A Hampshire family has turned personal grief into a moving cinematic tribute with their short film Dear Departed.

The film is based on Lauren Sims’ idea of writing a letter to her late grandfather, Peter David Sims, and imagining the response she wished she could receive.

While Lauren admits her grandfather “wouldn’t have wanted all the fuss,” she felt compelled to share this deeply personal story.

To bring Dear Departed to life, Lauren, from Alton, enlisted the help of her entire family. Her parents, sister, boyfriend, and friends all contributed to the production, with her grandmother cheering them on throughout.

The lead role was played by Lauren’s sister, Eleanor, who embodied a blend of both sisters’ real-life personalities. Lauren said: “We are really close. Eleanor was the only person I trusted to play this role, and she truly stepped up with her performance.”

This marks the first film from Lauren’s independent company, Blue Bucket Productions. The name originates from her childhood, when she would run around with a blue bucket on her head. Now, the whole family proudly embraces the name as they tour film festivals and continue growing their business.

Following a successful premiere at Reel Cinema in Farnham, Dear Departed has made waves on the festival circuit, screening at the Wellsboro Film Festival in Pennsylvania, USA and the Crystal Palace Film Festival in London.

Lauren said: “ There was nothing better than seeing the film on the big screen and a big thank you goes to Dave from Reel Cinema for sorting it out. There was not a dry eye in the cinema which was really moving and impactful.”

Now available on Amazon Prime Video, Dear Departed continues to reach audiences worldwide. Lauren hopes this is just the beginning:

“I’d love to turn this into a TV series, as well as create more short films,” added Lauren.