NORFOLK DIRECTOR: MARTIN RADICH HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD DIRECTOR: JERRY ROTHWELL

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2 A PATCH OF FOG DIRECTOR: MICHAEL LENNOX DEPARTURE DIRECTOR: ANDREW STEGGALL SPACESHIP DIRECTOR: ALEX TAYLOR THE ONES BELOW DIRECTOR: DAVID FARR IONA DIRECTOR: SCOTT GRAHAM I AM BELFAST DIRECTOR: MARK COUSINS A SYRIAN LOVE STORY DIRECTOR: SEAN McALLISTER THE LOVERS AND THE DESPOT DIRECTORS: ROBERT CANNAN & ROSS ADAM HIGH-RISE DIRECTOR: BEN WHEATLEY THE INCIDENT DIRECTOR: JANE LINFOOT TRESPASS AGAINST US DIRECTOR: ADAM SMITH LIGHT YEARS DIRECTOR: ESTHER MAY CAMPBELL COUPLE IN A HOLE DIRECTOR: TOM GEENS REMAINDER DIRECTOR: OMER FAST SUFFRAGETTE DIRECTOR: SARAH GAVRON NORFOLK DIRECTOR: MARTIN RADICH HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD DIRECTOR: JERRY ROTHWELL WHO S GONNA LOVE ME NOW? DIRECTORS: TOMER HEYMANN, BARAK HEYMANN & ALEXANDER BODIN SAPHIR THE MUSEUM OF INNOCENCE DIRECTOR: GRANT GEE THOMAS QUICK DIRECTOR: BRIAN HILL THE SURVIVALIST DIRECTOR: STEPHEN FINGLETON BILL DIRECTOR: RICHARD BRACEWELL THE LOBSTER DIRECTOR: YORGOS LANTHIMOS 45 YEARS DIRECTOR: ANDREW HAIGH BROOKLYN DIRECTOR: JOHN CROWLEY SLOW WEST DIRECTOR: JOHN MACLEAN LONDON ROAD DIRECTOR: RUFUS NORRIS DARK HORSE DIRECTOR: LOUISE OSMOND SUNSET SONG DIRECTOR: TERENCE DAVIES TESTAMENT OF YOUTH DIRECTOR: JAMES KENT BRAND NEW-U DIRECTOR: SIMON PUMMELL GOZO DIRECTOR: MIRANDA BOWEN SECOND COMING DIRECTOR: DEBBIE TUCKER GREEN BYPASS DIRECTOR: DUANE HOPKINS ELECTRICITY DIRECTOR: BRYN HIGGINS THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY DIRECTOR: PETER STRICKLAND THE FALLING DIRECTOR: CAROL MORLEY THE GOOB DIRECTOR: GUY MYHILL ROBOT OVERLORDS DIRECTOR: JON WRIGHT DRUG LORD: THE LEGEND OF SHORTY DIRECTOR: ANGUS MACQUEEN X+Y DIRECTOR: MORGAN MATTHEWS HYENA DIRECTOR: GERARD JOHNSON CATCH ME DADDY DIRECTORS: DANIEL WOLFE & MATTHEW WOLFE QUEEN AND COUNTRY DIRECTOR: JOHN BOORMAN LOVE IS ALL DIRECTOR: KIM LONGINOTTO BFI.ORG.UK/FILMFUND

3 BFI FILMMAKERS ISSUE 2 WINTER 2014/15 CONTENTS 04 FIRST FEATURES DIRECTORS STEPHEN FINGLETON, JANE LINFOOT AND ESTHER MAY CAMPBELL 07 BFI NET.WORK INVESTING IN NEW AND EMERGING TALENT ACROSS THE UK 08 CATCH ME DADDY DANIEL AND MATTHEW WOLFE ON FINDING THEIR LEAD, SAMEENA JABEEN AHMED 09 WHO S GONNA LOVE ME NOW? PRODUCER/DIRECTOR ALEXANDER BODIN SAPHIR ON HIS NEW DOCUMENTARY YEARS WRITER/DIRECTOR ANDREW HAIGH ON HIS SECOND FEATURE 14 X+Y DIRECTOR MORGAN MATTHEWS ON MAKING THE LEAP FROM DOCUMENTARIES TO FICTION 16 TESTAMENT OF YOUTH WRITER JULIETTE TOWHIDI TALKS ABOUT ADAPTING A CLASSIC MEMOIR 18 BROOKLYN PRODUCERS FINOLA DWYER AND AMANDA POSEY DISCUSS THEIR LATEST PROJECT 20 LONDON ROAD DIRECTOR RUFUS NORRIS IN CONVERSATION WITH THE BFI S BEN ROBERTS 22 BILL BRINGING A FAMILY COMEDY TO THE BIG SCREEN WELCOME... Thanks for picking up this, the highly anticipated second issue of BFI FILMMAKERS, which offers a few glimpses at some of the films being made across the UK (and beyond) with our support at the Film Fund. After a debut described as "promising... some nice production values" we've added more pages, to cover more filmmakers. The front page features writer and director Andrew Haigh on a follow-up of his own, working alongside the great Charlotte Rampling on the recently completed 45 Years. Andrew drew attention with his docu-drama Greek Pete in 2009, but it was the surprise success of his first dramatic feature, Weekend, in 2011 that marked him out. With 45 Years, starring Rampling with Tom Courtenay as a couple whose steady marriage is struck by an unthinkable crisis, Andrew and his producer Tristan Goligher have swerved the sophomore slump. It's a remarkably mature film which, when viewed alongside his TV work on the HBO series Looking, suggests a filmmaker with a fine ear for honest, intimate and uncomfortable drama, and someone with the confidence to tell his stories at his own speed. As he considers his next steps (he is currently working on the second season of Looking) Andrew has built up a reputation that will help him attract cast and crew, and raise finance. It s a reputation that will help him get his future films off the ground. It's satisfying to see a filmmaker's career moving forward and upwards, and a number of strong voices emerged this year which promise the same: Yann Demange ( 71), Hong Khaou (Lilting), Destiny Ekaragha (Gone Too Far!), Jane Pollard and Iain Forsyth (20,000 Days On Earth) all made distinctive debuts in 2014, and we look at some of the other upcoming debuts that we're currently supporting over the next few pages. We ve also recently celebrated the first birthday of the BFI NET.WORK, a new approach to our pre-first feature talent development which spans the UK. A sobering statistic from our own research unit shows that, over the last 10 years at least, only 18% of the directors of UK independent films have gone on to make a second. Whilst not accounting for those working in TV or in the US and elsewhere, that s still 82% who didn t make a second independent film in the UK. So we know that we need to put as much time and effort into the follow-up, if we're going to help build film careers that last, and definitely a resolution for the year ahead. BEN ROBERTS Director of the BFI Film Fund Powered by Film3Sixty, Whitfield Street, London W1T 4HD Managing Director & Publisher NICK LEESE Editor JOSEPH WALSH Creative Director PAUL MARC MITCHELL Printed by Geoff Neal Litho All information correct at time of going to press. 360 Publishing gratefully acknowledges permission to use copyright material. Copyright holders are acknowledged on the page containing the individual copyright item. Every effort has been made to trace and contact copyright holders. If there are any inadvertent omissions we apologise to those concerned, and ask that you contact us so that we can correct any oversight as soon as possible.

