THE REGION'S FINEST FILM MAKERS: SEVEN FILMS SHOT IN FOUR DAYS

Birmingham School of Acting (BSA) will shoot its fourth BRUMMIEWOOD project in March 2007, using some of the region’s brightest and best writers and film makers. 

BRUMMIEWOOD is a collaborative project and the brain child of Simon Woods , former BSA Chief Executive, and Natasha Carlish, Director of BAFTA award winning Dreamfinder Productions. 

BRUMMIEWOOD IV follows on the success of previous years and is bringing back writers and directors from the BRUMMIEWOOD I, II & III films. Each of the films is shot and edited in a single day and filming will commence on 5th March in and around Birmingham.

Natasha Carlish, Executive Producer, said: “"I am very excited by the slate of BRUMMIEWOOD films this year. They have been written by and will be directed by some of the brightest and best creative talent that we have in the region.

“These films have the potential to entertain and inspire audiences and they also show what a diverse range of voices we have in our filmmakers. The unsung heroes of the project, which involves over 90 people, are the producers, stage managers and crew who have all been working hard for the last few months to ensure that the productions run smoothly and that the production values are exceptional.  

“The students have embraced the challenge of BRUMMIEWOOD and if they can turn out strong performances on the day of filming, we should have a very special collection in Brummiewood 4." 
 

The BRUMMIEWOOD project provides professional scriptwriters and directors with employment and an opportunity to develop their skills and ideas; as well as providing Birmingham School of Acting students with a unique and valuable experience of filmmaking.

BSA, in collaboration with Dreamfinder Productions, is the second biggest producer of short films in the region after Screen West Midlands - the regional agency which supports, promotes and develops a sustainable and thriving screen media sector in the West Midlands.

This year’s film makers include, double BAFTA award winner, Michael B. Clifford; Royal Television Society (RTS) Award Winner, Ekta Walia; RTS nominee, Paul Hardy; RTS award nominee, Claire Bennett; participant of Robert Redford’s prestigious Moonstone Filmmaker Lab and director of Brummiewood II film which was selected for the Raindance Film Festival, Sean Spencer; director of the critically acclaimed short film, ‘Strive’, Stephen Reynolds; experienced film director, John Humphreys; and director of the documentary  film ‘Lost in Translation’ which has been selected to be screened on BBC3, Tom Norton.

A vast majority of the people and organisations involved in the project are from the region and BRUMMIEWOOD provides employment opportunities and valuable professional experience for over 90 people including directors of photography, camera assistants, sound recordists, producers and unit producers, editors, designers, photographers, and actors. 

This year’s films focus on the themes of identity and diversity, with scripts developed specifically for the cast.  The challenge for the writers and directors are to ensure that each student in their film has equal parts and screen time, compared to the conventional lead roles in films. 

BSA has the films produced in DVD format and will hold a special screening in mid-May especially for the cast, crew, industry and press.  The BSA students featured in the films are provided with a DVD from the school to use as a professional show reel when promoting themselves in the industry as professional actors.  The school anticipates that, as with previous years, the BRUMMIEWOOD IV films will be entered in to film and television awards and international film festivals.