The film is dedicated to the memory of Colin McFarlane, father of our composer, John McFarlane. Unconditionally supportive, I know he would have been extremely proud of the accomplished work of not just the work John put into our score, but the entire production itself. The faith and conviction from everyone involved saw the film across the finish line, and I am so thankful to say, this screening opportunity.

In closing, it has always been important to me as a filmmaker to push my creative skills and ambition, not for the sake of spectacle, but rather to leave a lasting visual metaphor of the story in the minds of the audience. It is my firm belief we have succeeded in this on a challenging budget. Ultimately, I feel the film is a testament to the calibre that can be produced from a short film when proceeding with a humble, welcoming heart and embrace the individual expertise and wisdom of each member of the team. Several years, numerous challenges and countless golden growth experiences later, let this film forever stand as a monument to that ethos.