money up

Money Up was executive produced and commissioned by Bec as part of the New Creatives project, supported by Arts Council England and BBC Arts, and in collaboration with the ICA and Dazed. Under the grey of London’s winter sky, a group of school boys throw pound coins at a playground wall; the aim is to get your coin closest to the wall – if you win, you have to toss the coin – and correctly call it – to determine whether or not you pocket all the money. For writer and director Dhillon Shukla, this game is a token of sweet nostalgia that’s at the heart of his debut short film. Money Up follows Reece, 13, throughout his day, as he wakes up with nothing, plays money up, charms his local shopkeeper, gets entrepreneurial at school, and – finally – gets his happy ending. This film captures the spirit, grit, and resilience of young Londoners in a light-hearted and poetic tone.