4 COUNTY ANTRIM Stephen Fingleton on the set of The Survivalist, County Antrim FIRST FEATURES STEPHEN FINGLETON, JANE LINFOOT AND ESTHER MAY CAMPBELL ON THEIR EXPERIENCES AS FIRST TIME FEATURE DIRECTORS A vital and dynamic British film industry relies on the presence of a growing body of new, inspiring directors coming forward with their first features. It is not hard to imagine the complex thoughts and emotions that run through a first-time feature director s mind. They weigh up the inherent challenges of the process against their innate desire to tell the stories they deeply care about. While the experience of creating short films, familiarity with production as well as a good producer will guide their decisions, there is nothing comparable to the effort, complexity and excitement of creating a debut feature film. Stephen Fingleton, Jane Linfoot and Esther May Campbell are three such directors making that first leap into feature films, supported in part by the BFI which sees investing in talent as essential for enabling and nurturing new filmmakers across the UK. The BFI s approach and process has also become more structured in order to ensure new filmmakers can be provided with the necessary level of editorial support alongside raising finance. Filmmakers can apply for funding at any time during the year, but projects are assessed at quarterly intervals and follow a process which includes meetings with filmmakers. THE SURVIVALIST STEPHEN FINGLETON When Stephen Fingleton decided he wanted to become a director, he made a brave choice. He decided he would make a career outside of the film industry. I knew early on that I didn t have any connections in the industry that would be able to help me. I made the decision to use the money I earned working in financial administration, and eventually from a full-time job at the BBC, to make short films to show at festivals, says Fingleton. The Survivalist is a daring debut. It is sci-fi, set in a world after global economic collapse, and focuses on the title character, played by Martin McCann. When a mother and daughter, Kathryn (Olwen Foéuré) and Milja (Mia Goth), approach this lone survivor for food, their presence brings new problems that threaten the survivalist s existence. Born in Northern Ireland, Fingleton began his career, like many directors, making short films that he wrote, directed and produced. As he points out, When you are making a film for a couple of thousand pounds, there aren t the divisions between directing and producing at that level. With The Survivalist, this changed. New challenges were presented in tackling a feature-length film, but fortunately the script was at an advanced stage. What Fingleton needed was to show what he could do as a director, so he made a short called SLR, shortly followed by another with the support of the BFI, called Magpie. Making Magpie was incredibly helpful because if I hadn t made it, I would never have found my cinematographer Damien Elliott. It was also a chance to experiment, and unlike SLR it was a film that I made for myself. Like many first-time directors, Fingleton wrote the material he was working with. When you are on set and you have written the script, it prepares you for when you encounter problems, and you can quickly work out rewrites. The intimacy of writing and directing is very powerful because you are able to judge an actor s performance and the material that they are delivering. When asked what he had learned from making his first feature, he said, To my great surprise I discovered that I was a director of actors. THE SURVIVALIST DIRECTOR Stephen Fingleton PRODUCERS David Gilbery, Wayne Marc Godfrey, Robert Jones WRITER Stephen Fingleton CAST Martin McCann, Mia Goth, Olwen Fouéré, Barry Ward SHOOT DURATION Five weeks LOCATION County Antrim FILM STOCK Digital PRODUCTION COMPANY The Fyzz Facility PRODUCTION PARTNERS The Fyzz Facility, BFI, Northern Ireland Screen, Goldcrest SALES COMPANY K5 International 04 BFI.ORG.UK

5 THE INCIDENT DIRECTOR Jane Linfoot PRODUCERS Caroline Cooper Charles, Sarada McDermott WRITER Jane Linfoot CAST Ruta Gedmintas, Tom Hughes, Tasha Connor SHOOT DURATION Four weeks LOCATION Huddersfield FILM STOCK Digital PRODUCTION COMPANIES Square Circle Films, Universal Spirits PRODUCTION PARTNERS BFI, Creativity Capital HUDDERSFIELD THE INCIDENT JANE LINFOOT The reality is you often have to create your own opportunities when first starting out, says director Jane Linfoot, who is making her debut with The Incident. Her film is a psychological drama concerning a young couple, played by Ruta Gedmintas and Tom Hughes, whose lives are turned upside down when they cross paths with a troubled and vulnerable young teen played by Tasha Connor. While Jane Linfoot had experience working as a line producer and production manager making commercials, it was her time spent doing voluntary work for the Karen Hilltribes Trust charity on the Thai/Burmese border that encouraged her to make her first film. I picked up a video camera and made an observational short film about the plight of the people; it was that experience that stayed with me and inspired me to move into creating my own work. Her experience gave her an understanding of knowing what could be achieved on a low budget, and in writing The Incident she knew that a cast of thousands, helicopter shots and multiple far-flung locations would be out of the question. For Linfoot, it has always been about creating stories that emotionally connect and impact on an audience, and stay with them beyond the end credits. With The Incident she says, I truly believed in the essence of the story and felt it was an important time to tell a story like this. Linfoot explains how writing her own material gave her the time to build characters, and to really connect with them. So, when it comes to casting and directing the actors, I have a good understanding of what I am looking for, and how best to try to encourage the emotional performances that I need from them, she says. Linfoot appreciates just how important the support is from the whole production team, especially on a first feature. The people that come on board are there because they are passionate about the project and have a genuine desire to be involved; they aren t doing it for the money. I was fortunate to have incredible support from old and new collaborators who really believed in the film. Ruta Gedmintas in The Incident, Huddersfield. PHOTO BY ROBERTA RIDOLFI BFI.ORG.UK 05

6 BRISTOL James Stuckey in Light Years, Bristol LIGHT YEARS ESTHER MAY CAMPBELL In 2009, Esther May Campbell won the BAFTA for Outstanding Short Film. Over the course of her career to date she has directed music videos, shorts and episodes of Skins for E4 and Wallander for the BBC. Now she embarks on her first feature film, Light Years, which follows an eight-year-old girl during the course of one day as she tries to find her mother. There are many things in the script that are personal to Esther: the theme of the loss of someone close to you, of searching for the reasons but finding that there is no reason. Then there is the theme of moving on together through hardship because of the love one shares with family, says producer Sam Haillay. Crafting this story, like many films, had its own challenges. We had a lot of locations, a lot of material to capture and we were also working with children, so we had to schedule carefully. You have got to figure out how to get these scenes done during a relatively short shooting period, capturing five or six scenes a day. Campbell also recognised the need to allow herself to go with the unexpected and to be light enough to go with it, which is a must when working with a mix of professional and non-professional actors. Part of Campbell s ability and freedom to work like this comes from the trust she has with Haillay. She describes him as a nurturing producer, and explains that he really does try and enable and listen to how a director wants to do things, to find the right filming structure. We keep in constant conversation and we adapt as we go along. The politics in the hierarchy of conventional production aren t helpful for play and discovery. Creativity can t often flourish in an environment that feels like a test. I m interested in adapting the model of production, as well as experimenting with film form and its conventions to make new work. We recorded sounds before we shot a frame of film. Our composer sat in the locations and played music after the shoot. We changed from a 40 person crew to a 5 person crew. This movement calls for a lot of trust, patience and humour, says Campbell. Ultimately for Campbell, Light Years was about being willing to wait, listen, nurture until the film came to fruition. WORDS BY JOSEPH WALSH LIGHT YEARS DIRECTOR Esther May Campbell PRODUCERS Samm Haillay, Wendy Bevan-Hogg CAST Muhammet Uzuner, Beth Orton, Zamira Fuller, Sophie Burton, James Stuckey SHOOT DURATION Six weeks LOCATION Bristol FILM STOCK 16mm PRODUCTION COMPANY Third Films PRODUCTION PARTNERS BFI, Creative England, Finite Films SALES COMPANY The Match Factory 06 BFI.ORG.UK

