Creative Work / Short Film

NothingGold CanStay.

2026Surrealist Coming-of-Age10m 03sStoke-on-Trent, England16:9IMDb

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Logline

A surrealist coming-of-age piece following a young boy, Ash, coming to terms with the loss of his father through supernatural means.

Year2026

Runtime10m 03s

GenreSurrealist Coming-of-Age

FilmedStoke-on-Trent, England

Aspect Ratio16:9

ListingIMDb ↗

The
Film

Nothing Gold Can Stay follows Ash, a young boy trying to make sense of the sudden loss of his father through a surreal, supernatural experience.

The production required an elaborate living-room and bedroom set to be built from scratch at the University of Staffordshire TV Studios. Performance development was supported by Actor Tribe Manchester, and the film was later showcased at Birmingham’s Mockingbird Cinema as part of the “As It Is” Showcase before beginning its festival run.

Director’s Statement / Matthew Lythgoe

The idea came from a strange experience I had when I was a child, shortly after losing my grandma. I always used it as a spooky pub story to tell my mates, but back in September of last year, I decided to begin developing a short film based around the experience.

Throughout the writing process, it turned into a coming-of-age story following an eight-year-old boy called Ash as he tries to come to grips with the sudden death of his father. Ash’s emotional journey throughout the film is shown through his drawings as they adapt throughout the story.

Production was a challenge, as we built a full living room and bedroom set from scratch. However, working with the incredible cast made my life as a director ten times easier, as they understood exactly what I wanted from them after the first script read.

This is definitely the most ambitious project I’ve ever taken on, but I’ll never forget the surreal feeling of seeing a childhood memory come to life in this film.

Thanks to everyone who helped out on this project, and I’m looking forward to seeing where the film goes throughout its festival run.