Manchester’s spectacular architecture will hit the big screen after providing the backdrop for new independent film The Lost Generation.
Filmed by Manchester film makers Future Artists on a paltry budget of just £100,000 the movie showcases the city’s diverse scenery including Salford and Deansgate.
Director and producer of the feature film Mark Ashmore, who is also the founder of Future Artists, was delighted to give Manchester its cinematic tribute.
“Manchester has not been on film enough, it’s such a cinematically awesome city,” said Mr Ashmore.
“Our film captures that by combining the historic, dirty, industrial buildings with the futuristic structures like Beetham Tower (The Hilton).”
The feature film itself, which is Mr Ashmore’s debut as a director and producer, maps the quest of a young girl for fame and fortune in a dark world controlled by corrupt media.
Lead character SJ is portrayed as a typical victim of today’s celebrity-obsessed culture when she becomes a reality TV show contestant.
However the show’s fickle producers soon turn against her and she encounters some disastrous consequences.
It explores the dangers of a culture fascinated by reality TV in dramatic fashion.
He said: “Reality TV was a good social experiment and where would pantomimes be without it?
“It keeps theatres open, but the downside is that it means contestants can be controlled and that’s something we try to capture in the film.”
Despite the film being quite dark, Mr Ashmore ultimately wants the audience to glean a message of hope that the current generation’s predicament is not as bad as it sometimes seems.
“The government, MPs and David Cameron have tagged us ‘the lost generation’, but there’s actually a lot of opportunity, so the title is ironic.”
The director, who believes The Lost Generation marries the surrealism of Clockwork Orange with the cut-and-thrust violence of The Football Factory, has relished the challenge of producing the film on a shoe-string budget.
“That’s where the creativity comes in,” he said.
Such was the film’s financial constraints that in one scene lighting was provided by many of the crews’ iPhones.
Mr Ashmore confessed that he is hugely nervous about how the film will be received but also described the final wrap as a big achievement and praised his cast and crew.
He said: “I couldn’t have done it without them. We all sort of found each other really, there was no formal process (of recruitment) it was very organic.”
The Lost Generation premieres on November 11 at The Plaza Super Cinema in Stockport, home to the world’s oldest working movie projector.
But the journey doesn’t end there for Mr Ashmore as he will take the film on a year-long tour which will include visits to prestigious film festivals such as Cannes and Sundance.
The Lost Generation will be available on iTunes and LOVEFiLM, but the DVD can be ordered now at http://www.projectlostgeneration.co.uk/
Image courtesy of Future Artists, with thanks
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