Midwest international Film Festival - Halfway
A recently released convict finds himself trapped between his urban criminal past and his new life on probation as the only black man in a small conservative Wisconsin farming town
Interview with Producer Jonny Paterson
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
This is the first feature film for both writer/director Ben Caird and myself (producer). There are a number of reasons as to why we made this film, but perhaps the most important is simply that it is a story that we believe deserved to be told. It has a timely resonance with some of the things going on in America just now and that causal element was very important to us. We hope that comes through in the film.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Because it's a little bit different to what you might be used to, especially with the proliferation of superhero movies and big budget action films that dominate the live action space. HALFWAY is a drama about real people who have real problems. Emotively, it is both thought-provoking and uplifting at the same time. But you have to watch it to the very end to get that :)
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The film revolves around the Larsen family who have recently experienced the loss of their patriarch, so when Byron comes to stay with them and help run the farm there are a lot of personal and family dynamics that need to be overcome. He's a black man but is family via his step-brother Josh (nephew to the the Larsens). There is tension in the early stages but as the characters become more comfortable around each other you see how to look past physical differences and focus on emotional connections instead.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
A LOT. Perhaps the most interesting anecdote, though is that the lead character was originally a young, English boy. We always wanted that 'fish-out-of-water' element to the role and it wasn't until we moved to America that it became clear to us that that should in fact be race. Thusly, Ben reworked the lead role in development to be a black man.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
It's been great. We've played at many festivals and won some awards. Perhaps the most exciting thing, though was our nomination for the British Independent Film Awards, which I think shows our film has been well received.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Our main goal is to make more people aware of the film and hopefully introduce it to more viewers. My main hope is that your readership is interested in what they see and seek out the film itself to watch it. We know that there is an almost infintie level of choice available these days, so if someone chooses to watch HALFWAY, we very much appreciate that.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
We want people to enjoy the experience of watching the film and it would be awesome if it left some folks with a desire to think about the broken prison system in America, the issues around recidivism and what that may mean for them and their communities.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Do people deserve second chances?
Would you like to add anything else?
Just a thank you toy our guys for your interest. We hope that your readership enjoy the article and, subsequently, the film.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Ben (writer/director) and Jonny (producer) are working on several potential follow-up projects to HALFWAY inc. a NY-set relationship drama, a London-set gangster thriller and a western!
Interview: December 2017
_______________________________________________________________________________
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
_______________________________________________________________________________
Halfway
A recently released convict finds himself trapped between his urban criminal past and his new life on probation as the only black man in a small conservative Wisconsin farming town
Length: 104mins
Director: Ben Caird
Producer: Jonny Paterson
Writer: Ben Caird
Key cast: Quinton Aaron, TJ Power, Gillian Zinser, Amy Pietz, Marcus Henderson, Nicole Scimeca and Jeffrey DeMunn
Social media handles:
Facebook: facebook.com/halfwaythemovie
Twitter: @halfwayfilm
Where will the film screen in the next month? Film available in the US and Canada on Urban Movie Channel, iTunes and Amazon Video. Available in the UK on Flix Premiere