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★★ Directed by: #AbubakrAdamu Starring: #IsraelBartholomew, #UmoruSylvesterAduku, #TauheedAbdullahiMohammed Short Film Review by: Alexandra James Guest of the Woods is a short horror film that follows three friends looking for an adventure. Bolaji, Dare and Haidar have finished exams and are desperate to escape the ever-growing boredom that hangs over their group. After watching a horror film, they believe that the best thing to find some form of entertainment, is to head to the woods and spend the day in there in hope of living in a real-life horror film. Not only were the boy’s seeking excitement, Haidar, is a big blogger and has been looking for new ways to gain viewers and make engaging and exciting content, could this new adventure be the way to do it? This is a small budget film so with this kind of constraint it’s key that imagination, passion, and a unique vision is present within these short films to make up for this lack of budget. This story does fall into the cliché horror pathway, friends becoming too curious and head to the woods, completely oblivious to the stuff of nightmares that could potentially be lurking behind every corner. For avid horror fans like me, this is a narrative which we are all familiar with. However, regardless of a story falling into this cliché this cannot hinder a film, it’s the twist you add to the narrative which can truly spark fear and interest. Guest of the Woods does include a hint of a twist, however, this needed to be explored and invested in a lot further. The location was interesting but did not scream horror, it would have created a much creepier atmosphere if filmed in the dark rather than the day, this is typically what evokes fear, it’s the unknown within the darkness. Again, with a small budget, an investment into perfect locations would really elevate this piece, there was not much variety and so made for a slow pace and was difficult to remain invested. The acting of the three friends was convincing, they had a clear bond throughout, and this is crucial within horror films. It’s important to believe in the characters own story and the reasoning for them taking this journey. I enjoyed their friendship dynamic and the interactions with one another set the story up perfectly and diverted the audience from the twist that lied ahead. Their reactions to some of the frightening scenes could have emphasised the shock and terror they experienced to convey that fear and project this onto the audience. It was great to not be fully exposed to the twist as what creates a good horror film is the not knowing. This form of tension building keeps you fearful and curious throughout, which is the perfect combination. Guest of the Woods has the elements to construct a creepy horror, with a few additional modifications this has great potential. It would be fascinating to see this short turn in to a two-part film and watch where the director Abu-bakr Adamu vision takes him.

★★★★ Directed by: #JayneSlater Starring: #SarahCatterall Short Film Review by: Alexandra James Directed by Jayne Slater, Locked In is a short film that captures the confusing and difficult times of the pandemic. Being forced to remain inside and avoid contact with friends, family and loved ones to protect people from catching the virus. However, this short concentrates on those that were not only isolated, but away from their family who are in a completely different country, making lockdown that much harder to cope with. Olivia is the main character, an American student in the UK, her housemate leaves as lockdown begins so that she can be with her family, whilst Olivia must stay in the home alone and forced to withstand the isolating struggles that come from the pandemic. Many of us entertained ourselves with a TV series, books, and online exercise classes to keep our minds and bodies active and to hopefully not lose that sense of normality. Nevertheless, there were moments within lock down that I’m sure many people experienced. Feelings of hopelessness and frustration and even depression in some cases. For Olivia, who is miles away from home, these feelings were very prominent, and the audience could clearly see this. Actress Sarah Cattrall who played Olivia conveyed this mixture of emotions extremely well. Occasionally, people can feel strong and happy in one moment and then hit a low point in the next instant. These were the harsh realities of the pandemic and Locked In depicted this blend of feelings in a very real way and takes the audience back to a very emotional time. It was great that this short brought a sense of realism. Locked In has a running time of around 6 minutes and perfectly captures the essence of day-to-day life which we have all endured during lock down. The plot is very simple, but this is not a negative, as it takes the audience back to a time where we were all living very simple lives and finding new ways to keep ourselves active. Without anyone to hug or speak to, our minds begin to wander and for Olivia, this is exactly what happened. You begin to think about being around loved ones again, to share an embrace. Something so simple and yet, means the most to a person. Lock down was a difficult and painful experience for some people, and it certainly makes the audience remember this time but also feel grateful to be around loved ones again. Locked In is a moving short film that takes the audience back to some difficult times, however, it does make us remember how far we have now come. It is amazing to think that this is an event in history that was experienced by everyone across the world, it separated and isolated many but, in some respect, it also brought us together and makes you cherish every moment we have now.

