Thank you for taking the time to look over our video
and learn more about our new project! We are taking BEVERLEY to the screen and
we are here to ask for your support.
We’re in Pre-production at the moment, getting ready to shoot on location in early 2014, and as we’re getting close, WE NEED YOUR HELP to raise the film finance to make the film happen, PLEASE EXTEND YOUR SUPPORT WITH A CLICK ON ANY OF OUR PERK BUTTONS ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THIS PAGE!
WHAT IS THE STORY ABOUT?
Beverley is a film about a mixed race girl’s struggles to carve out
a sense of identity in a confusing, shifting cultural landscape. A move from
the decaying, poverty-stricken, urban environment to the relative comfort and
theoretical safety of white suburbia does not provide the hope and
opportunities Bev may have wished for. A familiar enemy is ever present - a
threat that extends beyond her own safety – more importantly she must protect
her brother and sister. By asserting her will and using her guile, Bev tries to
shape her new environment into something palatable, but the result is the
opposite of what she is trying to achieve.
WHY TELL THIS STORY?
At the heart of the film is the question of identity and in
particular British identity, it’s the
battle of one individual to define and assert their own identity in a society
that doesn’t allow them much cultural capital. At the same time that battle is mirrored by the battle
of society at large to define its own identity, something that Britain was
struggling with in 1980 and really it’s the collision of those two forces that
causes the tension, which is the heart of the drama in this film.
We feel
that this mixed race identity
that we’re seeking to investigate in this film Beverley, really hasn’t been
significantly covered. Beverley herself says it
best: “The issue of race is complex and none
more so than for the mix-race population. How can you create an identity where
none existed before you?”
The other reason we wanted to make Beverley as the next film
project is simply that the 80s was the most diverse time for British youth
subcultures and the one we’ve not
seen in fiction film is the 2 tone movement.
Beverley would be a fascinating film about this period which was really about
British identity and multiculturalism.
The
story of British culture and
identity is not complete until a film is made that does
justice to the legacy of Two Tone music and fully investigates the experience
of mixed-race Britons.
OUR TEAM
Our assembled creative team strives to produce a short film that will achieve success both through the film festival circuit, as well as having the legs to go the distance to be adapted into a Feature length story.
Individually and collectively we have achieved past production successes in film. That only comes from strong leadership, keen ambition matched with true talent and the right balance of experience, dedicated marketing skills, and most importantly good bargaining skills.
THE IMPACT
To bring awareness through our film’s character to what a British identity means to a mixed-race individual whose first challenge in life is her own identity.
We aim to provide schools and youth workers with DVD's in order to provoke discussion and promote the search for creative outlets for young people.
MEET THE TEAM
Alexander Thomas: Writer/Director
Alexander Thomas is a writer and film director living and working in London.
He co-founded TAG Films in 2006. His first film, ‘Portobello: Attack of the Clones’, won a number of awards and accolades including Best London Film 2006 at the UK’s biggest independent film festival competition.
Following on from this success, Alexander gained a scholarship to undertake a Master’s degree in Film Directing at the University of Westminster. He gained a distinction for these studies and his graduation film, Entropy, won a number of awards including Best Script and Best Performances at the National Student Film Festival as well a nomination for Best Film.
He has since collaborated with Urban Edge Films in making the award winning feature length documentary, Casuals, which has also resulted in a fruitful and ongoing collaboration with producer Cass Pennant.
He also has an interest in social issues and has undertaken a number of commissioned works for arts based firms and social charities.
More recently Alexander’s short film, The UnDream, won the Audience Award for Best Short Film at the East End Film Festival. He intends to graduate to directing feature films in the near future.
Cass Pennant | Producer – Urban Edge Films
Cass Pennant who was once a leading face with West Ham’s notorious football hooligans in the 1980s. Today he is the best-selling author of nine football fan-culture related books, he has advised on numerous TV and film projects, including Lexi Alexander’s Green Street/Hooligans plus Guy Ritchie’s acclaimed Snatch and Alan Clarke’s The Firm, along with Bravo TV’s The Real Football Factories International and ITV’s Bouncer’s series. Pennant is also the eponymous hero of critically acclaimed British feature film CASS directed by Jon S. Baird (Filth) based on his autobiography about his turbulent life and character, constantly strengthened through adversity.
His background is ‘the streets’ and he has brought this to his media projects. Above all, his pre-film life has seen him develop a range of contacts born out of these previous associations, which give him access to a world largely unavailable to those schooled in the more formal arts of television and film. Therefore he is in the process of developing ideas, which are innovative and surprising in their approach, his production of award-winning 2012 documentary Casuals was released on DVD and a TV broadcast in 2013. Same year he co-produced Meet the Guvnors a British feature film for the cinema screen 2014.
