Online gambling is tackled in new interactive short film 'Odds On' commissioned by The Lowry

Odds On is a new interactive short film from the award-winning Dante or Die, which dives into the alluring and compulsive world of online gambling, and is available to watch for free, on demand, via Lowry Digital from 5 to 19 July.

Commissioned by The Lowry and Lighthouse Poole, the film will premiere via the Lowry’s website before touring to other venues across the UK as part of a national digital tour.

Odds On takes viewers behind the screen and deftly explores the recent rise in online gambling, especially amongst older women. The film takes the viewer inside the protagonist’s perspective, into this increasingly popular and absorbing form of play, where lines can become blurred between player and game, risk and reward and ultimately, compulsion and control.

The film features a cast of actors shot on various locations using an iPhone13 Pro, fused with thrillingly imaginative animation.

Felicity has been a hard-working GP, wife and grandmother, delicately juggling life’s demands and stresses for decades. When she retires, she begins to escape into the seductive world of Pearls of Fortune, an online game where daily struggles are washed away under the sea. From her first spin

and some glorious wins, Felicity is pulled deeper into this enticing aquatic world, until she is hooked and her real life drifts further away.

The team behind Odds On have worked with a group of people with lived experience of gambling harm for almost a year as creative advisors on the project. To complement the digital film, there will be a live event at 7.30pm on Wednesday 13th July at The Lowry that will include a live screening of Odds On followed by a panel discussion titled The Female Gambler: How is online gambling affecting women across the UK with author Stacey Goodwin, actor Fiona Watston who plays the central protagonist in Odds On, Nadine Ashworth from support organisation GamFam and Wendy Knight who has lived experience of gambling harm and is active within Gambler’s Anonymous.

Antonia Beck, The Lowry’s Senior Producer, Artist Development, said: “We are delighted to have supported Dante or Die to create this fantastic new film as part of our LIVE NOW digital commissioning programme. Over the past year we have supported nine companies to explore how digital technologies can further develop their artistic practice, and invested in the creation of a range of ambitious new digital work for online and in-person audiences.

“Odds On is a remarkable new digital work from Dante or Die, bringing their renowned approach to making high-quality performance to a brand new platform. We can’t wait for audiences to experience Odds On from Tuesday 5 July and we hope supporters will also join us for a live screening of the film and panel discussion around the themes of gambling harm on Wednesday 13th July.”

To book a ticket for the screening and panel discussion on July 13 please visit https://thelowry.com/whats-on/odds-on-panel-discussion/

LISTING INFORMATION
Tuesday 5 to Tuesday 19 July:
The Lowry, Salford
13 July, 7 – 8.30pm: Launch Screening & Live Panel Discussion –
The Female Gambler – How online gambling is affecting women across the UK