★★★ Directed by: #GeorgeVeck Starring: #KristinJaap, #SofiaAntoniaMilone, #GraceWinterburn, #AdamPhelan, #DavidMcSweeney Short Film Review by: Alexandra James Scarlett is a short film that attempts to highlight the dangers of drug addiction by focusing on the theme of loss, whether this be of control, family or loved ones. The protagonist Scarlett Krog is a character swept up in the party lifestyle, starting her mornings with a line of coke and a spliff for afters, Scarlett’s only concern is when she can go out and get completely trashed. Her selfishness is noticeable within this short, unaware of how her actions affect those around her, like her sister Sofia who is a struggling single mother. Her only priority is where she will find her next high. Scarlett’s actions quickly catch up to her as she awakes from another one her alcohol and drug fuelled nights out. She soon discovers that her three grand drug debt has now involved her sister. Sofia becomes a prisoner in her own home and is forced to watch her son become recruited into this drug gang. It is left to Scarlett to face up to her problems and crack this habit once and for all. The film begins with Scarlett waking up in her bedroom, smoking a spliff and throwing up in her garden. An interesting way to begin a story and one which reveals to the audience that the character is undoubtedly troubled. Her bedroom also portrays a teenage lifestyle, the empty cans, band posters and images of marijuana plastered around the walls creates Scarlett as a childish character. She is fixated on enjoying herself and quicks highs rather than facing the fact that she is an adult with responsibilities. Even after a heavy night, she is already in touch with her sister convincing her to come out again. A development of the characters would have benefitted this film immensely. Although the audience can make an educated guess about Scarlett’s character based on her appearance and surroundings, if we were to see more about her home life and how she interacts with people face to face this would allow the audience to understand her on a much deeper level and learn why she behaves in this manner. Moreover, an inclusion of flashbacks from the night before would have helped with the development of the storyline, so that we can be a part of Scarlett’s world. The dialogue and language used between the characters was unnatural and confusing as it did not match the scenes. It was overcomplicated and did not reflect the characters persona and how we would expect them to speak based on their reputation, attitude, and appearance. A more relaxed way of speaking, as well as adding some excitement and emotion within some of the scenes to convey the severity of the situation would have elevated this piece. There was an array of emotions experienced by many of the characters, sadness, and frustration from Sofia as well as anger from both Scarlett and the gang who are desperate for their money. Therefore, there was a need for a lot more passion within some of the scenes to convey this raw emotion. Scarlett has a story which has the structure and details to create an exciting and intense film. However, there are elements that need to be developed upon such as the characters and the acting which was lacking that enthusiasm to keep the audience fully invested throughout.

★★★ Directed by: #TomField Starring: #AngeloYelichOConnor, #OliverWhiley, #FinnBrick, #StefanMinić Short Film Review by: Alexandra James Sacrifice at the Altar begins with a young man, Sergeant James Marion, who awakes alone in a completely empty desert. Rolling sand dunes can be seen for miles but James walks the desert in a state of confusion and is unable to comprehend where he is or how to escape. The short film is broken into chapters and follows James and his journey as the audience oversee his mind slowly crumble through a series of mismatched events. Sacrifice at the Altar was all filmed on an iPhone, however, the creativity and beautiful cinematic shots that have been captured really projects this short film to another level. If this is the kind of work that it being created through just an iPhone, you can only imagine the unique vision that can be produced through professional camera work. The location for this piece is extraordinary, the vast deserts and the sun beating down on the character really added to the isolated feel within this film. The audience loses themselves within the landscape. As the sun begins to set, the colours melt across the screen and only the protagonists dark figure stands out which further strengthens his seclusion. The music was an interesting choice, I think it can be likened closely to The Twilight Zone, which fits very well with this short film, as the main premise within this series is to leave the audience in a state of confusion until the very end. The main character is often trying to figure out what has happened to him or her and awakes to a world that has changed around them in some way whilst they remain the same. It fit very well with the scenes, however, at times it sometimes came across as too dramatic, a growing build-up of sound would have benefitted in some circumstances. The storyline was difficult to follow at times and so it was hard to invest within this short film without trying to determine the direction of the narrative. It appears the film attempted to branch out a little too far and overcomplicated large aspects of the scenes. Sacrifice at the Altar attempted that artsy feel and even with the fantastic shots captured, unfortunately, it was hard to follow and breakdown the film’s purpose. The element of confusion needed to be present within this short but not to this extent. Sacrifice at the Altar can be stripped back further to a simpler storyline and invest more in character development. However, there is great potential within director Tom Field, and it would be interesting to see where his vision takes him next.

★★★ Directed by: #JoshCox Starring: #MateoCorrea, #DevonMcDowell Short Film Review by: Alexandra James Set in 1960’s New England, Dino at the Beach is a gay short film that focuses on two young men spending the last of the summer days alone at an isolated beach. The two men have never met each other before, but a short encounter between them leads to an erotic and sensual afternoon. The short uses motion picture film as opposed to digital which adds a light, soft filter to the piece, it can be seen as almost nostalgic for some audience members as if reliving a memory. The picturesque location, with the sun beating down on the beach and the gentle breeze flowing through the air, combined with the encounter between the men, unlocks a moment and fills us with that excitement we often feel when meeting a new person for the first time. Dino is alone at the beach sunbathing and a young man approaches him and attempts to engage in conversation. He leaves his things and hurtles towards the freezing ocean, as he returns the pair engage in minimal conversation before the man proposes they share an afternoon of passion together, although this proposal is a lot blunter in the film! Dino is a character who clearly shies away from these kinds of experiences. His nervous disposition is apparent, and it takes him a while to really relax and let his body and mind enjoy this moment. The acting within this short was natural and certainly captured the lust and passion between the two characters, as well as the frightened and innocent qualities of Dino slowly melting away as he relaxes into Sebastian’s arms. It was Sebastian that released the passion within Dino and a sexual awakening began to play out on screen. It wasn’t until this encounter was over did the two really introduce themselves! They parted ways but hoped that they could relive this moment again soon. It was difficult to determine the year of this short film, although it is said to be 1960’s New England, it could be adapted to fit any era with just a change of costume. To me, it looked late 70’s, but that is just one interpretation. This is not a negative, as it is a film that does not necessarily need a fixed time and date. This was a moving short film that was titillating, and a beautiful moment shared between two men. Dino at the Beach focuses on the spark and energy of two people and recreates this excitement seamlessly.