7 event PHOTO BY NELE HECHT BFI NET.WORK A NEW WAVE: INVESTING IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF UK WRITERS, DIRECTORS AND PRODUCERS Since 1889, when William Friese-Greene first captured Hyde Park on celluloid, pre-dating the Lumière brothers by six years, the UK has been home to a film industry that stands tall on the world stage, crafting compelling, striking and original cinematic stories. Just over the past 12 months UK films and talent have won 26 major film awards, giving inspiration to those with real ambition to make their films. Our filmmaking talent is the lifeblood of our industry and the key to the UK film industry s reputation for creativity and expertise in a highly competitive international business. Discovering and helping new and emerging British film writers, directors and producers to realise their potential so that they can become the next generation of distinctive filmmaking voices is vital to ensuring we have films that audiences at home and abroad can see and enjoy. The BFI NET.WORK marks a new approach towards UK-wide support for talent development backed by an annual budget of 3 million and connecting the UK s film agencies for the first time. Creative Scotland, Creative England, Ffilm Cymru Wales, Northern Ireland Screen and Film London are working together with the BFI, offering experienced development teams and talent centres who can provide tailored support in a joined-up way, fitting the business and creative needs of promising UK writers, directors and producers yet to make their first feature film. But it s not just about what the talent can learn from experienced professionals their careers may follow different paths but via the NET.WORK there are new opportunities for them to learn from each other. CREATIVE ENGLAND As part of its contribution to the BFI NET.WORK, Creative England has recruited a highly-experienced development team to work closely with promising writers, directors and producers from across England. Led by Celine Haddad and Paul Ashton, the team offers a hands-on approach that is tailored to the needs of the project and talent attached. Creative England s NET.WORK activities are designed to get new filmmakers on to the ladder towards a feature, complementing the successful ifeatures low-budget scheme. Its available NET.WORK funding covers feature film development, short films and pilots together with editorial, mentoring and training support. In its first year, emerging talent have been supported in developing more than 40 feature film projects. The very first short funded, Rachel Tunnard s Emotional Fusebox, was selected for the BFI London Film Festival, garnered a BIFA nomination and has now led to Rachel s first feature How To Live Yours going into production. How To Live Yours has generated a pre-sales distribution bidding competition, almost unheard of with first-time, low-budget, independent films. In partnership with Baby Cow Productions and Big Talk Pictures, Creative England will soon announce the shortlisted finalists for the Funny Girls programme. This new scheme will offer five filmmaking teams a 10,000 production award towards the production of a comedy short film from a female director. The teams also get industry mentoring through Big Talk and Baby Cow, two giants of UK film and television comedy. New initiatives have also included NET.WORK@ LFF, an intensive series of meetings, screenings and talks designed to show filmmaking in an international context alongside regional talent development programmes. creativeengland.co.uk FILM LONDON London Calling Plus was the new short filmmaking scheme launched this year, under the BFI NET.WORK banner, to champion under-represented voices in the capital. Five short films were awarded 15,000, are already completed and on the path to success. Harry Potter director David Yates selected Sarmad Masud as the winner of the London Calling Plus Award for his hilarious and clever Two Dosas. Sarmad is joining Yates on set to shadow him as he directs a major feature film in the UK. Two Dosas has been taken on by Shorts International and licensed to British Airways. Some Candid Observations on the Eve of the End of the World, directed by John Howlett, won the London Calling Jury Award, with a 2,000 prize. Head of Talent Development & Production Deborah Sathe is looking to support filmmakers in the longer term, hoping London Calling Plus filmmakers will come straight back to her team to make a feature through the BFI and BBC Films supported Film London Microwave. A trail has already been laid for other filmmakers to follow. Hong Khaou came to Film London with his play Lilting, and the eventual Microwave funded adaptation went on to steal the hearts of audiences and critics this year at Sundance, landing the Cinematography Award and a Grand Jury Prize nomination. It also opened the BFI s FLARE festival and secured three BIFA nominations. It was Khaou s first feature, following two shorts produced with Film London. filmlondon.org.uk FFILM CYMRU WALES The awardees of the new NET.WORK supported Horizons Fund are also already beginning to see success, demonstrating how even a modest funding award can be very beneficial at a crucial point in a filmmaker s career. Writer/director Rungano Nyoni recently picked up the Arte pitching prize of $6,000 at the Locarno Film Festival and the $22,000 Open Doors award for her Horizons funded project I Am Not A Witch. The Ffilm Cymru Wales award enabled her to conduct vital research and shoot taster footage at a refugee witch camp in Ghana before embarking on the screenplay. NET.WORK in Wales has also set up Launchpad, a three-day talent lab combining film finance meetings, case studies, directors and writers labs, script readings, screenings and masterclasses. Experienced professionals such as the BAFTA-winning filmmaker Kieran Evans, Frank director Lenny Abrahamson, Emmy-winning director Marina Zenovich, writer/producer Peter G Morgan, US producer Dan Lupovitz, and Element Pictures Ed Guiney, all shared insights and expertise with the new and emerging Welsh talent. Another ground-breaking programme is Y Labordy, an ambitious bi-lingual/welsh language TV, film and theatre scriptwriting training and mentoring programme with an international focus supported in partnership with S4C, Creative Skillset Wales and Arts Council Wales. ffilmcymruwales.com SCOTTISH FILM TALENT NETWORK Funded by Creative Scotland, the BFI and Creative Skillset, the Scottish Film Talent Network (SFTN) will be delivered by the Centre for the Moving Image (CMI), DigiCult and Hopscotch Films representing Scotland in the NET.WORK. The SFTN recently announced the appointment of Claudia Yusef as the Talent Development Executive responsible for scouting and supporting the next generation of Scottish talent who will follow in the footsteps of acclaimed Scottish filmmakers such as Lynne Ramsay, David Mackenzie, Peter Mullan and Paul Wright. Since its launch in September, the SFTN has supported a number of emerging writers, directors and producers to attend talent labs at festivals including Toronto and Reykjavik. In conjunction with the launch of the new SFTN website, guidelines are soon to be published for the first round of Scottish shorts aimed at new talent who have yet to receive their first short film commission. The deadline for applications will be 5 January 2015, with the first development workshop taking place at the end of January. This marks the first of many new opportunities to come through the SFTN, including a slate of short film commissions for more established talent, professional development opportunities and a feature film development programme for individuals and teams on the verge of making their first feature. scottishfilmtalent.com NORTHERN IRELAND SCREEN Northern Ireland s presence as a filmmaking centre may feel synonymous with Game of Thrones but Northern Ireland Screen has long invested in the country s homegrown talent. Script read-throughs with professional actors in the presence of potential producers, financiers and collaborators in London is one of the many ways that Northern Ireland Screen uses NET.WORK funding to support filmmakers in developing their projects. One such script read-through had Martin McCann trudge through a war-torn Ireland whilst a live soundtrack played throughout, an enthralling and evocative rendering of the screenplay, and a fantastic showcase for writers, actors and directors. The NET.WORKshops also bring together up to 50 new and emerging filmmakers from Northern Ireland to work with industry experts and independent companies in animation, factual and live action spheres. northernirelandscreen.co.uk Lizzie Francke, Senior Development & Production Executive at the BFI says, Ensuring that filmmakers get the right kind of support at the right time in their careers sounds simple but is so important if they are going to develop as the next generation of distinctive and singular voices. The NET.WORK is a new and fresh approach to achieving this kind of support and is all about the partner organisations collaborating and working holistically to support talent. During this first year of the NET.WORK different programmes have brought new and emerging talent together with experienced executives and international filmmakers, places on courses have been funded and mentors brought on board, plus pilots and shorts have been funded across the land. In the coming months even more new resources are going live including the NET.WORK website which will help filmmakers showcase their work to film industry professionals, including agents and talent executives providing a unique and innovative postcode-free route to securing development support and funding. This is just the beginning. WORDS BY BFI NET.WORK CONTRIBUTORS BFI.ORG.UK 07

8 YORKSHIRE CATCH ME DADDY DIRECTING AND WRITING DUO THE WOLFE BROTHERS AND PRODUCER MIKE ELLIOTT ON DISCOVERING SAMEENA JABEEN AHMED Sameena was immediately different, almost the opposite of what we thought we were looking for. But we kept going back to her audition tape everything about her was interesting. I couldn t stop watching, says Daniel Wolfe, reflecting on how rising star Sameena Jabeen Ahmed came to be cast in the lead role in Catch Me Daddy, the Wolfe brothers debut feature. It was a long and unconventional journey towards finding the right woman to play the part of Laila, a young Pakistani teen who goes on the run with her Scottish boyfriend (Conor McCarron) through the Yorkshire Moors, pursued by a group of men, hired by her father (Ali Ahmed) and led by her brother Tariq (Wasim Zakir), to bring her home. Producer Mike Elliott describes the film as a contemporary western, and was attracted to the project because he knew that the Wolfe brothers would tackle the story with integrity and that it would resonate with audiences. Two to three years ago Daniel was making a name for himself directing award-winning music videos for Chase & Status, and a video starring Jake Gyllenhaal for The Shoes. Meanwhile, producers Mike Elliott and Hayley Williams were working on a development slate at EMU Films - the London and Manchester-based film production company set up by Elliott and his partners Jim Mooney and Walli Ullah. Williams had already worked with Daniel Wolfe as his first assistant and with Mike, they asked him to write a treatment for Catch Me Daddy. As a first assistant director, Elliott had enjoyed working with directors including Michael Winterbottom, Lars von Trier and Jane Campion. Williams had worked alongside Nick Broomfield and Mike Leigh, directors with a particular vision. As producers, they saw similar attributes in Daniel and Matthew. They write in the same way they shoot, says Williams. It s dynamic, visual and poetic. Given the intensity of the plot, finding the right person to play Laila was crucial. Adopting an alternative approach, the Wolfe brothers decided that they would opt for a non-professional actor, finding Laila would require time, effort and resources, as well as an understanding and commitment to approaching the shoot in a different way and following through in supporting the actor. Working with non-professional actors was a particularly daring choice for the Wolfe brothers as debut feature filmmakers, but the decision to street cast was integral to the entire production. Over the course of some months they saw hundreds of girls, either in casting sessions or on tape, all of which was organised by casting director Lucy Pardee and Elliott s producing partner Hayley Williams. There were a few girls we liked who on the surface had a lot in common with Laila s character in the script and the vibe that we initially set out looking for. But beyond that, there was no real sense of connection, nothing deeper that would bring the story, and the world we were creating to life. Sameena was instantly different she created a palpable energy in the room. In a beautiful and moving scene in the film, Ahmed s vibrancy fills the screen when she dances with McCarron to the Patti Smith song Horses. There had been several moments along the way where we knew Sameena was the girl for the role. She is tough and strong which was key to her character, but the dance scene was really exciting and emotional to watch, says Matthew Wolfe. That day was just electric, adds Daniel. Sameena Jabeen Ahmed s performance in Catch Me Daddy has already earned her an award for Best British Newcomer at the 2014 BFI London Film Festival. When asked what the award meant to the production, Elliott said, It was a validation of the street casting process needed for this story, and speaks volumes for the professional actors who played alongside her. There is a huge risk in going down this route, but the result is that there is a brilliantly controlled collision going on in the film. He added, We are very proud of her; it was a great moment for the film. WORDS BY JOSEPH WALSH CATCH ME DADDY DIRECTOR Daniel Wolfe, Matthew Wolfe PRODUCERS Mike Elliott, Hayley Williams WRITERS Daniel Wolfe, Matthew Wolfe CAST Sameena Jabeen Ahmed, Conor McCarron, Gary Lewis, Wasim Zakir, Anwar Hussain SHOOT DURATION Five weeks LOCATION Yorkshire FILM STOCK 35mm PRODUCTION COMPANY Emu Films PRODUCTION PARTNERS BFI, Film4, Screen Yorkshire, Lip Sync Productions SALES COMPANY Altitude Film Sales UK DISTRIBUTOR StudioCanal Sameena Jabeen Ahmed in Catch Me Daddy, Yorkshire 08 BFI.ORG.UK

