Some more stills from the film “Sleight of Hand and a Twist of Fate”.

After a long post-production process, (partially delayed due to health issues on my end) this film has now started its run on the film festival circuit. Fingers crossed…

Directed by: Adrian Burt @burtinstien
Written by: Micke Askernäs @mickeaskernas
Produced and edited by Adrian Burt and Micke Askernäs

Starring:
Vera Rogersdotter @verarogersdotter
Micke Askernäs @mickeaskernas
Richard Desiatnik @richarddesiatnik
Rikard Westman @theelvisphoto
Jesper Widström @jesperwidstrom

Assistant Director: Korhan Kutlu @korhank17
Camera Assistant: Vihan de Mel @vihandemel
Gaffer: Anders Dahl @andersdahl3491
Grip: Pär Sparresäter @parsparresater
On-set Sound: Jaroslav Kazejev @jaroslavk
Art Direction: Regina Shepetya Larsson @retroregina
Associate to Vera Rogersdotter: Malin Lindholm @malindholmproductions
Makeup by Linnea Fries @makeupbylinneafries

Music by: Mauricio Trabanino @mauritrabaninomusic
Mixed by: Danijel Djuric @sounddesignerd
#actorslife #screenwriter #screenwriting #followyourdreams #sleightofhandfilm

It’s a Wrap!

After three unforgettable and intense days of filming in Norrtälje, the Sleight of Hand short film, Sleight of Hand and a Twist of Fate, has officially completed principal photography.

Thank you Storyline Rental…

With close to a ton of gear, we transformed Lisas Bistro into the beating heart of our story. This quiet café became the setting where a mysterious and emotional journey unfolds. Through practical effects (pun intended), we brought to life a story of loss, survivor’s guilt, art, memory, magic, self-doubt, and ultimately—hope. It’s about finding the courage to pursue your dreams and take control of your life.

We want to give a special thanks to Storyline Rental (formerly Dagsljus) for partnering with us on this production. Your support was invaluable.

An Incredible Team

We were lucky to work with an outstanding team of professionals. Our cast—Vera Rogersdotter, Micke Askernäs, Richard Desiatnik, Jesper Widström, and Rikard Westman—gave the film real heart. Every scene they brought to life was full of nuance and care.

Our crew—Adrian Burt (director), Anders Dahl, Korhan Kutlu, Vihan De Mel, Jaroslav Kazejek, Regina Shepeteya-Larsson, Pär Sparresäter, Linnea Fries, and Malin Lindholm—ensured that every frame was crafted with attention and precision. Their energy and dedication kept the shoot running smoothly.

This Sleight of Hand short film blends emotional storytelling with subtle visual effects and character-driven drama. It’s a story that speaks to the heart, while also surprising the eye.

We’re especially grateful to Lisa von Garrelts and Niklas Svensson for letting us use Lisa’s Bistro. Without your generosity, this story couldn’t have been told.

And yes—hopefully next time, Adrian will point the camera in the right direction. But to be fair, he made everything look great either way.

What’s Next

We’re incredibly proud of this story. It’s an independent short film, told with passion, precision, and heart. With a powerful script, beautiful cinematography, and meaningful performances, we believe Sleight of Hand and a Twist of Fate will move audiences everywhere.

Now we’re heading into post-production. It’s a new phase, but we’re just as excited. Our goal is to bring this Sleight of Hand short film to festivals and screens around the world.

Every contribution helps us reach that goal. Please visit  our Indiegogo site to support the project and help us bring the final vision to life.

(All photos are production stills by Rikard Westman, elvisphoto.com)

Thank you to everyone who supported our independent short film Sleight of Hand and a Twist of Fate on Kickstarter. Your support, encouragement, and belief in this story have meant the world to us.

As the Kickstarter campaign comes to a close, it’s clear we won’t reach our funding goal. But don’t worry — you will not be charged for your pledge. Kickstarter only collects funds if the campaign is fully funded.

🎬 The Film Is Still Happening — and We’re Just Weeks from Filming!

Sleight of Hand and a Twist of Fate is an independent short film about art, identity, and the strength to follow your dreams. With just three weeks to go until we start filming on location at Lisa’s Bistro in Norrtälje, Sweden, the production is very much alive.

To keep the project moving forward and reach a wider audience, we’ve relaunched our crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo — a flexible platform that better fits our needs.

👉 Support Our Indiegogo Film Campaign Now:

Back the Film on Indiegogo

We’ve recreated the same reward tiers on Indiegogo and will honor all rewards at the same levels. If you backed us on Kickstarter, we’d be thrilled to have you continue the journey with us on Indiegogo instead.

Why Support This Indie Film?