★★★★★ Directed by: #DannyLadwa, #GemRey Starring: #PeteScott, #AngieElder, #ClaireNorman, #SuzanaKalcic, #AyoAdesanya, #ChrisJackson Short Film Review by: Alexandra James The Stammer Project is a short documentary that follows six people and their story on living with a stammer. Danny Ladwa, director of the project, also shares his own experiences from childhood and how he has overcome many obstacles to get to where he is today. Danny discovered that singing and beatboxing allowed him to truly express himself and stammering never seemed to interrupt his flow. This was a creative way to be heard and gain confidence. Danny Ladwa then became the founder of The School of Beatboxing; their mission was to bring beatbox lessons to all and embark on new projects and give back to the community. From this, an all-singing group was put together to raise awareness on stammering, the members are all people that have a stammer and helped to put together a song in 2018 called ‘Free.’ The film shows the progression of the project and focuses on the singers sharing their story. An inspiring, uplifting, and fascinating film that warms the heart and spreads awareness. The film begins with Danny who introduces the audience to the new project he is embarking on. At a young age, Danny developed a stammer and struggled in school reading allowed and even pronouncing his own name. Living with a stammer affects confidence and can develop this self-consciousness when having to speak in front of others. School can often be a difficult place for a child to ‘fit in’ with others, a child with a stammer can make it far more challenging and creates a lot of anxiety. This was a shared experience by many of the people involved in the project, especially having to read aloud in class. It was difficult to hear these stories and you can almost picture yourself in their shoes facing these anxieties alone. However, it only strengthens the mission of this project and demonstrates to others that you can overcome these obstacles. As the documentary develops, we see the pieces being fused together. The instruments used for the music and people involved in adding snippets to the song reinforced this theme of community. It was brilliant to see everyone coming together to create a fantastic song and spread an important message. The people forming an all-singing group made it clear that they were not singers, however, this can be quicky dismissed as the audience hear their harmonies pair together to create a wonderful song. They all sounded fantastic and there was a lot of passion in their voices which lifted the piece entirely. Between the making of the song, there were clips of the singers explaining how they have dealt with their stammer throughout their life. These stories expressed moments of crippling anxiety to even suicide attempts. This project provided a platform for these people to be heard and to show how far they have all come, this was a truly inspiring and innovative piece and can reach out to many people living with a stammer and to never let this hold you back.

Directed by: Christopher Hatton Written by: Christopher Hatton, Chuck Reeves Starring: William Moseley, Melanie Zanetti, Kate Dickie, David Hayman, Callum Woodhouse Film Review by: Darren Tilby ★★★ The works of Edgar Allan Poe have resonated throughout the years with creatives from all walks of life: artists, writers, musicians, and, of course, filmmakers have all succumbed to the charm of Poe’s distinct brand of horror-laden romanticism. Christopher Hatton's Raven's Hollow is among the latest cinematic offerings in this vein. We’re introduced to Edgar Allan Poe (William Moseley) and four other West Point cadets on a training exercise in upstate New York. On their travels, they discover a young man tied to a wooden rack and disembowelled. With his last breath, he utters the word ‘Raven’. Intrigued by this discovery, Poe heads an investigation to uncover the perpetrators of this ritualistic killing. The investigation leads the cadets to a mysterious and isolated community, which they believe knows more than it’s letting on. Raven's Hollow is a film that wears its inspiration on its sleeve, with Hatton actively attempting to link the events in his story to Poe's literary works, creating some interesting ideas in the process – themes of isolation, trauma and lost love are prevalent throughout Raven’s Hollow. The connection to Poe's literature is what's most likely to draw in a prospective audience (myself included) and, at a surface level at least, writers Chuck Reeves and Christopher Hatton provided enough plot intrigue to keep me engaged throughout most of the film's 98-minute runtime. Nevertheless, enjoyment is only surface level, and Raven's Hollow very quickly begins to suffer from its lack of depth. A forgettable cast of one-dimensional characters (despite some memorable performances from the likes of Kate Dickie and David Hayman), particularly among the group of cadets, fails to develop any kind of emotional connection to the characters or the proceeding horror that befalls them. This had an unfortunate effect: once things kicked off, I just didn't care! There are also some incredibly jarring pacing issues here: the film flitters between scenes of gruesome horror and action (the practical effects on display here are superb), to scenes of plot exposition, to meandering nothingness. Ultimately, this constant irregularity prevented me from ever becoming fully immersed in its world—and that's a damn shame. It's even more of a shame as Raven's Hollow establishes and maintains an impressive atmosphere throughout. Filmed on location in Latvia, both cinematographer Michael Rizzi and sound designer Danton Tanimura utilise the natural ambience of this fantastic shooting location; playing with muted colours and dwindling light, and naturally occurring ambient sounds to create an atmosphere of creeping dread, which settles Raven's Hollow comfortably within the Gothic-horror sub-genre to which it so rightly belongs. Overall, Raven's Hollow is an entertaining, if shallow, foray into the gloomy world of Edgar Allan Poe. In the end, it's difficult to fathom who this film's target audience was intended to be. There is a lot here for fans of Poe's literature to discover. That alone is likely to pique the interest of that particular demographic. But its failure to immerse you in its world in any meaningful way ultimately leaves it unfulfilling. For others, there's a sense of familiarity with the narrative's development. But there just isn't enough here to set it apart from the hundreds of other horror offerings out there. Still, if you're just after switching off for an hour and a half, Raven's Hollow should scratch that itch comfortably.

