“A gritty, powerful and stunningly captured short film with a message.”

Tensions fly high as Dion decides he cannot be the kind of man his father wants him to be, and refuses to learn how to fight. Starring SAG/Independent Spirit Award-nominated David Harewood MBE (Homeland, Blood Diamond)

Director Shehroze Khan delivers a powerful and dramatic film that captures a fractured relationship between a father and son with complete clarity for the source subject. From the first scene, it’s clear Man to Man has all the ingredients to make a memorable film. Shehroze handles the film with a clear direction and executes it with precision.

Writer Selorm Adonu writes a powerful story which doesn’t play to the viewer, instead allows for a lot of interpretation which only makes them lean in to listen carefully and pay attention. The topic is something that is becoming more common in film, however Man to Man delivers its message with subtlety and care without playing up to audiences.

Adonu also takes on the role of Dion which is especially impressive. There is a sense of realism and innocence is his performance that resonates. Adonu handles the dialogue carefully with total control and unfiltered emotion, it’s powerful to watch. If Adonu continues to deliver performances like this, we expect him to do very well in the future.

David Harewood is outstanding and delivers a performance which transitions throughout the film, giving us more depth and understanding of the character. You can’t help take your eye off him, when he talks you listen. Watching Harewood is a masterclass in acting and is a pleasure to see in a short film production. We hope this gives other established actors inspiration to work with up and coming filmmakers.

Noah Tagon also jumps off the screen as Dion’ endearing younger brother ‘Micah’ who captures the age of innocence perfectly. This addition of a younger brother helps to create a real sense of family dynamic between the characters which is hard to pull off even in big budgets features. The performances are spectacular!

Director of Photography Domizia Salusest captures Man to Man with a distinct style and cinematic flare. The camera work is some of the best we’ve seen and is especially impressive considering the single location. The lighting and grade is stunning, making the production quality look fit for the big screen.

The score from Jonathon Deering is also worth noting as it blends in with the performances perfectly, elevating the tension and drama. It doesn’t try to take over the story but instead adds to it, something that lacks in a lot of short films. The art direction, wardrobe and sound departments all deserve recognition too as they help to make a big impact on the films success.

If you’re looking for a gritty, powerful and stunningly captured short film with a message, look no further. The whole team on Man to Man did an exceptional job to create a lasting film…

— APEX Film Awards