Print 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, bringing a unique blend of love story and environmental message to the South West. 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. Director Gemma Reynolds says the project is about âconnection, the power of the human spirit, and the beauty of queer love.â She and writer-actor Savannah Betts previously collaborated on Queer Enough, which screened at BAFTA-qualifying Iris Prize and Encounters Film Festivals, and won âBest Micro Shortâ 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.” She adds: “The protagonist of our story is living in an isolated patch of woodland at the end of the world. We will be using careful framing and some VFX to imply that the cabin at Wall Eden is more remote and isolated than in real life. Where wall Eden has 8 cabins, and a range of lovely glamping pods, we want to imply that our heroin Roisin is completely alone, with no other house or human for miles. We’re using some practical effects to make the exteriors at Wall Eden look more apocalyptic, which both ourselves, and owner Andy and his right hand Jake are particularly excited about.” “Our Writer / Co-Producer has saved and put in £5,000 of her own money to get the film financed, and we will need the full amount of £18,000 to go ahead with funding – you can see a breakdown of where we need the money on our Indiegogo page .” “We’re ready to go with our crew, cast, perfect location, and drive – all we need now is the money to pay them and we will be able to create a film that not just the local community, but cinema lovers globally can relate to and enjoy. Savannah is busy working away on the Feature version of the story, so if this short film is successful in proving what we can achieve together, it will open the doors for a full length, epic British film shot right here in the South West.” 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.” “Weâre 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 itâs best, is always ultimately about understanding our own humanity. Think Gareth Edwardsâ Monstersâ, with the spark and creativity of Janelle Monaeâs âDirty Computerâ and the Washington State aesthetic of Lynn Sheltonâs 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 . Share Source: https://www.burnham-on-sea.com/news/new-sci-fi-short-film-to-shoot-at-farm-near-burnham-on-sea/