Biography:

Benedict Webb is a 22 year old Sussex based director and writer.

Aged 18, he wrote and directed 'Next Week', a short for Channel 4 Random Acts starring actor Mick Ford (Scum), which explored a tender relationship between a young man and a granddad struggling with Alzheimer's. This was followed by 'Soft', a short which explored toxic masculinity and mental health. The film earned significant praise in the digital and festival world. In 2022, Benedict directed 'Toast', a story of an unlikely friendship between a young man and an elderly neighbour over lockdown. It stars Roger Sloman (EastEnders, Nuts in May) and is set for festival release and online later this year.

Benedict co-founded production and distribution company Room 18 Films, an online platform for independent, narrative-driven work from upcoming directors, writers, and producers.

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Director's Intent

The initial inspiration for Toast began as an exploration of compassion and friendship. There was compassion through the smallest of actions through lockdown and that's not something I've seen much conveyed on screen. Me and Harry Walters (Writer) sat down and got thinking. What happens to someone when they lose their other half later in life? What happens to two different people when the world becomes increasingly more isolated. From the outset, me and Harry knew we wanted a story with a lot of heart, but it needed lightness and comedic relief. 

I thought a lot back to early lockdown. My mum would get these handwritten shopping lists from our next door neighbour. Every week, she would help by buying their weekly grocery shopping. I thought back to my Dad doing the same for my Nanna. He would park outside her flat, and drop it at her doorstep each Sunday. We bonded over the smallest things, but at the time - they felt massive. Harry and I felt there was a story that could come out of this, something with a lot of heart and something that would really make people laugh too.  We wanted to tackle these poignant ideas with humour. Getting to work with an actor with such stature as Roger was a joy. He brought such an amusing dry and witty delivery, and such brevity and nuance that gave a lot room to explore the character's softer side.

It's about weaving in comedy with the dramatic elements, but still trying to strike a nerve. On
an emotional level, it’s warmer, a little lighter than our previous films. We wanted the film to feel dynamic and snappy in its camera movement, it's editing, it's sound design and the way the characters move on screen. 

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