Filmmaker Interview by Chris Olson Thanks for speaking with us Dylan. How are you and whereabouts in the world are you right now? Thank you so much for having me! I am doing very well thank you, currently I am in Wales working on the very early stages of my next project which I'm extremely excited about! Your short film, Are You Ready? was recently reviewed by us. For those who don't know, what's the film about? Are You Ready? follows a young man called Taylor who wakes up after a night out, sitting in a garden with a strange man opposite him. The man is not very talkative but seems very familiar to Taylor. The more the story goes on, Taylor puts together the truth of what happened last night. Without spoiling too much of the film, the story is also about themes of drug use and how fragile life can be. Why did you want to tell this story? I think the main reason I told this story is because it's imagery and story have been something I've always wanted to tell/do as a film-maker but never felt confident enough to make. It came to the point that I desperately wanted to tell this story and could no longer put it off and keep it on my chest. I'm so glad that I finally did as the experience of making the film and reception it has had so far has been nothing but incredible and reassuring! I couldn't have made this film without the incredible cast and crew who have supported the film through thick and thin. Jack Riley-Jones is an incredible actor who I truly believe was the only person who could play the role perfectly, Kieran Green as the Cinematographer and colourist was a genius in making the images I had in my head for the film a reality. We also had H.Sin as the films main theme composer and they're music added so much more depth to a big scene in the film and last and certainly not least my hugely talented Mam Deborah Guard for the outstanding costume design. With this amazing crew behind me I knew I could make the story finally a reality and I gained the confidence in myself and my ability to make it. You chose to film in black-and-white. Why was that? That's a very interesting question. I had a few ideas along with Kieran Green about what we could do with the film's colour. One of the first ideas we had was a blue tint to the film to make everything look cold. I think personally my heart was always set on black-and-white however. One of the main reasons for this is because I am a massive fan of classic universal monster movies such as the wolfman and the invisible man and have always had a fondness for the imagery those films have. The other main reason was that I felt it added to the dramatic nature of the story itself. What were the challenges of making Are You Ready? Luckily, I don't think we ran into issues with the filming of Are You Ready?. I think the only challenge was believing in myself that I could make and direct a film of this style and story. I was able to overcome that challenge and I'm thankful to everyone who continues to support and push me to be the best me. What's the plan for the film now? Where can our readers see it? The film is currently doing very well on the film festival scene which I am incredibly proud of! But the film will also be releasing onto our YouTube channel UncutFilms on Friday May 5th at 6PM. I am incredibly excited to see people's reactions to the film! What's next for you? Currently, I am in the very early writing stage of a new and incredibly exciting project which is another story I've always wanted to tell. It's very different from anything I've done before which is incredibly thrilling for me! Why do you make films? I make films because I have so many stories I want to tell. Ever since I was young, I loved the idea of making stories that others could watch and relate to in some way. I love watching films and TV shows myself, it's my passion and that passion has driven me to make my own. Read our film review of Are You Ready? #ChrisOlson #FilmmakerInterview

Filmmaker Interview by Chris Olson Lovely to speak with you Ciao. You are promoting a new film called A Conflict. What's the film about? A CONFLICT is a dramedy about two Asian American theatre actors who, in order to keep their job at a Chinese adaptation of Macbeth, have to put up with the White director’s excessive obsession. The film is inspired by a true story that the writer-director Alex Jiang experienced. She helped out on a movie set in LA that was filming a story set in China. The writer is Chinese; the script is in Mandarin; and all the actors are speaking Mandarin. Yet they have a white director who’s never set foot in China and doesn’t understand one single word in Mandarin. The irony she witnessed during those days of filming raised a lot of interesting questions about authentic representation and what it means to be a minority storyteller in the current landscape. We’re very fortunate to have the opportunity to instil those feelings into A CONFLICT. How did you come to be a producer on this? Alex and I have worked on multiple projects together, and we were actually roommates for the entire year last year. She told me about her experience on that movie set right after they wrapped, and both of us agreed that it sounds like the perfect source material for a satirical story. Weeks later, she came to me with the first draft of A CONFLICT and asked me for notes, so I came on board as a producer right from the start. It was our first collaborative attempt at comedy– satire to be specific, so it’s a fun creative challenge for both of us to make something completely different from our past work. What have been the challenges in getting this film made? It’s a surprisingly smooth shoot from a logistical standpoint. We filmed everything in one single location, and a lot of our key creative crew are long-time collaborators from our past, so the team understands each other’s working style as well as creative visions very well. On the flip side, the seemingly simple story posed a significant challenge to the writing and casting. Because the entire story takes place on a theatre stage between three people, the writing needs to be really witty and smart in order to keep raising the stakes and maintain momentum. Alex and I spent a lot of time bouncing ideas off each other and adding details to make the story rich in texture when the film is contained from the