Ian Stuttard | Co Producer – Urban Edge Films
Butch as he is better known is also an award-winning Producer/Director who has specialised in TV documentaries on various subjects for all the major broadcasters ranging from the BBC’s Panorama to Al Jazeera:The Unknown Famine (ITV – Bafta 1975 / RTS 1974),Crime Inc. (ITV – nominated for Bafta 1984), Hooligan (ITV – 1985), Shooting the Messenger (Al Jazeera – nominated for an International Emmy 2009).
Having directed several episodes of the Hong Kong cop show "Yellowthread Street" in 1989 he is keen to return to drama projects and extended his range by collaborating on "Beverley" with his colleagues at UEF.
Bev Thompson | Associate Producer – Urban Edge Films
I was born in the Chinese year of the Monkey. By the age of 24 I was a single parent raising 2 children, running my own business and was gaining my degree in Law.
I went on to develop a professional career working with young people caught up in the misery of drug addiction and gang culture.
I have written short stories and have some experience as a newspaper columnist. In 2007 I developed a Drama Project for young people living in drug supplying areas. The Project produced a theatre/film production which won a South West Film Council Award and gathered interest from Liza Marshall the Head of Drama at Channel 4.
My ambition is to write for a living whether fiction, non- fiction, scripts or journalism. The opportunity to be involved in ‘Beverley’ as a Consultant and Associate Producer is a major step in that direction.
My lifelong guide is the words of Bob Marley. He was mix-race like me. I will end this profile with a quote from him ‘you have to be some-one’. I am. I am Beverley.
HOW CAN YOU HELP:
We always wrote this short film to be adapted into a
Feature but even short ones are expensive and in order to do this script
justice, we need your help! The money we are
asking for is the film costs with ourselves working for free. We need to pay for printing, camera and its
accessories and additional lighting and equipment
hire, crew, plus expenses from location and hire fees, permits,
locations, insurance,
licensing rights, transportation, food and travel, to the actual props,
set-dressing, costumes, make-up; post-Production
(i.e. Editing, Motion Graphics, Title Design, Colour Correction, DVD
Authoring and Duplication, Sub-titling, Sound Design, Soundtrack composing
& recording); Film
Festival entry fees, Marketing/Promotion and Screening
Venues. We are looking to raise £12,000 to make this film. This figure
reflects the lowest possible amount necessary to bring this film to life. We have to shoot street interiors and exteriors and some major scenes with a
large number of extras to reflect the period
and allow us to provide the finish that Studios and Producers now expect on the
Festival circuit.
IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING BEVERLEY PLEASE CONTACT: Alex at alexurbanedge@live.co.uk
THE PERKS
Everyone who participates will have our upmost gratitude!
Yet, at certain levels, you will be receiving great gifts as well, such
as an opportunity to see the film before it screens in festivals. You can get a
digital download of the movie in HD or a DVD, your name listed in the credits,
tickets to screenings at festivals, and some other great items. Please
take the time to read all the benefits below if you come on board!
**Remember to keep
checking back as we will be adding perks during our campaign!**
NOTES & DISCLAIMERS
All events
in the Perks (such as the onset visit, pre-screening, after party, dinner,
meeting, and premiere screening) will take place in the UK, likely locations
Midlands and London with others to be confirmed. Unfortunately,
transportation and lodging cannot be provided by us. We hope you can make it!
OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP
We completely understand if you are unable to make a
financial contribution at this time. But before you leave this page...SHARE
this Indiegogo project on your Facebook or Twitter pages! Indiegogo is in over 100 countries so let's make this an internationally funded story.
Spread
the word the more clicks we get, the more people will see our campaign and the
more funds we'll raise to finish the film.
CAN WE EXCEED OUR GOAL?
Yes! And we
need to go beyond our goal, so please help us with any amount you can, no
contribution is too small or big enough!
WHEN DO I GET MY STUFF?
Upon the successful completion of our campaign target, you
will be contacted by us to gather any information we may need from you before
we can fulfill your rewards.
All copies of the film (Digital, DVD or other) will be
sent after we are cleared by the festivals and award guidelines, so we don’t
jeopardise the film. Don’t worry we will keep you updated.
OVERSEAS SHIPPING UPDATE
All
contributors who live outside of the United Kingdom need to include an
additional 10GBP for the DVD and any other perks that involve postage costs to their contribution amount to cover additional
costs to send their perks worldwide. Thank you!
The DVDs will not be available until after our initial
festival run. All other perks will be sent to you. If you receive
any producer credit, the credit will be added to the film and submitted to IMDB
immediately after the campaign ends.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT
We have detailed a number of great
perks or ways for our team to say thank you for your contributions but we know
that is not the reason you have invested your faith and believe in us for this
film project so we want to thank you from the bottom of our
hearts for helping us and we hope you'll enjoy the film when it's done!