9 LONDON Alexander Bodin Saphir, October 2014 PHOTO BY PAUL MARC MITCHELL WHO S GONNA LOVE ME NOW? PRODUCER AND CO-DIRECTOR ALEXANDER BODIN SAPHIR TALKS ABOUT HIS NEW DOCUMENTARY FILM WHO S GONNA LOVE ME NOW? WHO S GONNA LOVE ME NOW? DIRECTORS Tomer Heymann, Barak Heymann & Alexander Bodin Saphir PRODUCERS Alexander Bodin Saphir, Ashley Luke DOCUMENTARY WRITER Alexander Bodin Saphir LOCATIONS London, Bexhill, Winchester, Israel FILM STOCK Digital PRODUCTION COMPANY Breaking Productions PRODUCTION PARTNERS BFI, AVICHAI & Gesher Foundation, Makor Film Fund, Heymann Brothers I come from a fiction background, and I found it very difficult at first to just let the story unfold. But eventually I learnt that that s when the magic happens. This is how the Danish-British born Alexander Bodin Saphir describes his latest film, the documentary Who s Gonna Love Me Now? a co-production with the Israeli award-winning filmmakers, the Heymann Brothers. The film follows the life of Saar, a man who left his conservative and religious family in Israel 19 years ago when he confessed two life-changing facts firstly that he was gay and, more shockingly for his family, that he had become an atheist. Leaving the Levant, Saar came to London where he joined the London Gay Men s Chorus; it was at this time that he also was diagnosed with HIV. Despite these life-changing events, Saar remained determined to build a new life and begin the process of reconciliation with his family. This story has personal connotations for Bodin Saphir. During his gap year he worked in Sde Eliyahu, a kibbutz located in Beit She an, the valley close to the Sea of Galilee. This was the same community in which Saar was raised with his family. However, the two never met prior to beginning production on this film as Saar was doing his national service with the Israeli army. The renowned Heymann Brothers brought Bodin onto the project two-and-a-half years ago. Bodin Saphir first met Tomer Heymann when he was being honoured at a Human Rights Awards dinner. Tomer asked if he would be interested in a new project as a cameraman. Bodin picks up the story. Tomer asked if I could give him an hour to come and meet this guy. He told me that it would only be a couple of days shooting. I went to meet Saar, and our hour meeting turned into two or three. We had this great chat, and, as Tomer promised, I fell in love with Saar's story. From my first meeting with Saar it was obvious that he s an extremely charismatic, intelligent and engaging person. Then as I learned more about his struggles and his incredibly intense relationship with his family I just wanted to know more, to be a fly on his wall to see how his story would unfold. Initially Bodin Saphir came onto the project as a cameraman but became more and more involved and eventually was co-directing. Although documentary film was relatively new to me, I think my background in writing and fiction direction made for a natural progression to co-directing this project. As well as being a filmmaker, Bodin Saphir is also a playwright and the author in residence at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Whilst these other commitments were important, Saar s story captivated Bodin Saphir. After agreeing to work on the project, he found that he and the Heymann brothers couldn t stop filming. The two days filming went well, so it was extended, and we decided to do a few more. This turned into a couple of months, and we extended it to Pesach. That was six months of filming, which turned into a year, and now we are two years on. The reason that the Heymann Brothers and I kept filming was that Saar s story kept evolving. Effectively we couldn t put the camera down. Spending such a prolonged period charting Saar s story allowed Bodin Saphir the chance to consider how the camera s presence influenced Saar s life. If you follow someone around for two-and-a-half years you end up becoming his or her shadow. I deeply care for Saar and his family and recently we drove together to Sde Eliyahu, which I hadn t been to for 16 years; to go back there with Saar that was a very special moment. With a story that is as deeply personal as this, there comes a sense of privilege, which Bodin Saphir was keenly aware of. There were days when you would just stop and take stock of what has happened. Being allowed to witness this story is a privilege, and there are a lot of personal moments that we have captured. It takes a special and courageous individual to allow us in to film for just one day, let alone two and a half years. Given the pressures on him Saar was remarkable throughout the shoot. And with that privilege comes a great deal of responsibility. When he looks back on what the film has meant for him as a filmmaker, Bodin Saphir admits, I have learned so much from Who s Gonna Love Me Now? and working with the Heymann Brothers. It s completely changed my working practice and how I write and direct, both fiction and non-fiction. WORDS BY JOSEPH WALSH BFI.ORG.UK 09

10 45 YEARS DIRECTOR Andrew Haigh PRODUCER Tristan Goligher WRITERS David Constantine (Short Story), Andrew Haigh CAST Charlotte Rampling, Tom Courtenay SHOOT DURATION Six weeks LOCATION Norfolk FILM STOCK 35mm PRODUCTION COMPANY The Bureau Film Company PRODUCTION PARTNERS BFI, Film4, Creative England SALES COMPANY The Match Factory UK DISTRIBUTOR Curzon Film World 10 BFI.ORG.UK

