A new LGBT romantic sci-fi short film, Roisin & Raela, is scheduled to be filmed at Wall Eden Farm in East Huntspill near Burnham-On-Sea next Spring.
Roisin & Raela tells the story of two lonely souls who collide when one crash lands on a dying Earth.
The film “explores forbidden romance, resilience, and hope against the backdrop of climate crisis,” says Director Gemma Reynolds.
She and writer-actor Savannah Betts previously collaborated on Queer Enough, which screened at BAFTA-qualifying Iris Prize and Encounters Film Festivals, and won “Best Micro Short” at the New York Tri-State International Film Festival. It is already 15% crowdfunded and 80% crewed up.
A crowdfunder launched on 24th November, with funds going towards paying cast and crew, practical special effects, costume, catering, and production design. Organisers say supporting the project is a chance for audiences to be directly involved in creating a film that “prioritises representation and originality.”
Gemma Reynolds, Director, explains how she picked Wall Eden for filming: “We were searching for a location which had a log cabin, a body of water, and tree coverage for our main character’s home, where 90% of our film is set. We travelled all the way to the New Forest, and considered West Wales and plenty of fisheries which was complicated given our environmental story aspects.”
“After many days driving round the UK, we came across Wall Eden Farm, just 12 miles down the A-roads. Their cabins had just the right aesthetic, inside and out, with their dark wood walls, the secluded lake in amongst the trees, and the owner, Andy, even had a perfect rustic shed that we needed for two scenes. The team at Wall Eden couldn’t be more accommodating, they’ve already allowed us to bring our crew to the site for guided recces ahead of time, so that when we start shooting in March we will be fully prepared and familiar with the logistics and the staff there. We really feel now, having stumbled across this location in our own neighbour County, that this is a collaboration with them.”
Sne adds: “The excitement of Roisin & Raela for me is its intimacy, its focus on connection, and what it says about the power of the human spirit and the beauty of queer love. I am fascinated by the need to connect and how much we self sabotage our relationships by masking vulnerabilities. I love actor-centric films – when we relate to stories, it is inevitably the human beings on screen that we are connecting with.”
“Luckily, we have two fantastic actors as our leads for this film and we have the perfect location in Wall Eden Farm (pictured). Shooting this ambitious short locally, with an incredible team of collaborators, will really add to the heart and soul of the experience and that passion and investment will inevitably show on screen. I am set on ensuring the experience of making this film is as joyful and inclusive as the film itself will be. We have already established a supportive relationship with the owners of our location, and we are keen to involve as many local stakeholders as would like to come on board.”
“We’re aiming for Albert Certification with this film, which encourages sustainable working practices in Film and TV. With a film so centred on the conversation around climate change, it is essential that we mitigate our own impact, and live by the hopeful messages we are offering up. Our indie style, character and relationship focussed short will ground itself in the sci fi genre, which at it’s best, is always ultimately about understanding our own humanity. Think Gareth Edwards’ Monsters’, with the spark and creativity of Janelle Monae’s ‘Dirty Computer’ and the Washington State aesthetic of Lynn Shelton’s work.”
The film has already been shortlisted for Slick Films funding and was a finalist in the Large Format Film Funding Competition, chosen from 300 scripts read blind.
For information or to get involved, click here or email RoisinAndRaelaFilm@gmail.com.