outset. It’s also a balancing act between comedy and the seriousness of our subject matter. Also for the same reason, we placed a huge emphasis on performances, and the casting process was definitely as exciting as challenging. We reviewed hundreds of submissions for the three roles, looking for comedy actors who also have the range to create more nuance in the characters. There were so many promising candidates with different approaches, which really pushed us to think more about what we want each character to be and what chemistry we’re looking for in the trio. One week before filming, one of our lead cast tested positive for COVID and got stuck in quarantine in New York, so we had to quickly turn around and recast. It was undoubtedly one of the biggest crises during the production, but thankfully we made a plan B early on and it worked out perfectly. What was the most enjoyable moment on set? The most fun part about filming a comedy is that you’ll have a lot of cast members with great humour and positive energy to bring to the set. While the script itself is full of satirical and witty punchlines, we really relied on the actors to bring out the physical comedy aspect of the story. A lot of their improvisations are unexpected, nice surprises, and I had so much fun watching the actors experiment with different sets of actions that can maximize the comedic tone. To be honest, I would’ve never thought of what they did when I was reading the script and kudos to our cast for nailing their jobs. Even the joking around in between takes is hilarious; it really lightened up the mood for everyone working on set. On top of that, most of the crew members on A CONFLICT actually just came off another set that Alex and I worked on together, so it’s nice to have a reunion and work as a productive, well-established team. How have you been promoting the film? The film is currently in the festival circuit. It’s been officially selected at multiple domestic and international festivals including WorldFest-Houston, Austin Comedy, Berlin Shorts & Austin Micro Film Festival. In the long term, we’re definitely hoping to get a distributor and find a platform where the story can be shared with the general public. Where can people see it next? A CONFLICT will be screened at WorldFest-Houston. Stay tuned! Why do you love making movies? I’m always drawn to the power of stories. We can be transported into different realities and explore all kinds of possibilities in life, while peering into the best, the worst and the nature of humanity. It’s so ever-changing yet ever-lasting, and every new movie feels like a brand new adventure on its own. Filmmaking for me is the perfect entry to the observations and reflections I made in life. I can share my feelings about one personal experience and ponder the questions about the universal human condition, trying to make sense of the disorderly world with a constructed narrative. Growing up in a cinephile family, I remember all the emotional impact that some movies had left on me, and I wanted to be able to create something that can potentially be the positive influence on someone else’s life. What's next for you? There’re a lot of up-and-coming filmmakers that I would love to work with, so I’m always on the lookout for exciting stories. Personally, for my next project, I’d love to take on a female-centric sci-fi or crime script. I am also developing a couple of feature projects with some really talented writer-directors, and hopefully, we’ll be able to go into production in the near future. #ChrisOlson #FilmmakerInterview

By Chris Olson Hi Sam, thanks so much for being with us. Whereabouts in the world are you right now and what are you up to? Hi Chris, it’s a pleasure to be here. Right now I’m sat in our production office at Praxima, which is in East Grinstead. Whenever people ask where that is I always say if you draw a line from London to Brighton, its bang in the middle. My team and I have just stepped off completing production on a short film called “panic!” with some very talented people and are now in the middle of navigating our way through a number of scripts and projects for optioning in 23/24. It’s an exciting time as we’re still enjoying the never-ending experiences of completing and distributing our debut feature and that milestone has now opened new doors that we’re excited to walk through. You have a new film that's out, a feature called The Pay Day which you directed and co-produced. What's the film about? The Pay Day is a British crime caper/rom-com set in London and revolves around a character called “Jenn” played by Kyla Frye. She’s just been made redundant and we join her at a point where no matter what she’s done and how many rules that she’s followed - life keeps giving her lemons. But opportunity knocks in the form of Simon Callow’s devilishly intriguing “Gates” who offers her an opportunity to make lots of money fast, but to do so she’ll have to break a few rules and perform a one-woman heist, utilising her skill set as an IT Tech, to steal some data worth millions. Sounds easy but all of Jenn’s plans go out the window once career criminal “George”, played by Sam Benjamin, arrives to steal the very same thing. Why did you want to tell this story? Kyla Frye and Sam Benjamin developed the story together and when I read the first draft, I was immediately drawn to the story of the underdog. Jenn is counted out by society and is looked upon, at least in the beginning of our movie, as someone who’s easily replaceable. The spirit of The Pay Day, for me, is about taking chances, believing in yourself and not being afraid to fail. There’s many ways to tell this kind of story but we wanted our movie to be one that does so by trying to hit that elusive tone of Hollywood in the 60’s, a funny and thrilling ride in equal measure with plenty of memorable characters throughout. What were some of the challenges in getting this made? Apologies but this will be a ramble! Firstly, it’s a miracle that any film gets made! The task of planning to shoot a movie, then doing it and seeing it through post-production is immensely difficult and you really do need an army to see it through. I say this without even including what it takes to decide what to do once it’s finished! The first real challenge, I think, was deciding when to pull the trigger. We prepped