"BETWEEN the Lines", an upbeat musical/comedy short film made entirely in Devon has been released online.

It is a 15 minute-long film, free-to-watch and suitable for all ages.

The film is set in a library and tells the story of Jane, a shy, quiet girl who finds the courage to stand up for what she believes in through a series of magical and fantastical encounters with characters from popular fiction.

It is a warm-hearted, feel-good film with a core message of the importance of libraries and what they provide for their communities.

It was set in motion by Crediton-based writer/director Dom Lee and Exeter based composer/lyricist Grace Hancock who were part of a team taking part in Exeter Phoenix’s annual 48-hour film challenge back in 2019.

Teams are given a prop, a line of dialogue and a randomly picked genre and then have 48 hours to make a three minute short film. 

Director Dom Lee said: “We made a musical ‘Counsellors’ and ended up winning the challenge.

"Having enjoyed working together myself, Grace and teammates Elisabeth Burnette and Camilla Joyce wanted to make another musical…but not in 48 hours!

"We started working on what would morph into ‘Between the Lines’ just before the first Covid lockdown.

"Ultimately it wasn’t until early 2021 that things really started moving.

"I wrote the script and Grace developed the five songs in the film further.

"The film was primarily shot from September to December 2021 and then completed in July 2022 when we had our cast and crew screening.

"It’s been on the film festival circuit since then and has won some ‘Best music/song’ awards.

"Screenings of the film have taken place across several libraries all around Devon, with more than 250 people attending in total. At one of the screenings a young girl watched the film four times in a row!”

The film has a cast and crew of around 80 people.

Filming locations have included the library at Coombeshead Academy in Newton Abbot, The City Gate Hotel in Exeter and The Golden Hind in Brixham.

Grace Hancock, composer and lyricist said: “The music is meant to be optimistic, feel good and joyous. There’s a wide variety to the songs, from pop to rock and even some Hip-Hop!”

Dom Lee said: “We knew we wanted to make something with a positive message which also had a lot of heart.

“Unashamedly upbeat, we feel this film is the perfect tonic after a difficult few years which we hope will leave you with a smile on your face!”

They both agree: “The amount of people who have given their time to the project has been truly heartwarming.

"It really is a magical feeling when so many people get behind your vision for the film.

"We’ve been truly blessed to work with incredible talent from all across the South West and we’re very excited that we can now share the film with everyone.”

The Youtube Link to watch the film can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNTvMHvqeRo .

You can also visit Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BTLfilm .