11 NORFOLK 45 YEARS DIRECTOR AND WRITER ANDREW HAIGH ON HIS SECOND FEATURE 45 YEARS AND WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRODUCER TRISTAN GOLIGHER There is a thread that goes through all of my work. Thematically the same things interest me, and they are in everything I do, is how director Andrew Haigh describes his films. Haigh s work is laced with the themes of love and choice potent subject matters in his hands, as shown with his 2011 breakout feature Weekend, which pushed the boundaries of the potential for LGBT cinema. The story, which was written, directed and edited by Haigh, is a compelling examination of modern love that follows two young gay men who find that their one-night stand blossoms into something much more significant. Haigh considers Weekend a career-defining moment. After the release of the film my career changed dramatically. It meant that people were interested in developing my projects, which was a nice change, and it also led to working on the HBO comedy Looking, of which I am currently directing the second season. Prior to Weekend, Haigh made a low-budget docu-drama entitled Greek Pete. It was made for less than 5,000 and was a turning point in Haigh s career as a director. I finally felt that I could call myself a filmmaker, which was a first for me. Whether or not the film was totally realised or successful, it gave people some confidence that I could make a feature. Along his filmmaking journey, Haigh has had the support of his long-standing producer Tristan Goligher who has been with Haigh since his first film. This relationship began when they worked together on the short film Five Miles Out. Haigh explains, Tristan is a creative producer in the very best sense. He cares first and foremost about the creative side of the project. He is always the first person to see any draft of an outline or version of a script or any kind of cut. His advice is always valid because we have the same goal to make the project the best it can be. Goligher s reasons for working with Haigh compliments this ethos. He says, Andrew has a rare ability to be confident about his intentions, whilst simultaneously questioning and challenging his own ideas. This means that part of our working relationship, especially during production, is a constant discussion on how this will impact on the story. Haigh has based his forthcoming feature film 45 Years on a short story by David Constantine, originally titled In Another Country. I first read the short story about six years ago and I was instantly drawn to it. It is about love, both romantic and otherwise, but it is also a story about choices. It is about how these choices shape a life; shape the meaning of life, says Haigh. 45 Years was seen to be a more attractive prospect to investors because of the success that Haigh and Goligher had with Weekend. Goligher reflects, Thinking back to when we were taking Weekend out to people, showing it to funders, no-one was interested. I think that was for a number of reasons including the obvious questions around Andrew and myself. As a young producer it made it very difficult to finance a film like that until you ve done it once and it works. In the UK we have a very big blind spot in our cinema culture when it comes to independent dramas about middle-class people dealing with emotional issues and existential questions. It goes two ways in the UK, where at the higher end it is romantic and sentimental, at the other it is gritty. I don t think as a cinematic nation we are very good at the place in between. However, Weekend and 45 Years are both films that occupy that space. We both just stopped waiting for permission to make the films we wanted to make. Weekend was a huge success at SXSW winning the Audience Award; I don t think we could have opened at a better festival and in some ways that festival has been a huge source of inspiration for us, concludes Goligher. 45 Years focuses on Kate Mercer (Charlotte Rampling) a week before her wedding anniversary with her husband (Tom Courtenay) as they are planning a party to celebrate their years of marriage together. Unsettling these happy tidings is the arrival of a letter for her husband, informing him that the body of his first lover has been discovered frozen in a glacier in the Swiss Alps. As the days pass, it becomes apparent that there might not be a marriage left to celebrate. Arguably 45 Years may be considered a partner-piece to Weekend, following similar themes and evolving Haigh s voice as an artist set at the other end of the age spectrum. On a creative level, we [Andrew and I] look at 45 Years as a thematic sequel to Weekend, says Goligher. Both titles examine relationships facing tough choices. Haigh s passion for exploring such territory is what drives him: I am interested in why people make certain choices, what guides them, what stops them, what scares them about making choices at all. It is very hard having the ability to choose and to take control of your life. It is both exhilarating and at the same time is enough to make you hide under your bed and never come out. When asked how he feels about his developing voice as director, Haigh says, I don t think that I can answer that until I have some hindsight. You try different things, you experiment, and you push forward certain ideas that interest you as a filmmaker. You become more confident about certain decisions and less about others. You stop making old mistakes but add a whole list of new ones. You certainly become more confident to the point that you can at least pretend you know what you are doing. Ultimately for Haigh and Goligher the films they make are about how the stories resonate with audiences and comment on how we live our lives. Goligher echoes the spirit of these sentiments. I m interested in stories that contribute something to the discussion of how we live our lives, politically, philosophically, and ultimately personally. 45 Years is all of those. Crucially it s a story about people I feel are rarely portrayed honestly on screen. If we do that, then we have a chance to make a deep, intimate connection with people. What more can we aspire to? WORDS BY JOSEPH WALSH Andrew Haigh and Tristan Goligher on the set of 45 Years, Norfolk. PHOTO BY AGATHA NITECKA

12 Charlotte Rampling and Andrew Haigh on the set of 45 Years, Norfolk. PHOTO BY AGATHA NITECKA

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14 X+Y DIRECTOR Morgan Matthews PRODUCERS David Thompson, Laura Hastings-Smith WRITER James Graham CAST Asa Butterfield, Rafe Spall, Sally Hawkins, Jo Yang, Eddie Marsan SHOOT DURATION Six weeks LOCATIONS Sheffield, Cambridge, Taiwan FILM STOCK Digital PRODUCTION COMPANIES Origin Pictures, Minnow Films PRODUCTION PARTNERS BBC Films, BFI, Head Gear Films & Metrol Technology, Screen Yorkshire and LipSync SALES COMPANY Bankside Films UK DISTRIBUTOR Koch Media X+Y DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER TURNED FEATURE DIRECTOR MORGAN MATTHEWS ON HIS DEBUT DRAMA X+Y 14 BFI.ORG.UK Morgan Matthews is already a recognised filmmaker whose television documentaries including The Fallen, Beautiful Young Minds and Scenes from a Teenage Killing have garnered awards from BAFTA, the Royal Television Society, the Grierson Trust and also the Sheffield Documentary Festival. X+Y is his first fiction feature film, which premiered at the 2014 BFI London Film Festival. From an early age, Morgan Matthews was interested in and cared about stories concerning ordinary people who were often in dramatic, or difficult, situations. Growing up in the Midlands and subsequently moving to Bristol, Matthews was brought up in a home where he says he became very aware of politics and social issues, through his mother who was a community worker, and his stepfather who worked with children who d been excluded from school. Paul Hamann s 1988 documentary 14 Days In May, which focused on the final days in the lead-up to the execution of Edward Johnson, who was convicted of murder, but insisted that he was innocent, had a profound effect on Matthews as a boy. I could not believe that he was being put to death in the modern world. It just seemed utterly inhuman. Fundamentally, whilst watching this documentary I realised that I cared deeply for Edward Johnson and his family, and I came away knowing that the death penalty was wrong. So if I wanted to make people care about an issue, I had to make them [the audience] care about the people who were affected by that issue first. Matthews became a father when he was 15 years old, an experience that contributed to what he hopes is a non-judgmental approach when it comes to telling the stories of people who might otherwise be seen in a one-dimensional or stereotypical way. His interest in photography was also beginning to take root, a passion that was the first step on his journey to becoming a filmmaker. He began experimenting by capturing the local characters of Bristol on his stills camera but soon knew that he wanted to marry his passion for photography with his love of storytelling. I wanted to move to London and study film. I was very naive and didn t think I could get onto a film course, but I turned in my portfolio of photographs and some ideas. This portfolio earned him a place at what was then the London College of Printing (LCP) and it was here that he was able to begin working with the moving image and find his form. He described his graduation film as an experimental hybrid of drama and documentary shot on black and white 16mm where the viewer wasn t sure who was real and who was an actor. Whilst still studying at the LCP, Matthews found unpaid work experience with Diverse Productions at the age of 20, starting as a researcher on an episode of Secret Lives about Jeremy Thorpe (the former politician who was forced to resign as the Liberal Party leader in 1976 after he was accused of having a homosexual affair). From here, Matthews moved on to working on Channel 4 s Cutting Edge. It was also a period that coincided with the birth of the docu-soap, an arena in which he would thrive. My first paid job in TV was working on a pilot for Paddington Green for Lion Television, which was eventually commissioned for 30-episodes, playing at 9pm on BBC1. Only a year after leaving college, he was directing, shooting and cutting episodes of this popular series. Through independent documentary company Century Films, Morgan made the 90-minute documentary Care House about a care home for people with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour. Although it wasn t my first stand-alone piece, it was the first film

15 SHEFFIELD Morgan Matthews and Asa Butterfield on the set of X+Y, Sheffield Morgan Matthews, October 2014 PHOTO BY PAUL MARC MITCHELL that I felt was made in the style I wanted to make it, and it had a profound effect on me, reflects Matthews. I fell in love with this place full of amazing characters, warmth and incredible stories, and found myself practically living there filming over Christmas. Again, I felt that if I cared about the people in my film, then an audience could too. In 2007, he set up his own production company, Minnow Films, essentially giving him more control over the films that he was making. It got to the point where people were asking me what I wanted to make a film about next, Matthews says he wanted to use this situation wisely. I realised I was in a privileged position and therefore I should be using it to tackle bigger, socially important issues. This drive and passion came through with his highly acclaimed work The Fallen, a three-hour documentary which showed on BBC2 shortly after Remembrance Day in 2008, it chronicled every single British service person to die in Iraq and Afghanistan. Later he turned his camera towards street violence, with Scenes From A Teenage Killing, a two-hour documentary exploring the tragic stories of every teenager who was murdered in the UK in His debut feature, X+Y, is inspired by Beautiful Young Minds, a feature-length documentary he made in 2007, which followed a group of teenagers through the training and selection process of the International Mathematical Olympiad. Matthews knew the writer James Graham (then a young talent emerging in theatre), having been impressed by his early plays such as The Whiskey Taster. Now James is one of the most sought after writers in the UK having experienced great success with This House at the National Theatre. He has recently worked with Harvey Weinstein on adapting Finding Neverland as a Broadway musical and is set to work with Paul Greengrass on his feature I love making documentaries, but fiction is a new and exciting chapter for me, says Matthews. The beauty of documentary is that you don t necessarily know exactly what is going to happen. Whereas with fiction there is more freedom with the story and more control, allowing you to take the story wherever you want it to go. For Matthews the transition has been relatively smooth thanks to his filmmaking experience. With X+Y, Matthews has brought together an impressive cast of British talent that includes Rafe Spall, Sally Hawkins, Eddie Marsan and rising star Asa Butterfield. The parallels with documentary and fiction are many, but particularly when it comes to casting. As much as good casting is imperative in fiction, it is also essential in documentary whether you are interested in a particular subject and speak to hundreds of people in order to cast a documentary or whether you come across an amazing character with an amazing story. It s all about the casting. Documentary is as much about character and narrative as fiction. Making small stories into big ones is really important to me, but I m also interested, as I was in documentary, in finding the heart and soul in big stories and bringing them to an audience in a fashion that I hope will make them care. WORDS BY JOSEPH WALSH

