Edinburgh short film wins in Hollywood
It's not every week that I get the chance to mention an Edinburgh film that's made it to Hollywood and won two awards, but that's exactly what has happened to local independent film, Mum’s Birthday.
The 30-minute drama, written and directed by Graham Fitzpatrick and produced by Edinburgh's Pilton Video, tells of a father, Alex (Elek Kish), and his son, Stephen (Chris Robertson), who are left to look after themselves when the mother of the family leaves them.
Focusing on the relationship between the pair, Mum's Birthday also features River City's Tam Dean Burn as Alex's father. It's a touching and realistic portrayal of a broken family, with a few twists and turns along the way which make it a moving, and sometimes uncomfortable, watch.
The film came together as part of Creative Scotland’s (previously Scottish Screen) Creative Identities programme, Robertson chosen from a number of young actors auditioned from Edinburgh schools and residential homes. According to Robertson, “the film was based on great emotion and everyone brought their own experience to it.”
Recently Mum's Birthday was selected by jurors at The Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival, which showcases the best new feature films and shorts by filmmakers who possess an independent vision and who work outside major studios, to be part of this year's event.
Last night in California, at Quentin Tarantino's Regent Showcase, the cast and crew of the film received two awards, the first for Kish, who was named Best Actor, while the second was an Honourable Mention for the Ensemble Performance.
It's a fantastic achievement for a film with humble beginnings. Fitzpatrick's script was drawn from his own experience of losing a partner to cancer, while it also touches on aspects of life for many young people in Edinburgh who have grown up away from their parents or in housing schemes.
“Mum’s Birthday means a lot to everyone involved and came from the heart,” said Fitzpatrick. “The Hollywood screening and awards [are] the real icing on the cake.”
It's also evidence that just because a film has a low budget doesn't mean viewers should have low expectations of its quality, with Mum's Birthday being the best short picture I've seen in 2010.
With luck, the film's success will inspire a few other filmmakers to dust off those scripts and consider putting them into production, even if it is on a shoestring.
Watch the making of Mum's Birthday:
The 30-minute drama, written and directed by Graham Fitzpatrick and produced by Edinburgh's Pilton Video, tells of a father, Alex (Elek Kish), and his son, Stephen (Chris Robertson), who are left to look after themselves when the mother of the family leaves them.
Focusing on the relationship between the pair, Mum's Birthday also features River City's Tam Dean Burn as Alex's father. It's a touching and realistic portrayal of a broken family, with a few twists and turns along the way which make it a moving, and sometimes uncomfortable, watch.
The film came together as part of Creative Scotland’s (previously Scottish Screen) Creative Identities programme, Robertson chosen from a number of young actors auditioned from Edinburgh schools and residential homes. According to Robertson, “the film was based on great emotion and everyone brought their own experience to it.”
Recently Mum's Birthday was selected by jurors at The Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival, which showcases the best new feature films and shorts by filmmakers who possess an independent vision and who work outside major studios, to be part of this year's event.
Last night in California, at Quentin Tarantino's Regent Showcase, the cast and crew of the film received two awards, the first for Kish, who was named Best Actor, while the second was an Honourable Mention for the Ensemble Performance.
It's a fantastic achievement for a film with humble beginnings. Fitzpatrick's script was drawn from his own experience of losing a partner to cancer, while it also touches on aspects of life for many young people in Edinburgh who have grown up away from their parents or in housing schemes.
“Mum’s Birthday means a lot to everyone involved and came from the heart,” said Fitzpatrick. “The Hollywood screening and awards [are] the real icing on the cake.”
It's also evidence that just because a film has a low budget doesn't mean viewers should have low expectations of its quality, with Mum's Birthday being the best short picture I've seen in 2010.
With luck, the film's success will inspire a few other filmmakers to dust off those scripts and consider putting them into production, even if it is on a shoestring.
Watch the making of Mum's Birthday:
Mum's Birthday Documentary from Graham Fitzpatrick on Vimeo.
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1 Comments:
The screening was a HUGE success. We had the privilege of the company of Dame Barbara Hay (British Consulate) and Tara Halloran (UKFC) both of whom were very moved by the film.
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