Hollyshorts / Underwire Film Festival 2019 – Treacle
When friends Belle and Jessie go away for the weekend and drunkenly hook up; what seems like an awkward slip up to firmly heterosexual Jessie, is, in fact, an incredible betrayal to bisexual Belle.
Interview with Director Rosie Westhoff
Watch Treacle here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thanks! The writer April has always been open when it comes to sexuality and very happy to answer questions when her friends build the courage to ask when they’re drunk. But, what she found was that quite often that drunk friend wants to push their own sexual boundaries. You’re friends, you’re comfortable in each other’s company but what do you do if the advances are more? That’s what we explore in Treacle.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
A bunch of us with an overly ambitious idea and dream, head over to Los Angeles from the UK to film a short. We then create a female-driven film about bisexuality and all the love, fun and awkwardness which can come from it.
It's fun, the cinematography is beautiful and the score is really great!
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
It’s so important to me to make films and tell stories that bring different views to the forefront. I’m passionate about showing characters from different walks of life on screen but highlighting their commonalities and the universalities that drive them; Love, sexuality & identity.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Massively!!! I wanted there to be a lot of room for rewrites both in rehearsals and on the day. So what you see in the final film is pretty different than where we started!
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I'm currently in post-production on my next short film and developing two features and a children's coming of age TV show.
Interview: August 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. 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
Treacle
When friends Belle and Jessie go away for the weekend and drunkenly hook up; what seems like an awkward slip up to firmly heterosexual Jessie, is, in fact, an incredible betrayal to bisexual Belle.
Length: 17:59
Director: Rosie Westhoff
Producer: April Kelley, Sara Huxley (Mini Productions)
Writer: April Kelley
About the writer, director and producer:
ROSIE WESTHOFF is a film-maker based in London. Her short films have been selected for festivals around the world, including Edinburgh International Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, BFI Flare, London Short Film Festival, HollyShorts and Underwire Festival. Rosie has been nominated in the directing category at Underwire festival 2019 for her work on the short film Treacle. Her most recent short film Our Sister is backed by BFI Network and the Tribeca Film Institute. It’s currently in post-production. Rosie works in drama and comedy-drama and is drawn to stories about young female characters at formative times in their lives. She is currently developing her first feature.
APRIL KELLEY is an award-winning actress and producer. Having trained at Arts Educational, London on a foundation course she then went on to three year BA at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts (ALRA), where, in her second year she created Mini Productions. Adamant that something within the entertainment industry would support her acting career she has gone on to produce BAFTA and BIFA long listed films as well as several BAFTA qualifying films. Most recently, APRIL starred in the title role of critically acclaimed, Annie Waits. The short has gone on to screen at over 70 festivals around the world; including BAFTA qualifying Underwire and London Short Film Festival and Oscar-qualifying St. Louis International Film Festival. It’s also been nominated and won several awards including Best Actress and the Rising Star Award at Colchester Film Festival. She’s just wrapped on her debut feature, Rose starring Matt Stokoe (The Bodyguard) and Sophie Rundle (Peaky Blinders) - a dark, Gothic exploration of one couple’s relationship.Her writing debut, Treacle, which she also stars in and produces premiered at this year’s BFI Flare: London LGBTQ+ Film Festival and had its US premiere Frameline43: The San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival. The film which is in collaboration with the Bisexual Resouce Center shines a light of BiVisibility.
MINI PRODUCTIONS is a multi-award-winning London based production company currently developing a slate of feature films and TV. It was founded in 2012 by APRIL KELLEY with a mission to nurture creative talent and bring stories to life on screen. In 2014 SARA HUXLEY joined the company and together they intelligently craft new ideas into innovative and exciting realities, with their personal touch.
Key cast: April Kelley (Belle), Ariana Anderson (Jessie)
Looking for: film festival directors, distributors, journalists
Facebook: MINI Productions
Twitter: @RosieWesthoff, @Mini_Prods
Instagram: @rosiewesthoff, @mini_prods
Hashtags used: #makeBseen #BiVisibility
Website: www.rosiewesthoff.com, miniproductions.co.uk/portfolio/treacle
Other: IMDb
Made in association with: Bisexual Resource Centre
Funders: Self-funded, IndieGoGo, private finance
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Underwire Film Festival / United Kingdom / Thursday 19th September