16 TESTAMENT OF YOUTH SCREENWRITER JULIETTE TOWHIDI ON HER ADAPTATION OF VERA BRITTAIN S TESTAMENT OF YOUTH I think that something was broken forever, is how screenwriter Juliette Towhidi reflects on the aftermath of World War I. For Towhidi, the war is a subject with which she has become intimately familiar. For the past two years, she has been researching and writing the screenplay for an adaptation of Vera Brittain s Testament Of Youth, an evocative, personal account of Britain in the lead-up to and following the war. Towhidi spent part of her childhood in Iran before moving to England. Like Vera Brittain, Towhidi attended Oxford University where she read English Literature. After graduating, Towhidi became a Reuters journalist for a short while. Finding that this wasn t the career for her, she subsequently worked as a script editor, where she had the opportunity to work with Roman Polanski, amongst others. Although she ultimately left journalism, Towhidi confesses, because of my journalistic background I always do a lot of research if it is available. In what she refers to as her unformed years, she was able to learn the mechanics of the industry. Living life is one thing, but working in the film business is another. Working in development, Towhidi was able to learn what it is like on the other side, and why they won t pick up a script. However, she found the experience of seeing people "becoming commodities and the brutality of aspects of the industry chilling. In 2003, she received her first scriptwriting commission, Calendar Girls, which was directed by Nigel Cole and starred Dame Helen Mirren. From here, Towhidi went on to adapt Death Comes To Pemberley from the best-selling P.D. James novel for the BBC. This drama was a sequel to Jane Austen s Pride and Prejudice, set six years into Elizabeth and Darcy s marriage. Preparing for the estate s annual ball, they become entangled in a murder mystery. Both the heartfelt comedy and the BBC drama were met with critical praise. For Towhidi, who has primarily worked in film, the transition between TV and cinema is not a concern. I think that it is the same process because you immerse yourself in a world. The variation between the two is fantastic, although when you work in TV you have a longer timeframe to work with compared to film. In 2012, she began to work on a literary adaptation of a different sort, Testament Of Youth. The challenges of tackling Brittain s memoir were numerous. Published in 1933, this personal account of the earliest days of the 20th century conveys the rage of a post-world War I generation, and the women left to pick up the pieces following the devastation at home and abroad. The book spans two-and-half decades, and Towhidi was tasked with condensing the rich prose of the author into a feature-length film. First of all you have to let it fix in your gut and get that passionate desire inside of you. Then you try and backtrack and work out why it speaks to you. For Towhidi, screenwriting is always about hitting the crest of the waves. Towhidi was cautious not to fall into a trap that can plague writers. Your temptation is always to go to the most dramatic event, which in this case is the war. In fact, Towhidi avoids the gore of war, preferring to use the screen time for developing the characters, allowing the audience to get to know these three or four young men, and somehow make their lives resonate for the millions who died. For Towhidi, the real "hair-standing-up moment came while reading Testament Of Youth. She heard her [Vera s] voice and her fury as a young woman. This anger at the senseless waste, felt so modern, and it was precisely her connection with this brilliant mind that made Towhidi want to adapt the book. Once Shirley Williams, Vera s daughter, provided permission for the adaptation to go ahead there was, of course, an added pressure. The figures in Brittain s book lived, fought and died. Testament Of Youth would debut at the BFI London Film Festival in the centenary year of the war. When asked about what is was like to write about these once living, loving and breathing men and women, Towhidi says, It is haunting, but it is also a satisfying feeling that you get to connect with the past for a moment and carry the flame a few yards in your own way. I have to say that it was an honour to have the responsibility to work on this film, but it didn t stop me thinking, God, I ve really got to get this right. WORDS BY JOSEPH WALSH Juliette Towhidi, October 2014 PHOTO BY PAUL MARC MITCHELL 16 BFI.ORG.UK

17 YORKSHIRE Taron Egerton, Alicia Vikander, Kit Harington and Colin Morgan in Testament of Youth, Yorkshire TESTAMENT OF YOUTH DIRECTOR James Kent PRODUCERS David Heyman, Rosie Alison WRITERS Vera Brittain (Autobiography), Juliette Towhidi CAST Alicia Vikander, Kit Harington, Dominic West, Hayley Atwell, Emily Watson, Miranda Richardson SHOOT DURATION Seven weeks LOCATIONS Oxfordshire, Yorkshire, London FILM STOCK Digital PRODUCTION COMPANY Heyday Films PRODUCTION PARTNERS Heyday Films, BBC Films, BFI, Screen Yorkshire, Nordisk Film Production, Lipsync Productions and Ingenious SALES COMPANY Protagonist Pictures UK DISTRIBUTOR Lionsgate

18 ENNISCORTHY BROOKLYN GIRLS ON FILM: OSCAR AND BAFTA AWARD-NOMINATED PRODUCERS FINOLA DYWER AND AMANDA POSEY ON THEIR LATEST FILM, AN ADAPTATION OF COLM TÓIBÍN S BROOKLYN It s five years since Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey s first joint production An Education was released, bringing success and acclaim in the US and internationally as well as at home. Directed by Lone Scherfig and adapted by prize-winning author Nick Hornby, from British journalist Lynn Barber s memoir of the same name the film starred Carey Mulligan in a career-launching and BAFTA-winning performance, and brought a host of nominations, including a Best Picture Oscar nomination for Amanda and Finola. Although An Education was a stand-out success, it hasn t been a flash in the pan: between them Dwyer and Posey have produced a number of successful and distinctive films, both separately and together. These include Dustin Hoffman s directorial debut Quartet, starring Maggie Smith; Iain Softley s debut Backbeat, both produced by Dwyer; and Fever Pitch starring Colin Firth, also adapted by Hornby and produced by Posey. Now, via their joint production company Wildgaze Films, the duo are working on Brooklyn, an adaptation of Colm Tóibín s long-listed Booker Prize novel. Dwyer read Tóibín s book and found that she couldn t get it out of her mind. She was fully aware of Tóibín s reputation and that the book was much beloved by readers, but there were real challenges to making a cinematic adaptation and raising the finance. First of all, it was a period piece set across two continents. From the off we knew that recreating both worlds set in the early 1950s comes at a price. Added to this, its leading female role in many ways seems to be passive. I knew this would be a challenge to dramatise and the nature of the material meant that we wouldn t be able to cast big names. All of these factors meant that the film could be a tough sell in terms of financing. There still remains an industry attitude that female-led stories don t make money or at least not as much as stories about men. Despite initial concerns, Dwyer felt convinced that there was a wonderful film there. This was all happening in the wake of the success of An Education. We had been on the circuit with An Education right after the Oscars, and I needed a bit of a reboot, so I thought I would go to New York, says Dwyer. On the journey she continued to think about the possibilities of adapting Brooklyn, and decided to check if the rights were still available. A chance meeting in New York with a friend led to her being introduced to Tóibín, who was at a rare book fair on behalf of Princeton University, and the two hit it off. Seizing the moment, Dwyer asked whether he d consider her optioning the book, and despite the fact that the rights were being pursued by a number of other parties, Tóibín gave Dwyer his blessing. Posey and Dwyer have had a long-standing collaboration with the writer Nick Hornby, which has proven to be incredibly fruitful. Posey worked with Hornby on two adaptations of Fever Pitch, the first starring Colin Firth, the second directed by the Farrelly brothers and starring Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon. More recently, Dwyer and Posey produced an adaptation of Hornby s comic tragedy, A Long Way Down, directed by Pascal Chameuil and adapted by Jack Thorne. When Brooklyn came into view, Hornby was a natural first port of call for Dwyer and Posey. Tóibín s subtle and understated style is not inherently cinematic, yet both producers felt that Hornby s tender touch would help to fully realise the story. The writer immediately saw the inherent drama of Tóibín s book. Nick knew exactly what he wanted to do with it, recalls Posey. It seemed very clear to him right from the off. Dwyer points to one of Hornby s first comments. He talked about the passivity in her [the leading role s] 18 BFI.ORG.UK