and prepped for quite some time, our first draft of the script was ready back in 2018 and we put together a table read. The reviews were great but life, as always, gets in the way. We all have jobs and responsibilities so the movie sat on a shelf until we could reconnect and decide that we were going to see it through. We then had to try and accurately budget for all of the hard costs, meaning the things which had to be paid for in advance of shooting. This way we could assess how much we would need to raise and more importantly give us an indication of where to go looking for it! Money, in the indie film world, is a very stressful, and at times, almost impossible aspect to overcome. There’s always going to be certain grants and funds out there, but more often than not I have found that the hoops which filmmakers have to jump through to be awarded financial aid is normally too long and too specific to certain criteria. It wasn’t for us, so eventually, we realised that private financing was going to be the best foot forward. Hilariously, it helped that our leading man and writer, Sam Benjamin, had his green card accepted for a move to L.A! This gave our team a countdown clock to work to - sooner or later Sam was flying away and we had to get the movie in the can before then. So with a decision to privately finance the film it was then up to our production team to locate some money going spare! I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some very lovely people who believed enough in my talents and ambition for The Pay Day to sit down and have a number of chats with me. Call it luck, faith or the planets aligning - we managed to welcome 4 executive producers aboard the project who made it financially possible to start the cameras rolling - and I will forever be grateful to those absolute legends! I like to think that everything happens only when it’s the right time to happen and after finding the money and assembling the right crew and perfect cast - in a bizarre twist - the opportune time to take the leap and start making The Pay Day was during lockdown in 2021. The industry had stalled, the city was quiet and it was an interesting period where permits were granted faster, access to locations had become easier and in general - people had more time to offer the project and for a lot of us, wanted to become involved in something positive during a trying time for so many. Where can our readers watch The Pay Day? For anyone in the U.S.A, you can buy or rent wherever you get your digital fix but as of this month you can also watch our movie for free on the Starz Network. For audiences in the UK, its still available to buy or rent from the usual suspects but we’re excited to say that it will be available to stream as an exclusive on FreeVee very soon! What's next for you? Good question! What I don’t want to do is relax for too long. I’m pleased to say this isn’t a “one and done” situation for me. I’ve been approached to direct a new movie that we are currently working out the specifics on and I’m also attached to a number of feature ideas that are in the process of being scripted. Another piece of advice from those that have gone before me is to always have something else lined up, I guess that’s why our industry is so varied and accessible right now. There’s literally an endless amount of platforms to showcase your work on as a filmmaker so why wouldn’t you have more than one project on the go? What’s a movie you absolutely love and why? Dumb and Dumber. I honestly think I’ve seen the movie about 100 times over and it still makes me howl with laughter. The duo of Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, an all-American road trip, the screwball comedy of it all and a smile-inducing soundtrack results in what I think is a perfect comedy. So much so that my wife and I even managed to watch it whilst we were in labour! I love that film too! I would be lying if I didn't admit to trying to light my own farts after seeing it as a kid. Why do you love making films? Filmmaking is ridiculously hard. A perfect shot in a movie could have meant 20, 30 or even 50 takes in real life. Making a movie means LONG DAYS. You’ll be going to sleep sometimes and realising you’re up in just a few hours to take on another 18-hour day that could be ruined by something as unpredictable as the weather! It’s a process that asks so much from so many people, but what happens is you suddenly inherit a new family, that you work alongside for months, sometimes even years! That’s very special to me because I’ve met some truly talented and wonderful people along the way and if it wasn’t for making films, I wouldn’t have these people in my life. There’s also something about creating a legacy that’s ultimately got me on the hook. The idea of creating a piece of work to leave behind that might speak to people from future generations is pretty awesome. So do I think it’s cool that my children’s children’s children might stick The Pay Day on one evening and find themselves laughing at the same thing I did when making it? Definitely. Watch the trailer for The Pay Day below #ChrisOlson #FilmmakerInterview

★★★★ Directed by: Cameron Lee Horace Written by: Cameron Lee Horace, Miles Gibson, Sophie Colquhoun Starring: Sophie Colquhoun, Joe Snape, Fiona Leishman, Claudia Lindemann, Lisa Ronaghan, Helen Mae Austin Film Review by: Jason Knight The story of a woman's life that was filled with countless of affairs. Maisie (Lindemann) is an elderly woman living in a nursing home. She does not speak or interact with others. Instead, she sits in a chair all day. One day, James (Snape), a healthcare professional trainee, arrives and he is assigned to take care of her. While he repeatedly tries to find out if she has any living relatives, a manifestation of her younger self, constantly present throughout the film, reflects on her current situation and her past, a past that involved many infidelities. Based on unpublished work by novelist Miles Gibson, this short drama explores the life of a woman who wanted to be wild. She wanted to have experiences with numerous men and not settle down, unlike her two sisters. The plot deals with themes of nostalgia, infidelity, romance, growing old and isolation. The tone varies from dramatic to melancholic or humorous. Colquhoun is entertaining and emotional as