Shoobs (Turner, 2025) - Interview, BFI Flare

With its premiere at the 2025 BFI Flare Film Festival in London, I had the opportunity to interview both director Lisle Turner and writer/actor Janet Etuk about their short-film Shoobs. A subtle look into self-identity and sexuality, Shoobs is a glorious coming-of-age film following Lisa (Taneetrah Porter) as she navigates her feelings for Jada (Vigs Otite) and Blazer (Bunmi Osadolor) while being advised by a mysterious figure (Etuk). Interested in the production behind the film and how they devised the concept, I asked Turner and Etuk the following questions through digital communication methods. The two responded with creative and informative answers which I hope will inspire up-and-coming filmmakers. To read more about the film, my full review can be seen here: Shoobs (Turner, 2025)

Hailey Passmore: The first thing that I noted was that Shoobs is a part of this new anthology from Open Sky, Microplays: Identity, with the purpose of supporting theatre creatives transitioning into filmmaking. Why did Open Sky start this initiative?

Lisle Turner: Myself and my creative partner Claire Coaché who run Open Sky were both freelance artists for many years. It’s a precarious existence and you’re never quite sure where the next job is coming from. The more strings to your bow you have the more likely you can join jobs together in a sustainable way. As a company we make film, theatre and digital theatre. Both the British independent film sector and the British theatre industry are under increasing pressure due to reduced funding and rising economic uncertainty. The more we can collaborate and cross pollinate the more opportunities, inspiration and moral support we can share.

Janet Etuk: Exciting. It’s still a very new experience for me but I’ve loved learning how to construct a story for film – the best part of the experience has been seeing how little details in the script can be brought to life in such a nuanced way.

Hailey Passmore: Then what would you say are your thoughts on theatre creatives moving into filmmaking? Do you believe it is good for career progression? Or would you also believe that you could transfer the other way as well?

Lisle Turner: Whatever the medium we’re storytellers. We’ve found that talent in one industry directly translates to the other. We’ve also found that work leads to work so it’s always better to be busy than waiting by the phone for the perfect opportunity that may never come! That said there is also a simple economic reality that film costs more than theatre to make. We’ve found it easier to get productions off the ground in that sector. It’s then been a real privilege to discover talent in the theatre and then work with them on their screen projects. The cultural narrative always needs new voices and new ideas. It energizes all of us.

Janet Etuk: I absolutely believe that you can transfer from Filmmaking to Theatre. Both methods of Art are a brilliant way to progress in the industry. I believe that you can learn an incredible amount from both genres, which is important in this career as I believe that often, the skills learnt on the job will be needed again for future opportunities and productions. 

Now to ask more specifically about the film itself…

Hailey Passmore: What made you want to make your film take place in the early 2000s?

Lisle Turner: Janet Etuk our writer, producer and actor had a vision for a noughties wine and grind house party, and we loved it. She gave me so much detail about the music, the culture, the fashion, even down to what crisps the characters would be eating, it was amazing. Sometimes as a director you’re bringing your own vision to life but here I just fell in love with Janet’s irrepressible humour and style. I tried to be as true to that as possible and just asked her for advice when in doubt.

Janet Etuk: The muckiness of teenage-hood for me lives in the noughties era. I find this era fascinating. The way our minds work when we’re young has always intrigued me and I’m lucky, I have a very good long-term memory, I remember so many episodes and feelings from this era that baffle yet entertain me. So many photographs and songs and fashion choices stir vivid memories of this period, and I wanted to shine a light on the social pressures to conform to what ‘the norm’ would be for this particular group of teens.  

Hailey Passmore: Did any of your own personal experiences help influence choices made on Shoobs? Whether that be the script, stylistic choices, or even the smallest thing snuck in.

Lisle Turner: We shot the film in Brixton. I was living there in the noughties before the area was so heavily gentrified. I actually got married in the Ritzy Cinema in 2002 so for me the area was full of happy memories of films and parties and a lot of dancing. That was in my head when we shot the film. And also, when we composed the score!

Janet Etuk: Yes. Absolutely. In fact, Taneetrah Porter (who plays Lisa Jr) opened the viewing at BFI Flare Festival with a statement I wrote:

        The story of Shoobs has always been in existence. It lives in teenage photographs, school planners, diary entries and in songs and fashion of the noughties. I'm lucky to have been given the opportunity to sew these fragments together, sharing a piece of myself that brings both joy and heartache.

Hailey Passmore: What was the casting process like? How did you go about finding a younger Lisa?

Lisle Turner: Claire, the artistic director at Open Sky who also produced this film led the casting process. It was a challenging task! We knew Janet would play Lisa Snr, so she gave us a picture of herself when she was sixteen and we actually included it in the casting call. We threw the net pretty wide, as we always like to be as inclusive as possible, but as soon as we met Taneetrah we knew we’d found Lisa Jnr. She has a great sense of humour and is an excellent actor. As soon as she and Janet read opposite each other it was a done deal.

Janet Etuk: OpenSky were incredible! Co-artistic Director, Claire Coache, found Taneetrah Porter! And we were thrilled. During the casting process, we had several brilliant actors auditioning and I was elated to have so many young and talented people of colour wanting to be part of SHOOBS. We wanted to see how they danced, how they connected to the piece and what the chemistry was like between each couple. It was a long process but every second of the exploration was necessary. I was beyond excited when casting was finalized with these Talents, they did such a beautiful job. 

Hailey Passmore: Did you (Janet) know you would portray Lisa Sr from the beginning or was that a decision later on?

Lisle Turner: Janet played the lead in our feature film Cold. She is a spectacular dramatic actor, and her performance was nuanced and heartbreaking. I was really intrigued to see what this calibre of actor would do with a raucous, rowdy comedy. I love the results.

Janet Etuk: I always knew I was going to be Lisa Sr; I already knew her inside out and wanted to explore how this character translated onto screen.

Hailey Passmore: To wrap up, do you have a story or highlight you’d like to share from the process of making Shoobs?

Lisle Turner: We shot the film in just two days on a tiny budget. Despite the pressure that comes with that, it’s the most fun I’ve ever had on a production. Collaborating with so many talented and hard-working young professionals reminds you why you wanted to make work in the first place. Their commitment and good humour made it a really special film, so I’m delighted it’s now being recognized. I also hope to keep collaborating with Janet Etuk for many years to come and don’t care if that’s in theatre or film!

Janet Etuk: A highlight for me is when Taneetrah Porter portrays Lisa trying to figure out how to dance in the kitchen. I could very easily write a film all about that 1 minute of filming. I’m so pleased it was captured and incredibly inspired by that personal solo moment of work.

Hailey Passmore: Thank you so much for your time. I hope you are able to take the beautiful film that is Shoobs to other festivals to share it with the world. 

It was a great experience to be able to ask Janet and Lisle these questions about their beautiful short-film Shoobs. Learning about the different processes they went through and where the story came from adds another level of depth to the film itself.