19 BROOKLYN DIRECTOR John Crowley PRODUCERS Finola Dwyer, Amanda Posey WRITERS Nick Hornby (Screenplay), Colm Tóibín (Novel) CAST Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Emily Bett Rickards, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Michael Zegen SHOOT DURATION Seven weeks LOCATIONS Enniscorthy Ireland, Canada FILM STOCK Digital PRODUCTION COMPANY Wildgaze Films / Finola Dwyer Productions CO-PRODUCERS Parallel Films, Item 7 PRODUCTION PARTNERS BBC Films, Telefilm Canada, Ingenious, Bord Scannán na héireann / the Irish Film Board, BFI, SODEC, BAI, RTE SALES COMPANY HanWay Films UK DISTRIBUTOR Lionsgate Domhnall Gleeson and Saoirse Ronan on the set of Brooklyn character, and conversely her strength, where she is like a flower unfolding, gradually taking control. We know it is a delicate story, but we know from test screenings that audiences really embrace it and go with it. Brooklyn needed a director who would also be able to appreciate the subtlety of the material, and yet bring it to screen with real power. John Crowley had long been a fan of the book, and became available just as Dwyer and Posey were seeking their director. They admired his outstanding stage work as well as his films which included Boy A, which launched Andrew Garfield, and Intermission. Irish-born, and with a fantastic track record with performance, Crowley was a strong fit to direct Brooklyn. He, like Posey and Dwyer, recognised the distinctiveness of the story. As Dwyer says, When John came on board he said that there are countless Irish immigration stories, however he had never come across a story like this, told from the perspective of a young woman. What could have been seen as a weakness, namely the challenge of getting finance for a female-led story, would actually prove to be a factor in what makes Brooklyn fresh and original. With the director and a great script in place, the biggest test was yet to come in the form of tackling a production across two continents on a challenging budget. The production began in Ireland before moving to Montreal, which would stand in for period New York. In Ireland, the team ended up choosing to film in Enniscorthy, where the book is actually set: We looked all over Ireland, but Enniscorthy offered us a lot creatively, and an array of authentic locations; we even opened up a dance hall that had been condemned, says Dwyer. Discussing shooting in Canada, Dwyer continues, Montreal was more challenging. Firstly because it is more expensive than Toronto, and secondly because they speak French, though creatively it was a no-brainer for the wonderful locations it offered. The language barrier, of course, made it necessary to have a crew who could speak both English and French. It was clear that we were going to have to piece together the financing from a range of sources and incentives, and when looking for the right locations, this was also a critical factor, says Dwyer. I made up a look book of key locations early last year and sent it out to film offices around the world to see what they could offer. This look book is a collection of photo references which convey the requirements of the project including the period, types of buildings, streets and larger locations. You still have to go and look, but it narrows it right down. When asked what they felt was the biggest challenge to overcome, Dwyer says, We had as many as 11 different financing entities and they all had to be knitted together into an official three-way co-production. It was like a Rubik s cube of a project. Posey adds, Making the financial needs and the creative needs come together at the same time is an art. Fortunately, whilst it was a complex project for Dwyer and Posey, it is clear that the story always drives them, making them want to craft films with love and care. And, thanks to their wealth of knowledge in the industry, they have the tools to realise those stories on the big screen. WORDS BY JOSEPH WALSH Amanda Posey and Finola Dwyer on the set of Brooklyn

20 LONDON ROAD DIRECTOR Rufus Norris PRODUCERS Dixie Linder, Nick Marston, Tally Garner, David Sabel WRITER Alecky Blythe CAST Olivia Colman, Clare Burt, Anita Dobson, Kate Fleetwood, Linzi Hateley, Nick Holder, Eloise Laurence, Claire Moore, Nicola Sloane, Paul Thornley, Howard Ward, Duncan Wiseby and Tom Hardy SHOOT DURATION Six weeks LOCATION Kent FILM STOCK Digital PRODUCTION COMPANIES Cuba Pictures, National Theatre PRODUCTION PARTNERS BBC Films, BFI, Arts Council England, LipSync SALES COMPANY Protagonist Pictures UK DISTRIBUTOR National Theatre LONDON ROAD BEN ROBERTS, DIRECTOR OF THE BFI FILM FUND, IN CONVERSATION WITH RUFUS NORRIS, INCOMING DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL THEATRE Rufus Norris on the set of London Road Rufus Norris is best known as a theatre director and is currently incoming Director of the National Theatre. He first came to prominence being named the Evening Standard s Most Promising Newcomer with Afore Night Come at the Young Vic and has since gone on to direct a string of award-winning stage productions including Festen, the Broadway production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and London Road which won the Critics Circle Award for Best Musical. In 2012 he landed in the film world with his debut feature, Broken, an adaptation of Daniel Clay s much-praised novel. The BFI Film Fund and BBC Films backed Norris s directorial feature debut which premiered in the Critics Week at Cannes and went on to be nominated for numerous awards including nine BIFAs and named Best British Independent Film. Earlier this year, Norris embarked on his second film, London Road, a feature adaptation of Alecky Blythe and Adam Cork s play, which opened at the Cottesloe Theatre under the direction of Norris when he was an Associate Director at the National. A daring project, the story is based on the 2006 Ipswich murders, where five women, who worked as prostitutes, were tragically killed. Unique to this production was that the script was taken verbatim from a series of interviews conducted by Blythe with people who were in the area at the time of the events. It is also a musical. Ben Roberts, Director of the BFI Film Fund, met with Rufus to reflect on translating the play to the cinema screen. I wanted to talk about the decision to revisit one of your productions and to turn it into a film, rather than beaming into cinemas like NT Live. The first conversation that we had about turning it into a film was with David Sabel, who is the brain behind NT Live. He has really driven the idea of this as a film and it has been an incredible journey. Usually, NT Live is planned well in advance, but when London Road opened at the National Theatre, I think we knew what we had got. David and I sat down and asked whether we wanted to do an NT Live, and I said that I didn t think so, and he was in agreement. Instead, we wanted to start knocking about ideas of exploring whether this piece could have a further evolution. Had you completed Broken at this stage and were you looking for another film project? We hadn t started shooting Broken. Initially, I thought that the way to do London Road was almost to do it in-house, and do it very sim ply. However, because we had the cast here, we thought we would try it out, grab a camera, do a couple of days and get a few locations. It was a very tight company, not just the actors, but everyone who was involved. We took everyone out on performing afternoons and just did it. That raised as many questions as it answered. Some things worked; other things didn t. But the idea wouldn t go away, and it felt like the beginning of the process. With hindsight are you glad that you had the opportunity to make another film first with Broken and then come back to London Road? I have probably done shows, and there isn t a stage in the world that I would be afraid of there is the notion that once you have work in a profession for 10,000 hours, you have learned your craft. But whilst I have my 10,000 hours in theatre, I haven t done that in film. So, any hours that I can spend in film are only just the beginning of understanding how what I do in theatre relates to what I do in film. I am very glad that I had a go at something that was less complex. I loved what I did with Broken, but in many ways it is a straightforward drama. It is nowhere near as complex as London Road, for which there is no blueprint. Yes, it is a musical, and there is a challenge of recording the audio live, and dealing with choreography, and whilst it isn t a massive scale film, it needed organising in a very different way. 20 BFI.ORG.UK