By backing this project, you’re helping bring a cinematic, emotionally-driven short film to life — one created with love, artistry, and a dedicated team of filmmakers. Your contribution supports:

• Independent filmmaking in Sweden

• A powerful story with heart and mystery

• Professional-level production on a micro-budget

• A passionate cast and crew committed to festival-quality storytelling

Whether you’re a film lover, indie supporter, or simply curious about the journey of Sleight of Hand and a Twist of Fate, we invite you to become part of the magic.

Thank you again for supporting independent short film production and helping us take this next step.

– Micke, Adrian, and the team behind Sleight of Hand and a Twist of Fate

Please click the image below to get to our Kickstarter campaign and help us make this film a reality:

Right now, director Adrian Burt is traveling the world, working on other productions. Meanwhile, preproduction for our short film Sleight of Hand and a Twist of Fate continues full steam ahead, so here’s an update of where we are!

I’ve been busy applying for grants, reaching out to potential collaborators, and preparing for the upcoming Kickstarter campaign.

Refining the Script & Preparing Applications

The script has been set aside for a few weeks to let it sink in before further refinement. Sometimes, stepping away for a bit allows fresh ideas to emerge.

There are so many documents required when applying for funding! So far, I’ve written more than twice as many pages for applications as there are in the actual script. It’s a long process, but every step brings us closer to making this film a reality.

Regina’s Artwork is Taking Shape

I’ve also set artist Regina Shepetya up with oil paints that should keep her busy creating the number of artworks needed for the film. She has already completed the first painting as a proof of concept, based on my initial ideas. This piece is designed to appear subtly in the film’s background, helping to create the atmosphere of our world. While not the central focus, every piece of art contributes to the film’s visual storytelling.

This is the first completed background artwork for Sleight of Hand and a Twist of Fate, painted by Regina Shepetya. The artwork reflects the film’s themes, and many more paintings are in progress!

💡 Hint: Regina’s artwork has already made a subtle appearance in the teaser poster created by Mårten Kellerman! If you take a closer look, you might spot it. (Check out the previous post here)

Kickstarter Video & Launch

This weekend, we’re recording the Kickstarter campaign video. After that, we’ll edit it and submit the campaign for Kickstarter’s final review. Once approved, we’re officially GO for launch!

What’s in the Kickstarter for You?

🚀 Want to be part of the film? In just a few days, you’ll be able to grab:
🎨 A poster or mug featuring the film’s artwork
📜 Your name in the credits
🎬 An IMDb credit as an associate or executive producer

All of this will be available very soon. The Kickstarter campaign will offer different reward tiers, so whether you want a simple way to support the film or a chance to be credited as a producer, there will be options for everyone. We are finalizing the details now, and in just a few days, you’ll be able to claim your rewards and help bring this short film to life, we’ll be sure to update you on the progress of the preproduction!

Micke Askernäs

Teaser Poster Reveal – Designed by Mårten Kellerman

Yesterday, I had a chat with my longtime friend and insanely talented creative director, Mårten Kellerman from Kellerman Design. After just a phone call about the film—its themes, emotions, and vision—Mårten instantly captured its essence. From that single discussion, he created a stunning short film teaser poster for Sleight of Hand and a Twist of Fate. As a result, the poster beautifully reflects the film’s mystery and transformation.

Who is Mårten Kellerman?

Mårten has decades of experience in graphic design, branding, and visual storytelling. He is the creative mind behind Kellerman Design. In addition, he has collaborated with top-tier brands and worked on high-profile movie campaigns. His expertise brings cinematic visions to life through powerful visuals.

🎬 Notable Film Projects & Key Art Contributions:

Mårten has worked on key art for Swedish releases of some of the most iconic films in history, including:
– Howard’s End (1992)
– The Night Porter (1974)
– The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
– Tokyo Drifter (1966)
– And many, many more!

Mårten’s process is rooted in storytelling. When he designs a short film teaser poster, he does more than create a promotional image. Instead, he builds anticipation and gives audiences a glimpse into the film’s world. For Sleight of Hand and a Twist of Fate, his goal was clear: capture the film’s mystery, transformation, and magic in a single frame.

But the journey doesn’t end here. Once principal photography is complete, Mårten will revisit the short film teaser poster. He will refine the final key art to reflect the film’s visuals and mood. This will ensure it truly represents Sleight of Hand and a Twist of Fate.

We are beyond excited to have his talent on board. Furthermore, we can’t wait to share the evolution of the film’s artwork with you!

👉 Check out the teaser poster below!

Micke Askernäs

Micke Askernäs is a Stockholm-based actor, scriptwriter, and producer with a deep passion for storytelling. With a background in both film and theater, he brings authenticity and emotional depth to his work. His latest project, Sleight of Hand and a Twist of Fate, started as a personal writing journey but soon took on a life of its own. Now, as writer, actor, and producer, Micke is working alongside a talented team to bring this cinematic story of magic, loss, and self-discovery to life. Follow the journey as Sleight of Hand and a Twist of Fate takes shape—one frame at a time.

