The Island of Lost Souls wins SWM Development Funding

Red Room Films has been awarded seed funding by Screen West Midlands to develop an adaptation of Martyn Bedford’s acclaimed novel The Island of Lost Souls with Midlands talent, writer/director Sean Spencer. The novel is a thriller and a love story set in a dystopian, alternative ‘now’, in which the draft has been introduced for 18-25 year olds. Disaffected twenty-four year-old Finn is faced with a stark choice: Go to war, or go on the run and be hunted down as a deserter. If he escapes, there is the promise of a new identity and a new life . If he is caught, the punishment will be brutal.  Finn makes the decision to run and escapes into a dangerous, underground world of dissidents and misfits. He washes up on an island, where he is given the identity of a young man, recently lost at sea. But has Finn brought danger with him? Can he win over the man’s young widow Bryher and the hostile islanders? And will he ever escape the blackmailing clutches of the territory’s ruthless, drug-dealing ‘Godfather’ Mr. Skins? The Island of Lost Souls is a piece that asks timely questions about the true legacy of war and the lengths to which people will go for the promise of freedom. Development of the project reunites Producer Claire Ingham with writer/director Sean Spencer who also worked together on the UKFC/SWM ‘Digital Extreme’ short Romance

Casting Director Shaheen Baig joins Stratford Road team

Casting Director Shaheen Baig has begun work on finding the lead for Red Room Films’ feature Stratford Road. She joins  a creative team that already includes, BAFTA award-winning director Emily Young, award-winning writer Helen Cross, Executive Producer, Kevin Loader, Producer Claire Ingham and Line Producer, Danielle Brandon. Stratford Road is a haunting, Hitchcock-style thriller for modern audiences about two people whose lives collide on a single day. Shahida is a thirteen year-old Muslim girl, who has stolen a gun – David is a grieving white father who has lost his teenage daughter. Over the course of their day, both David and Shahida come to realise that there may be a disturbing reason for their meeting. Development of Stratford Road has been funded by Screen West Midlands and the UK Film Council.

             

Firebird wins further EMmedia and NZFC Development Funding

Red Room Films and Blue Skin Films, New Zealand have been awarded further development finance by EMmedia and the New Zealand Film Commission to develop the feature film Firebird with Derbyshire-based writer/director, Christine Parker. Firebird is an erotic thriller set in 1930s jazz-age New Zealand – and  is  the story of the intense love triangle between dancer Freda Stark, actress Thelma Trott and theatrical impressario Eric Mareo – a love triangle that led to New Zealand’s most notorious murder trial. The feature is written by Peter Wells and Christine Parker, will be directed by Christine Parker, and is produced by Catherine Fitzgerald and Claire Ingham.

Red Room Films commissioned to deliver writers workshops for SCRIPT/Screen West Midlands

SCRIPT is delighted to announce a programme of screenwriting activity over the next few months. The programme is funded by Screen WM and delivered in partnership with Red Room Films, Animation Forum West Midlands and Hello Digital. The programme is aimed at writers who would like to develop their skills and learn the tools of the trade.

There will be four film genre workshops run by Red Room Films:
Romantic Comedy – 13th February, The Biopic – 13th March, Science Fiction and Fantasy - 10th April and Crime Thrillers-  24th April. All of the courses will be held in Birmingham. Further Information from Catherine Edwards at SCRIPT:  catherine.edwards@scriptonline.net