Cashback is the name of two films directed by Sean Ellis: a 2004 short film and a 2006 feature film. Both were produced by Lene Bausager, starring Sean Biggerstaff, Michelle Ryan and Emilia Fox. Ugly Duckling films produced the movie.
When art student Ben Willis is dumped by his girlfriend Suzy, he develops insomnia. To pass the long hours of the night, he starts working the late night shift at the local supermarket. There he meets a colorful cast of characters, all of whom have their own 'art' in dealing with the boredom of an eight-hour-shift. Ben's art is that he imagines himself stopping time. This way, he can appreciate the artistic beauty of the frozen world and the people inside it - especially Sharon, the quiet checkout girl, who perhaps holds the answer to solving the problem of Ben's insomnia. Written by Winnie Li
The shampoo bottles Barry and Matt use to "help the ladies" are actually a real brand of shampoo and hair products by Umberto Giannini.
Some of the items checked out by Sharon at the beginning of the film include Kellogg's Corn Flakes, a 2-liter bottle of Coca Cola, dish washing detergent, and a package of Cadbury Mini Rolls. The box of Ritz Crackers is not checked out and is instead used to block the clock from her field of view.
The short film was filmed over four nights in Sainsbury's Whitechapel branch in London. The crew filmed while the store was closed from 10pm - 6am.
There was no budget for wardrobe so the main cast borrowed uniforms from the store and shoppers wore their own clothes.
There was no CGI used in the short and all the effects are in camera effects.
The feature length version which includes the original short within its running time was already complete when it was announced that the short had been nominated for an Oscar.
Jamie Bell (I) was the directors first choice to play Ben, but he passed on the script.