We are beyond excited to welcome artist Regina Shepetya to the team of our short film. As an artist with a background in theater and cinema, she brings a unique perspective to visual storytelling. This will play a crucial role in shaping the film’s world.

The Power of Art in Our Film

In this short film, art isn’t just decoration—it’s a central theme. The paintings in the café represent emotion, transformation, and unspoken truths. Because of this, we knew we needed an artist who could bring authenticity to these elements. Fortunately, Regina’s talents as an artist ensures these artworks will be more than just visuals in the background of our short film.

Meet Regina Shepetya

Originally from Almaty, Kazakhstan, Regina has spent the past 15 years in Stockholm working as both an artist and a key figure in the local creative scene. Her journey is inspiring—she started in cinema in Kazakhstan and later led creative workshops for children in Sweden. Most importantly, her passion for storytelling through art makes her a perfect fit for this film.

Bringing Our Film to Life

We are thrilled that Regina will create original artwork for Sleight of Hand and a Twist of Fate. In a movie like this, where art is a central character in the story, it is vital that we have a talented artist crafting real, meaningful pieces—rather than relying on AI-generated backgrounds.

We believe in supporting artists and ensuring that every element of the film, from performances to visuals, carries true artistic intention. Regina’s work will add authenticity, depth, and emotional weight, making the world of the film feel more immersive and alive.

We are thrilled that she will be creating original artwork for Sleight of Hand and a Twist of Fate. We can’t wait for you to see how her talent brings this world to life.

Welcome to the team, Regina! 🎭🎨✨

🚀 Stay tuned for behind-the-scenes glimpses of her work in the film!

Micke Askernäs

Micke Askernäs is a Stockholm-based actor, scriptwriter, and producer with a deep passion for storytelling. With a background in both film and theater, he brings authenticity and emotional depth to his work. His latest project, Sleight of Hand and a Twist of Fate, started as a personal writing journey but soon took on a life of its own. Now, as writer, actor, and producer, Micke is working alongside a talented team to bring this cinematic story of magic, loss, and self-discovery to life. Follow the journey as Sleight of Hand and a Twist of Fate takes shape—one frame at a time.

Location Scouting – Finding the Perfect Setting

Making a film is more than just showing up and rolling the camera. Preproduction is all about preparation—solving problems before they become problems. In fact, the “pre” in preproduction might as well stand for “prepare as much as possible before the shoot.” The more work we put in now, the smoother everything will go when we step on set. This week, director Adrian Burt and I took a trip to Norrtälje to do exactly that.

Our goal was to get a better sense of our primary location—Lisa’s Bistro—where the majority of the film takes place. We wanted to evaluate how we’d control daylight on set, plan our lighting setup, and visualize the blocking of key scenes. There’s only so much you can do with reference photos and Google Street View; sometimes, you need to physically stand in the space to really see it.

Unfortunately, when we arrived, we discovered that the bistro was closed for the day. The owner, Lisa von Garrelts, wasn’t there, so we couldn’t get inside. But that didn’t stop us. Determined to make the most of the trip, we studied the location from the outside, pressing our noses against the windows like two kids locked out of a candy store.

To anyone passing by, it must have looked pretty strange—two grown men intensely discussing camera placements, lighting setups, and blocking while staring through the glass. We probably looked like we were casing the place for a heist rather than prepping for a film shoot.

Our trip to Norrtälje was never the less an essential step in our short film preproduction. Visiting Lisa’s Bistro in person helped us anticipate potential challenges and refine our shooting plan

Making the Most of Every Moment

“Even though we couldn’t get inside, the visit was still valuable. Short film preproduction is all about problem-solving, and just observing the windows and how the natural light shifted throughout the afternoon gave us ideas on how we might control it during filming.”

To wrap up our field trip, we found a cozy café nearby and treated ourselves to a well-earned semla. Because if you’re in Sweden in February, scouting locations or not, skipping semla season is simply not an option.

Next step: finalizing funding, lighting plan, blocking, some rehearsals, a thousand other things we haven’t thought of yet and making sure everything is set for the shoot. Stay tuned!

Micke Askernäs

Micke Askernäs is a Stockholm-based actor, scriptwriter, and producer with a deep passion for storytelling. With a background in both film and theater, he brings authenticity and emotional depth to his work. His latest project, Sleight of Hand and a Twist of Fate, started as a personal writing journey but soon took on a life of its own. Now, as writer, actor, and producer, Micke is working alongside a talented team to bring this cinematic story of magic, loss, and self-discovery to life. Follow the journey as Sleight of Hand and a Twist of Fate takes shape—one frame at a time.