APRIL 2017

Success for Fortress…I am quite literally jumping for joy this month as Fortress, a film about a pirate radio DJ who is shut down by the British Government and proclaims his ocean fortress as his own kingdom, has been taking the film festival world by storm!  So far, this wonderful short film has achieved the following laurels:

  • Best International Short Film, 4th Asia Micro Film Festival
  • Semi-Finalist, Miami Epic Festival 2017
  • Finalist, IndustryBOOST Competition 2017

and has been short-listed for a number of other film festivals, so watch this space!!  In the meantime, you can watch the official trailer by clicking on this link https://youtu.be/JTCBDNY77wg?list=FLFY-pqfV5XJYdMpsPZa8LNA  You can also watch Guto Thomas (Producer) and James Grimley (Director) being interviewed on The Crunch Cardiff on this link https://youtu.be/XhNXhil2AHU?list=FLFY-pqfV5XJYdMpsPZa8LNA

Exposure…one of the best things about the success of Fortress is that people are actually watching my work.  As an Indie Film Warrior, one of the most soul-destroying realities I face on a regular basis is that some of the films I have worked on will never see the light of a film projector.  Whilst I am always given the opportunity to use my performances for my showreel, with a 3 minute limit it’s impossible to include all of my best work.  This means the majority of my blood, sweat and tears remains hidden on the hard disk of the filmmaker - unseen, unrealised and amounting to naught!  So, onwards Team Fortress and all the other beautiful filmmakers that are working their asses off every day to get their work seen - I thank you from the bottom of my heart 🙏

Combat Training…and whilst on the subject of working hard, April has kicked off (pun intended!) my training with the Scottish unit of the British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat.  Never in my entire life have I worked so hard physically.  Who knew that pretending to punch, be punched, kick, be kicked and strangle, be strangled, etc would be so physically demanding.  If these manoeuvres were ever choreographed into a fitness class, I’m pretty sure it would become a fitness craze phenomenon.  The only downside is that I have now become a critic of bad fight choreography in films and can’t help but notice the fight scene failures.  But it is a small price to pay to be able to add this fantastic set of skills to my resume! #AtomicBlonde2

On that note, I’m heading off to treat my sore bod to a hot bath and a whisky chaser. Sláinte!

 
Holly Woodhouse