Wilby Park Trailer

The trailer for Ian Fielding’s Wilby Park has hit the internet. Starring Claire Conroy, Laura Evelyn, Jessica Stanley and Samantha Roberts the film will be released in July.

You can read an interview with Ian here

IndieFlicks: Interview

Neil Jones is the director of the forthcoming horror film, Stag Night of the Dead. IndieFlicks got in touch with Neil to discuss the finer points of his first feature film.

IndieFlicks: How did you get started in filmmaking?

Neil: Like a lot of people I didn’t really know how to actually get in to mainstream film making so I decided to take route one and make a film myself. I wrote a ten minute short called Zero Tolerance which we shot over one weekend in a locker room in a West London warehouse. ZT was part creative and part experimental but gave me the confidence to make two further shorts, On A Plate and Reco Men.

IF: Where did the idea for Stag Night of the Dead come from?

NJ: Making shorts is all very well but you soon learn that it’s commercially unviable (although can be a useful calling card). I wanted to step up to a feature and decided to make a no budget/one character/one location/small crew production. Then I came up with an idea during the first bird flu scare about a stag party being hunted down in a secret Government testing facility and I couldn’t shake it off.

IF: How long did the writing process take?

NJ: With rewrites and script editor help the script took about six weeks to write. The ending took nearly as long as i junked the original three pages after our main shoot and decided we needed a much bigger payoff.

IF: Would you cite any films as inspiration towards SNotD?

NJ: Easy - An American Werewolf in London which ties as my favourite film of all time (with North by Northwest). I’ve also included some nods to the best TV series ever, The Prisoner.

IF: What was your favourite scene to film in the entire production?

NJ: My favourite scene to shoot was the experimental centre where Candy and Dean discover the truth behind Zomball. It was probably the only occasion we were ahead of schedule and the department heads weren’t being beaten up to get to the next set up.

IF: What cameras did you use to shoot Stag Night on?

NJ: We used Sony Z1s with 35mm adapters for 90% of the shoot and the Sony A1, which is a great camera.

IF: Would you change anything if you could go back and make the film again?

NJ: I should have got a full time caterer on set…big mistake.

IF: What do you think of the current state of independent filmmaking in the UK?

NJ: I have the highest regard for every indie film maker out there putting themselves through the sheer hell of trying to make anything in the UK. We’re obsessive, like mad dogs (who should be put down out of kindness) that chase the dream. There’s no problem with the indie film scene, it’s the incestuous, bloated and self indulgent film funding agencies that are (supposedly) there to support us that are the problem.

IF: What can we expect to see from you in the future?

NJ: Well if I can avoid divorce and bankruptcy my next feature will be a straight horror called The Sigil which is in the vein of the original Wicker Man.

IF: Do you have any advice for any aspiring filmmakers out there?

NJ: Yes, don’t wait and don’t talk about it - make it.

For more information on SNotD please visit the official website - click

Review: Halfway to Heaven

Director
James Sharpe

Cast
James Lacey
Mark Killeen
Andrew Lindfield
Catherine Locardi
Lisa Armytage
Ciara Dooley
Peter Easter
Peter Barfield
James Fisher

Halfway to Heaven is a fantasy romance set in and around the everyday world, recalling films such as Wings of Desire, and the works of Neil Gaiman.

Peter Barfield plays Paul, an average guy living in a dead end town. After a series of events orchestrated by God (Locardi) he finds himself in a form of purgatory. Existing as a ghost in another town, and living in a house with a living resident, Paul learns a little about himself, life, love and all that good stuff.

The film is well directed, and the actors give it their all.  Some, such as the Devil, played by Killeen, looked like they were having a lot of fun in their brief scenes.

The script has some good ideas, although it can at times become far too exposition heavy. Writer/Director James Sharpe feels like he is not yet confident enough to express ideas with light touches, and perhaps does not have faith that his audience would understand the story. For his next feature I hope that he takes the jump and allows more of the story to be expressed visually.