21 KENT Olivia Colman in London Road, Bexley, Kent What about the process of adapting with Alecky Blythe and Adam Cork? Did anything unexpected arise shifting from a play to a film? Part of the deal with London Road being at the National Theatre was that they would have a hand in deciding who would direct the play. I wanted to take everyone who was involved in the theatre production including the choreographer and production designer, but we needed to support this with people who really know what they are doing in film, and we would need very experienced heads of department. I worked with Alecky and Adam, who had cooked up the idea long before I got involved, and we reshaped it. I said to Adam and Alecky that I was going to push them this way and that, but the deal was that they would be able to veto certain decisions I knew that if I saw both of them walking towards me, I was for the high jump. Once we started on the film, this dynamic changed. The first thing that we had to do was to make the script work for cinema. That meant either that we would have had to get someone in to do it, or we do it with Alecky and she turned around immediately and said that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn how these things are done. From my point of view that was the perfect scenario because it is hers and when you are dealing with subject matter like that of London Road it is important. There are 90 minutes of interviews used in the film taken from probably around 80 hours of material that Alecky collected, so she knew where to look for specific pieces and she could go and chat again with the subjects. Also, all the material is direct address, it is one person turning to another person asking them how they are feeling, or observing someone witnessing something else. I was worried that it would be very restrictive, so we had to find clever ways to construct the scenes and to work as a film. In terms of your ambition of capturing the vocals on set, did you have to pick up a lot on ADR? We knew that the chorus stuff couldn t be in situ, but around almost all of the solo material is from set. Our sound engineer, John Midgeley is absolutely fantastic. There were vetoes on the set, where John, and David [Shrubsole, musical director], could say to me that we were going to have to shoot it again, and they didn t have to tell me why. We knew that if we didn t work that way we wouldn t have a film and it was great to empower everyone. If we were doing it on stage, this would be normal practice. I am fortunate enough to have some excellent relationships with one or two superb sound designers in theatre, and it is a case of what they say goes. Danny, our DOP, was great at adapting to this. Did any of your stage company have to unlearn anything to make it work on screen? Yes, they had to pull it right down. There was some sadness to it all, because obviously before Olivia Colman was cast, there was someone else playing that part, and it was the same with Tom Hardy. It was a sad reality of the project. That said, everyone who was in the show had a good crack of the whip, and sometimes you have to make those decisions for the right reasons. For example Kate Fleetwood, who played Julie in the stage version, is brilliant in the film as one of the prostitutes. We had done the show twice, changing the cast, so we were lucky to have 13 people who had done it on stage to the level that they were really embedded in the story. There is something interesting in the comparison of stage and screen. How would you characterise the difference in roles as a director? There are huge crossovers, but I just don t know anywhere enough about film to answer the question properly. I am hugely critical of my theatre work. I think learning just how a camera works, or how the camera and an actor relate was new for me. I am very used to telling the audience where to look in a play. Take, for instance, the play I am working on at the moment where there are 23 people on stage for the majority of the time. The stage is absolute chaos, and it has to be like that because it is set in a slum in India. Now, I know that what the actors are doing on stage will get the audience to look where I want them to look, that is just craft. When making a film the camera does that for you, so there is a whole layer of nuance and decisions that I have yet to fully appreciate the delicacy of. But there is an alchemy in theatre between the audience and the stage, whereas with cinema you are locked off. I am good at creating a room in the theatre where people feel empowered and happy, and I can then put actors through it at the last minute. You can t do that with film, but what is exciting with film is getting everything planned and then keeping that little window open for what the promise is now. There was this one scene that we needed to be sunny, and it was pouring with rain, and it felt like God was telling me to give up, and scrap it. We did continue to shoot, and it is a lovely moment in the film we even got a few rays of sunlight. There is something that cinema and theatre share, in that you get everything set up so that you can respond at the moment. Lots of filmmakers prefer being in the edit than on set, where they can work it all out. I have very much enjoyed the editing process on the limited amount of filming that I have done. In the end I love working with actors, and those moments where you get something you didn t expect. In terms of you moving into the NT role, and the time it will take, do you still have filmmaking ambitions? You have to be pretty bipolar, and the saddest thing for me is that I have taken on this huge role that is a huge privilege and quite a complicated change in my life. The saddest thing is that after all this time I finally manage to find my way in film and enjoy it and then I had to make this decision to walk away for the time being. My contract is for five years, so for the time being I couldn t make a film because if you are going to do it, you have to do it properly. WORDS BY JOSEPH WALSH

22 BILL DIRECTOR Richard Bracewell PRODUCERS Charles Steel, Alasdair Flind, Tony Bracewell WRITERS Laurence Rickard, Ben Willbond CAST Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard, Ben Willbond, Helen McCrory, Damian Lewis SHOOT DURATION Seven weeks LOCATIONS Yorkshire, London FILM STOCK Digital PRODUCTION COMPANIES Cowboy Films, Punk Cinema PRODUCTION PARTNERS BFI, BBC Films, Lip Sync, Screen Yorkshire SALES COMPANY Independent Film Sales UK DISTRIBUTOR Koch Media 22 BFI.ORG.UK On the set of Bill, London

23 LONDON BILL PRODUCER TONY BRACEWELL ON BILL, A FAMILY COMEDY ABOUT WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE With the UK family audience regularly bombarded with US films both animated and live action, finding a space for British family film has long been an interesting challenge. Producer David Heyman, with Harry Potter, proved that with the right source material, it s possible to take a British character in a British setting with a wholly British cast and compete at the top level globally. Working Title, with Nanny McPhee, found an audience both here and abroad, and so has Aardman with its feature films, defiantly, wonderfully, quirkily British. Debbie Isitt and backers eone, with their Nativity franchise, have a highly functional model that is not dependent on export value, delivering a huge UK audience via characters that are commendably relatable. Diary of a Wimpy Kid is all very well, but we can all agree that it s important for British children to see their own lives reflected on the big screen. While British family films have tended to form a steady trickle over recent years, current activity suggests something of a resurgence. Nativity 3, Paddington and the BFI-backed Get Santa are all competing for audiences this Christmas. The BFI is also involved in teen sci-fi Robot Overlords, which premiered at the BFI London Film Festival ahead of a 2015 release. Stephen Daldry s adventure Trash, about street kids in a Rio De Janeiro favela, will be hoping to snag families as a significant portion of its audience when it arrives late January. And later in the spring sees Bill, a comedy about William Shakespeare from the writers and stars of CBeebies ratings hit Horrible Histories and Sky One s Yonderland. Bill came about after the film s director, Richard Bracewell, was shown a Horrible Histories musical sketch Charles II, King of Bling on YouTube by his daughter. Bracewell was surprised to spy Ben Willbond, with whom he d worked several times, including directing him in the 2006 feature The Gigolos, and had a Eureka moment. Bill producer Tony Bracewell, brother of Richard, says We got in touch right away and said, You guys have got to make a feature film. Willbond, Horrible Histories chief writer Larry Rickard and principal fellow cast members Matthew Baynton, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick and Simon Farnaby had, it turned out, also been thinking about a feature film, infused with the spirit of Horrible Histories, but absent its branding. Explains Tony Bracewell, Horrible Histories is a sketch show about facts, and creatively the writers didn t want those constraints when creating a narrative feature. They far preferred the Python movie approach of being set in history, but embroidering and working around facts to create an original story what we did with Shakespeare. Larry said very early on: the really interesting thing for a comedy writer is the lost years, and the fact that he disappears from 1585 to 1593, and then all of a sudden he s a playwright in London. So from Larry and Ben s perspective, that is for us a comedy gift. The alternative tale of how Bill, in our version of history, ends up being William. Larry would be the first person to say, with Bill, we re making it up. We re embellishing history with things that we think are funny, which is quite apt, as Shakespeare was the first person to do it. Developing the screenplay with BBC Films, the creative team had to make important creative decisions about the target audience. You have this choice, explains Tony Bracewell, are we going to go down a very focused route with a film that is going to work for nine-to-ten-year-olds, or are you going to be ambitious and say, we believe this can work for seven-to-fourteen-year-olds, and their parents? Are we going to do 90 minutes of bum gags, or 90 minutes of some bum gags, or 90 minutes of mud, and funny jokes about leprosy and people s arms falling off, which is great and then some heart and some warmth and relationships. As the scale of the film became apparent, BBC Films encouraged the team to bring on board another producer, which arrived in the form of Cowboy Films Charles Steel and Alasdair Flind. At production stage, the BFI came on, alongside other investors, with Koch taking on distribution for the UK, Germany and Scandinavia. Given the historical setting, caper-ish tone, smallscreen connection and the fact that multiple roles are played by the six lead actors, comparisons with the Python films are inevitable. However, adds Tony Bracewell, Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz are in a way even closer than the Pythons to what they ve done: taking Spaced as a TV brand, and then creating something new based around the performances. The BFI s Natascha Wharton, who when she was at Working Title was executive producer on both those Edgar Wright films, is the organisation s lead executive for Bill. One of the things the BFI s been really keen to do and helped us with is the tone of the film, they have really helped us push this: we can be a family comedy rather than a kids comedy. Articulating what to the outside world might seem a tiny point, but everyone involved in the industry knows is actually a huge point. One of the things that came out through working with the BFI is: there s a warm heart to this film. WORDS BY CHARLES GANT

24 LIFE AT 25 FPS For each ecstatic instant we must an anguish pay. For every minute on the red carpet read ten years of hard work. Film making is the toughest, most demanding of all professions and the most precarious. A film from the moment of its first script to the final print is a nightmare of forces (some supportive, some hostile) to alter everything. It can feel like being under siege without the prospect of relief. Yet, despite all of that, when it comes together in the final show print OH WHAT JOY IT GIVES! TERENCE DAVIES Agyness Deyn and Terence Davies on the set of Sunset Song