Hello all! Thank you for visiting our site. We like to think of this film as “our baby,” and accordingly, it continues to grow and take shape, so we wanted to give you an update on its progress. First, a little background on what we’ve been up to:
In December we began crowdfunding on Indiegogo. Thanks to the generous and greatly appreciated support of many of you reading this, we were able to raise $12,000, which funded a March trip to London. There we were honored to speak with several British film industry notables, to include the following:
Elliot Grove, founder of the Raindance Film Festival and the British Independent Film Awards, who discussed the history of British cinema, its present, and future;
Tom Hiddleston, actor, who related to us the struggles and passion characteristic of the British cinematic tradition;
Joost Hunningher, professor of film and television at the University of Westminster, who took us on a tour of the University’s Regent Street Cinema, site of Britain’s first film screening, by the Lumiere brothers in 1896;
Kim Newman, novelist and film critic, who spoke to us about the differences between American and British cinema;
Julian Petley, journalist and professor of screen media at Brunel University, who discussed the importance of film as an expression of national identity.
Since then, we’ve been busy reviewing and editing the footage we shot, forming it into a full-fledged film (a sneak peek of which can be seen here: http://t.co/5L1HNw6lVu or our Projects page). We have been overwhelmed by the knowledge and enthusiasm imparted by our participants, so much so that we have been inspired to expand our project from a short film into a feature-length documentary.
To do this we will be making a second trip to London, during the 57th BFI London Film Festival, October 9-20. We will soon begin a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to support this additional filming. We can’t wait to explore British cinema even further, and to share what we find with you!
Because, as a backer or potential backer of our efforts, or even simply as a viewer, you are on this journey with us; this is your story too. Film, after all, is the most collaborative of media, and we are excited to have you along for the ride.
Stay tuned for further updates on our progress. We look forward to sharing more with you!
Sincerely,
The Toska Team