Cannes I or Can't I?

 Hey Guys!

   Well, I certainly don't blog as much as I used to - or as much as I'd like to - but there's a small comfort to this, in the fact that my last blog post resulted in a published article online. You can still read this on the Gorilla Film Magazine website, and it came about due to the hard work of my new PR team, Laura Cann and Charlotte Ashton. This was part of a brief press boom, with Ashes articles in both Awesome Online Magazine and also the Derby Evening Telegraph (although the former was somewhat more extensive than the latter). There's also another article in the works, one which came out of nowhere and which I'm very excited about. But more about that soon...

   And on April 28th, of course, we had the Ashes cast & crew premiere in London. A year and two days after the original Ashes shoot got cancelled (and the Stop/Eject shoot came to a close), we were able to celebrate a project completed. The film went down better than expected with our guests as well, and you can experience the event for yourself through these wonderful photographs by the talented Lawrence de Gruchy.

   Since the premiere fell on the day after my birthday, my dear collaborator Neil Oseman gave me a lovely gift (and rather creative Ashes-themed card) from himself and wife Katie Lake:

Somewhat themed Birthday presents from Neil Oseman and Katie Lake

    Which brings me on to my next news update. As I discovered on the last day of the Love & Other Chairs shoot, Ashes is going to be screened at this years Cannes Court Metráge/ Short Film Corner!!



Ashes on the official Cannes Court Metrage online catalogue!

     Not only is this wonderful news for myself and all involved (any festival acceptance is wonderful but this goes beyond that for me), my successful application meant that I was given two free festival passes. If I wanted to buy one festival pass it would cost me at least £250, and these things are very limited, so it's one heck of an offer. 

     But would I accept it? Having never even dreamed of Ashes touching anything related to Cannes, I hadn't planned on going. Not forgetting the fact that I've never left the country except to go to Wales and Scotland, and I've not been on a plane once in my life. Travel was something other people got to do.

    Aside from being a travel novice, I've also only been to two festivals, both of which were small independent ones, so attempting Cannes maze of stalls, screens and beachside meetings would leave me nothing but lost.

    Also - no matter how much I try to accept the fact - because I am a freelance filmmaker, I am frequently close to penniless.

   So I had no intention of going (although it was a nice dream) until I got a phonecall from the afforementioned Neil. I'd offered him my second festival pass, because although they are reserved for Directors and Producers, I was both those things to Ashes - and I knew that Neil would benefit from the pass because it meant he could promote Stop/Eject (and as that project's Producer as well, that is in my best interest too). 

    I'd actually been on the verge of taking a break from filmmaking (a mix of flat-out exhaustion from the ongoing work, with the attitude of some people in the 'industry') when I got the call from Neil. He basically said "Sophie, don't give up. You're too talented... let's go to Cannes".

   And that was that. Without stopping to let it all sink in, I  set about getting a new passport and arranging meetings with potential short film buyers at Cannes while Neil made all of our travel and accomodation arrangements. I made the difficult decision of selling my Fostex and Rode Blimp set to fund my journey (I'm not an expert in sound and tend to hire sound designers with their own kit, anyway). And I needn't worry about getting lost in Cannes, because this will be Neil's fourth time there. I kid you not!

   So there we have it. Here is my admittance of the fact that I am going to Cannes. I am going to fucking Cannes! And we're taking Ashes and Stop/Eject with us (along with some of mine and Neil's separate personal projects which we can't disclose details of yet).

   And of course, I won't forget about my followers while I'm there (although I do not know how many of you there are). Myself and Neil will be joining forces on a little video diaries series over there as well, which we'll share online as soon as we can. Or Cannes...

AU REVOIR!!

Sophie x

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