LFD-Hope is a film about London, and what it means to live there now.

It will be told from the perspective of different characters, each with an alternative angle on life in the city. From 15-year old skaters living in the suburbs to middle-aged men with learning difficulties. The characters will be portrayed mainly by non-actors, in an attempt to take the audience into real moments.    

This film is very important to me, due to what I perceive as the complete lack of non-stereotyped people in cinema and TV at the moment. There is an absence of truthfully portrayed young people, people with disabilities, and others, who either go unseen or are not classed as people by the television, not to mention anybody connected with the world of crime. For me this runs alongside the 'sanitised' version of London that has been appearing across our screens since the 2012 Olympics. It can be seen in what is shown of London's architecture, though this is the most visually obvious part of the thing I have a problem with, which bleeds all the way down to the lack of real human life shown, such as the dismissal of communities and the age-old story currently being repeated across the capital of the 'poor' being moved on: away and out of sight.

Young people bring newness and a sight to the changes occurring. As a way of explaining the view I find hard to tell in words, more and more I use this quote from the poet William S. Burroughs, 

“Only the young bring anything [new] in, and they are not young for long.”  

The playfulness and openness of being young is something i've wanted to capture on screen for a long time. In LFD-Hope I'm attempting to show not just this but the representation of it in contemporary London. If I had to describe the link between the younger characters and the older ones, it would be their lack of contentment and their relentless search for something to believe in, in the city where they live, day-in, day-out.

STYLE & RESEARCH

The film has been researched and prepared for a year through getting to know a lot of the cast closely, and this is a very important element of the film as, being mainly non-actors, the mutual trust is key to an attempt at an honest moment onscreen. Being with the people involved in the project individually for a year has taught me another way of seeing. That, in partnership with the film, has created the filmic language I will be using. I'm now at a stage where i'm ready to show this and that's why i'm beginning production. 

TRAILER 

The trailer was shot to raise awareness of, and for anyone donating to, the project, in order to give them an idea of the film in terms of style and feeling. It is key for communicating the themes and faces of the people who will be onscreen during the length of the film, so you can really get a sense of what it will be like.

INVESTMENT & TRUST

As with any investment, the film comes with a level of risk. However, 'LFD-Hope' is my second feature-length film that will be made to a cinematic standard on a shoestring budget. Because of this, I am very aware of and have planned for the many unpredictable elements and potential pitfalls that can cause films to run over budget.  Also, in addition to the money raised with you here, I will undertake to have a production company match the overall sum.

With experience comes learning, and as this is my second film I am attempting bolder moves and aiming to communicate the more delicate ideas that are needed to really bring it to life; the story, the characters and the important moments.

The crew is intentionally a small one to keep that personal, family feel within set and to avoid overlooking the delicate and intimate moments that can be lost on a production sized film. 

My chief director of photography Ruben Woodin Dechamps is a very talented creative within his field and is working for free because of his belief in the project and my abilities to bring it to it's full potential.

DONATING AND MASSIVE THANKS

Without the help of contributors to support this film's basic needs (such as travel for actors, food, the renting of equipment), this story will find it impossible to be told. EVERY donation counts towards making it possible to tell something unique and new within our culture of film as it stands. Even if you can't afford to donate, just sharing this project online on facebook or email will count for so much. 

Thank you, 

Joshua

FILM MAKER'S BACKGROUND

Joshua Loftin was born in Blackheath, London in April 1987. At 18 he went to Australia to make his first documentary. 

On his return, he enrolled at the London College of Communications to do a foundation course in Fiction and Documentary Film, during which he produced his first short fiction film ‘Inertia’. Graduating with a distinction, he joined the BA Honours course in ‘Film and TV’ at Edinburgh College of Art, where he worked as the editor for Marcelo de Oliveira’s film ‘The Great Flood’ (Which was then screened at the Werner Herzog Film School) and Bafta New Talent Winner Nelson Carlo’s ‘Should We Go Home?’ in his first year. In 2010 he received a Bafta nomination from Bafta Scotland in the Experimental Shorts category. 

His first full-length feature film, 'I Can't Be Kaspar?' was released and screened throughout London in early 2013.