"BETWEEN The Lines" is an upbeat, fun and slightly bonkers musical comedy short film, written/directed by Kirtonian Dom Lee who, back in 2016, collected 3,000 boxes and built a cardboard fort in Crediton’s Newcombes Meadow for his short film "Fort Box".

His new film, which has been filmed, is currently being edited.

The story follows shy book lover Jane, who is unexpectedly tasked with having to pitch to save her beloved library from closure. All alone in the library, Jane is unsure of where to turn... until help arrives in the unlikely form of Lawrence Livingstone, a character from the book she’s reading.

He takes her on a fantastical, musical adventure where they meet well-known book characters (including Sherlock Holmes and the Mad Hatter) who all try to help Jane develop the confidence she needs to deliver the pitch. 

The music and lyrics are by Grace Hancock. Dom and Grace previously worked together on "Counsellors", a short musical comedy, which was the winner of Exeter Phoenix’s 48hr Film Challenge in 2019.

Keen to work together again, they started developing ideas alongside teammates Camilla Joyce and Elisabeth Burnette, which evolved into "Between The Lines". 

The film has a large cast from across the South West, led by Alex Stewart as Jane.

Locations have included the library at Coombeshead Academy in Newton Abbot, The City Gate Hotel in Exeter and The Golden Hind in Brixham.

Dom Lee said: “We knew we wanted to make something with a positive message which also had a lot of heart.

"Unashamedly upbeat, we feel this film is the perfect tonic after a difficult two years which will leave you with a smile on your face and the ridiculously catchy tunes in your head!”

Grace Hancock, composer and lyricist said: “The music is meant to be optimistic, feel good and joyous. There’s a wide variety to the songs, from pop to rock and even some Hip-Hop!”

They both agree: “The amount of people who have given their time to the project has been truly heartwarming. It really is magic when so many people get behind your vision for the film.

"We’ve been truly blessed to work with incredible talent from all across the South West.” 

Filming was spread out over a number of months towards the end of 2021.+

Dom is currently editing the film and Grace is finalising the musical arrangements.

The film will be completed in the next few months and the aim is to submit it to film festivals all around the world. They also hope to arrange some screenings across Devon to give people the opportunity to see the film.

To find out more about Dom and his work, visit: www.domlee.co.uk .