There’s a certain kind of story that can only be told here.
Not because the Lake District is pretty (even though it really is), but because it gives people space. Space to get lost a bit, to think too much, and to figure things out the long way round.
That’s exactly the territory local writer-director Stuart Armstrong’s new short film is moving into, and it feels very at home.
Leavers Day takes its name from that specific moment — the last day of school — when everything feels up for grabs and just out of reach at the same time. It’s set in the Lakes in 2003 and follows a 17‑year‑old trans teen and his ex‑boyfriend heading out onto the fells in search of a stash of long‑lost contraband rumoured to be hidden somewhere in a cave. It sounds daft in the way these things should: a slightly misguided plan, one last adventure, and an excuse to avoid saying things we should.
That’s the point. It’s not really about the rum or secret treasure. It’s about that in‑between moment: leaving one version of your life behind without quite knowing what the next one looks like, or where you fit into it yet. Where’s better than the Lakes to show you just how small you are, how big and daunting the world around you can be, and still be able to find something beautiful along the way?
Stuart’s last film, Meat Raffle, was also made here in Cumbria, and did more than alright — praised by Sir Ian McKellen, and Johnny Vegas, Stuart’s first short is available to stream on Channel 4. Leavers Day is a testament to Stuart’s continued commitment to queer and inclusive cinema, and putting Cumbria on the map for creatives, with local roots, a trans‑led production, and a proper effort to build something that feels authentically Cumbrian, rather than just borrowing the setting for effect.
Their shoot began during Pride Month, and we conclude the month supporting their final fundraising efforts for the second leg of filming. There’s a lot of surface‑level support around this time of year, but getting behind something independent — especially something being made locally — counts for so much more.
These are the projects that either happen because people step in, or don’t happen at all.
The team have raised around 80% of what they need to get it made, but due to classic Lake District weather had to postpone the latter shooting block, and now face the challenge of extending equipment hire, rearranging their schedule, and generally having to fork out for more expenses. Awful luck, but classically-Cumbrian in its own way.
We’ve chipped in as well. MD Anthony Fearns is on board as an Executive Producer, and we donated a four‑night stay at Maiden Moor as part of the original fundraising raffle — one of a long list of prizes pulled together by local businesses backing the project.
It’s that same idea we come back to again and again: book local, let local, support local. This just happens to be a film instead of a place to stay or somewhere to eat. We’re branching out!
Still, it’s all part of the same thing. Believing in local people, and believing in the Lake District.
And for anyone who’s grown up here — especially if you felt even slightly out of place at any point — that kind of story matters.
If you want to help get it finished, you can.
It’s at that stage where every bit genuinely helps getting it shot, cut, and out into the world as it’s meant to be.
You can donate, or just have a laal nosey, here.