If there was a fundamental issue with the film it would be the pacing. The film feels like it has been padded out to reach feature length. What could have been a fun, and charming, 30 minute short film, feels spread out too thinly. The final 10 minutes are almost tacked on and frankly the emotional journey of our hero ends well before the film does. There is a natural conclusion and it would be interesting to see if the piece could be re-edited into a shorter, sharper form.

Halfway to Heaven is an interesting, and ambitious film. It is flawed, but that should not be seen as a criticism of anyone who worked on the piece. As a stepping stone onto bigger and better things, director Sharpe has moulded something from which I am certain he has gained a lot of experience. I look forward to his next picture.

Rob Girvan

For more information on Halfway to Heaven please visit the official website - click

BIFA Awards Announced

Moon, the debut feature from Duncan Jones, has been named the best British indie film at this years British Independent Film Awards in London, with Duncan Jones also taking home the best debut director award. Other winners included Carey Mulligan (Best Actress) in An Education, Tom Hary (Best Actor) in Bronson and Best Director for Andrea Arnold for her film Fish Tank.

The full list of winners can be found at the official website - click

Exhibit A released

Dom Rotheroe’s latest feature, Exhibit A, will be available this week on multiple platforms. The film can be streamed for free on indiemoviesonline.com now and will also be available on DVD from Amazon from December 4.

IndieFlicks have already had the pleasure of reviewing this film and would heartily recommend that you guys check it out too!

You can visit the official website here

Dead Cert

Dead Cert, the latest film from Black and Blue Films, has just completed principal photography. Directed by Steve Lawson, the gangsters vs vampire flick stars Craig Fairbrass, Dexter Fletcher and Billy Murray and will be released in 2010.

The trailer for the film is already up and can be seen at the official website - click

IndieFlicks: Interview

Tristan Versluis is the feature director of the up and coming horror, Not Alone. Known for his special effects work he has now made the jump to taking the hot seat. IndieFlicks caught up with Tristan in September as he was halfway through shooting.

IndieFlicks: You’re currently in the middle of shooting your first feature film. How are you enjoying the experience so far?

Tristan: It’s been an amazing experience, working with a passionate cast and crew is inspiring and adding towards a great film.

IndieFlicks: Where did the idea for Not Alone come from?

Tristan: It came off the back of writing another feature which was much more commercial, full of blood and gore along with loads of pretty twisted ideas. So I set out on writing ‘Not Alone’ because I wanted something with deeper characters and a plot to deal with. I think I also used it as a way of dealing with issues in my own head with my life at the time. The film is full of questions and possible ideas of what really happened, but neither really matters, it’s really about what tips people over the edge and how they deal with it.

IndieFlicks: You come from a special effects make up background. What was special about Not Alone that made you want to make this your first feature film?

Tristan: It’s hopefully a film that will show my progression into directing and that I am not only an Fx artist.

IndieFlicks: What’s been the most difficult aspect of making your first feature so far?

Tristan: Time, budget and the usual constraints that they bring. Being at the helm is frustrating when you want to make the shoot/scene perfect but you get told you have to move on! But I have had great people around me that have helped achieve the maximum we could.

IndieFlicks: Did you have specific actors in mind when casting?

Tristan: No not really, but during casting names fell in place and it was looking so good, the line up for the film turned out to be great, they all worked so well together.

IndieFlicks: What are you shooting the film with?

Tristan: We are shooting on the RED camera at 4K. It looks so nice!

IndieFlicks: When do you hope to get the film released by?

Tristan: Next year hopefully, all being well.

IndieFlicks: Do you have any other projects in the pipeline?

Tristan: I have another script called ‘Club Skin’ in development stage which I hope will be next.

IndieFlicks: What advice would you give to any aspiring filmmakers out there?

Tristan: Be pro-active and keep busy. Keep making films and showing as many people as possible, and listen to their advice and comments whether they are good or bad.

For more information please visit the official website - click