an individual who went through a lifetime of no-strings-attached involvements with men who were already taken. She comes across as egocentric, stubborn and sarcastic and is proud of her actions, feeling no regrets. Snape is sympathetic as a likeable, patient and warmhearted individual who attempts to help Maisie. Ronaghan and Austin are great in their supporting roles as the deceased sisters who visit her younger self in the care home and criticize her adulterous, aimless lifestyle. The majority of the narrative consists of Colquhoun's narration and flashbacks often show sequences of her character's past life, all of which are in black-and-white. Composer Guy Naden makes a wonderful contribution. The beautiful music includes piano pieces and at times it creates a sad atmosphere. Credit also goes to the clothing, which gives the impression that it belongs in the forties or fifties, when Maisie was young. This short film is very well made, acted and written. The plot is intriguing and it is interesting finding out more about the main character and looking into her unconventional past. It offers a journey that is worth embarking on. #JasonKnight Watch The Other Woman in full below:

Prolific filmmaker Mark Cousins is back with two films at this year’s Glasgow Film Festival. First up is My Name is Alfred Hitchcock which sees Cousins step into the master of suspense’s shoes and imagine how he would deconstruct his own work, with impressionist Alistair McGowan providing Hitch’s voice for the narration. His second work, The March on Rome, uses Mussolini propaganda film A Noi! as the entry point for an examination of Italian fascism and its far reaching consequences. The following interview focuses solely on My Name is Alfred Hitchcock. AM. For those who are yet to watch the film: when you have such broad taste, why did you choose to make a film about the much-studied Hitchcock? MC. Exactly, I didn’t want to make a film about Hitchcock, because there had been so many books and so many films. But, it was during lockdown, and my producer said, “It’s a hundred years since the first Hitchcock film, would you consider?” As soon as he said that, I had an idea of how to do it. I was sort of cursing myself, because I thought, ‘what if I do it as if he has come from the dead, talking himself?’ That was within seconds, and I thought, ‘Well I’ve never seen that before – him talking through his own work’. I thought maybe I could do something original, you have to always try to do something original! So I said to my producer, “Look, I’ll start watching through his films, in order, from the very first one”. And I took this particular notebook [produces a hefty leather-bound notebook] and I started scribbling, and the scribbles went on and on, and on, and on… And halfway through the first film I thought, ‘Yes, I can do this’. I can look at some themes that are well-known like escape and desire, but I can also look at ones that really interest me like loneliness and particularly fulfilment. We think of Hitchcock as somebody who looks at the disruptive aspects of desire, how desire is a kind of self-sabotage. But also what if he was interested in satisfaction? So I thought, ‘Okay, I’ll do it’. AM. You have done these kind of impersonations before, with Eisenstein, and Welles, how and why do you like to create these pseudo-personalities? How do you get into that headspace, and what do you find fulfilling in doing that? MC. The big thing for me as a filmmaker, most filmmakers who make non-fiction stuff think you shouldn’t use a voiceover, and I love voiceover! I think it is super creative. But if you are using a voiceover, you have to ask, who is speaking? From where? When? And why? The standard is this objective male voice who is delivering information. In none of my films, even though my voice is in a lot of them, in none of them am I the objective male lecturer. There is always something intimate I think, or trying to be lyrical, or poetic there. But what if the person speaking is Hitchcock himself? That interests me. It interests me as a creative person. How do I get inside the head of Hitchcock or Eisenstein? How would they say something? What were their ideas? Once you step into their shoes it becomes electrifying, and sort of – this sounds kind of wanky – but you slightly forget who you are. And you are really trying to think from their point of view. That is such a lot of fun creatively to do. It also can be revealing, cause also when you are speaking in the first person, you are excluding a lot of things as well as including lots of things, and that brings your film alive. AM. So there is you doing the impersonation with the writing, directing and storytelling, and you have also brought in Alistair McGowan to do the impression of Hitchcock. Can you talk about your relationship with him, and how you created the character between the two of you, and at what part of the process he came in at? MC. I wrote the script, and I knew this film would only work if we got a really good actor to do the voice of Hitchcock. I’m friends with Simon Callow, the great actor, and I said to him, “Who could do Hitchcock?” And I thought he would say that he could, but he said that the best ear in the business is Alistair McGowan. Of course I knew his work and was a big fan of his, so we sent the script to his agent and we didn’t hear anything for a long time. And then I got a message on my phone and it was like Hitchcock was speaking to me. It was so precise - not only accurate, there is a difference between an impersonation and acting – I went to meet Alistair and we went into the recording studio the same day, and he really acted. I thought he brought my script to life, all the little funny bits and chuckles to himself. It is a long script at two hours and he hardly stumbled the whole way through, almost no stumbles. Wonderful to watch! Hitchcock was from Leytonstone, near London and he lived in California, and at one point he said, “A little bit more Leytonstone, or a little bit less?” He could dial up one aspect of the voice or dial it down again. Wow! I could do zero of that. It is fascinating to work with people who are naturally gifted at something, and he really is so. With the character I gave him almost no notes. We sat and had a cup of tea beforehand and said that it should feel playful, this