Over the weeks, we've been spotlighting the 12 shortlisted films one by one with features written by the film makers themselves. In today's Q&A with 2.20 director Jason Wingard, we find out how to make a masterpiece short on a shoestring - as long as you budget for late night takeaways.

How much money did you spend on 2.20?
“Whatever the cost of twenty kebabs is!  Everyone worked for free. Oh, but I did have to pay a woman £1.75 to move out of shot; she wanted to be in the film but I wouldn’t let her.  Ironically she got paid more than anyone else.  

How did you recruit your cast and crew?
Many of the crew have worked with me on previous projects or are personal friends. We auditioned for the lead actors and brought them in for make-up tests and Brad Roberts (the male lead) came through one of the auditions.   

Everyone worked hard for no pay and some extras never even made the final cut. I remember shouting at them on the third day that “they’d forget about the pain of being out ‘til 4am when they see the film.” I still feel guilty that some people who came out to the shoot didn’t make it, but you do what’s best for the finished film, I suppose.  

What locations did you select for your film and why?
We shot it over three nights in Rusholme in Manchester from midnight ‘til 4am. The curry mile is such an atmospheric and lively place (especially at night) and I wanted to capture that vibrancy and integrate it into the film. I think on low budget films you should make the location work for you. Rusholme is like a mini film set. Good food too!  

Did you have to cut back on anything in order to save money during filming? No, as we never intended to spend anything in the first place. However, I must say that the business owners in Rusholme were first class and helped us immensely. Samman at ‘The Mamarra Grill’ and Shotz Shisha helped us out and even let us do make-up on their premises.   I doff my cap; without them it would have been difficult to pull off.  

What was your biggest worry during filming?
It’s a worry working late at night in any inner city. You attract a lot of attention. We met some colourful people, shall we say, and had a lengthy conversation with one of Manchester’s most notorious gangsters. Apparently he thought we were ‘McIntyre: Undercover’.

What camera and software did you use?
A Canon 7D and 5D Mark II. We edited on Final Cut Pro and the post and FX were done in Adobe After Effects."