is certainly not an academic film, it should feel playful, and he just got a little bit of mirth in his voice that I really enjoyed the whole way through. I was in a room next door listening on my headphones and I was laughing at times which was definitely a good sign. AM. There is a part in the film where you give him a note, where he, as Hitchcock, is going through word choice, was that ad-libbing or? MC. No, that was written into the script. I just wanted to rough it up a little bit there. AM. There are a few injections that felt like that, in the still images of Hitchcock you must play another image over it, is that you walking back and forward in front of the light, hinting that you are there? MC. It isn’t, that is a graphic effect. I said to our graphic designer that I wanted almost no movement but just a slight movement in the eye. So they moved the light a little bit just to seem like it is reflecting in Hitchcock’s eye, but it’s not me. The other thing the graphic designer did, I asked him - most of the photographs are narrower than they are tall, and of course my movie screen is 16:9, a lot of the images are expanded by the graphic designer which is quite nice. When Hitchcock is standing looking over a balcony in the Alps most of the left of the picture is fake, and when he is sitting on the rolls of carpet the left and the right is just added. Little things like that are fun to do, we did some of that in the Orson Welles film, but I like the graphics to be almost invisible, hardly there at all. AM. One of the most interesting things for me was that you splice in some modern day footage, I’m talking less so about the monuments and the murals – we know why they are there, but the images of the young people that it seems like Hitchcock is talking to, I was wondering what your thought process was in using them? And having them look down the camera? MC. The first thing I want to say about that is that the entire film was made in lockdown so I didn’t shoot those two scenes that you are referring to, the girl in the sort of mustard coloured top and the guy on his phone, unfortunately that was stock footage that I had to buy in. I spent days looking for the right image. I knew I wanted someone to look into camera and challenge Hitchcock in a way. So I couldn’t shoot that cause of lockdown. What I needed there was a sense of the 21st century, Hitchcock died in the 80s, but what if he was here now? How would he update his imagination? I wanted those young people to be square on, and for him to consider what does a young person feel like now? I usually hate those speeded up shots but I used one with the guy on the phone because I wanted Hitchcock to refer to the sense that everyday life has sped up in some ways. So that is what they are there for, the kind of challenge of youth. Hitchcock had a very contemporary imagination I would say. AM. And for those who have seen the film how did you decide where to draw the line? Before the film some people might say, how is he going to get another two hours out of Hitchcock? And by the end they will be saying how is there not another ten hours? MC. It was a little bit longer. What I did for each chapter was I made a lunchbox like this, [he raises a small plastic container crammed full with a series of note laden cards] so this is the ‘fulfilment’ sandwich box. In there are all the little bits that I wanted to talk about fulfilment. I have another box here called ‘outtakes’, and there are probably another forty minutes in there. But I just thought two-hours-forty is far too long and people will hate me. Maybe for the extra or making-of I might do that. I know two hours is a long time and some people will feel that exhausting but I wanted it to be watchable in a single event and to sort of build. I wanted it to feel symphonic in a way, there is one theme and then a different theme, and the music changes - by Donna McKevitt. It is at the outer edge of how long it should be I think. I know some people would think I should take twenty minutes out of it, but I’m only going to make one film about Hitchcock, I’m never going to make another film about him, so give it a bit of welly! AM. Can you give us an insight into the outtakes box? MC. Okay, I’m going to open it up. So I’ve got notes about Frenzy, ‘Far more photographic integrity than Topaz’. Oh yeah, I watched Frenzy after Topaz, Topaz is terrible. Some of the dialogue in Frenzy is terrible, so I’ve got a line here at thirteen-minutes-thirty, someone dies and in the pub they say “good juicy sex murders”. I was going to put that in but I thought that tells us nothing so its not in. ‘Topaz – looks like TV’, so I was going to talk about how he regretted how it looked, but I didn’t want to spend too much time on it cause it is sort of rubbish. So its filled with those marginal points I could have made with more time. AM. You play up subjectivity a lot in this film, is that a reaction to anything or is it how you’ve always liked to work - I saw you get frustrated with the recent David Bowie documentary being called ‘not really a documentary’ because it places less emphasis on facts – why do you put so much emphasis on your own voice do you think? MC. I’ve never believed that documentary has to be a factual medium. Documentary is not one genre, it is a range of genres - you’ve got the observational film, the music film, the campaigning film, the archive film, the propaganda film, the essay film… Some of them use voice and some of them don’t. Documentary uses voice the way a poem uses voice, or the way a musical uses dance, it is one of the creative tools in the box. So I have always been interested in trying to use that creative tool in particular. I am really interested in the sort of tension, the desire you could say, between image and voice. That kind of desire, that spark that jumps between them, that is something that electrifies both for me. Subjectivity is not a word I would personally use because that implies that there are the objective docs which are factual, and there are the ones which are less so, and I definitely don’t split them in that way. I would call my films lyric-prose, it is that tonality that I am interested in. Tickets are available for My Name is Alfred Hitchcock and The March on Rome at Glasgow Film Festival: Glasgow Film Festival | Glasgow Film Theatre