The Shorts are at the Festivals and The Feature is in the Edit!

The 5 short films made are now being sent out to festivals. AND The Tables Turn is already getting some real success. Having received official selection for Berlin and Toronto Short Film Festivals. GET IN! Look below to see the trailers and find out more about the Shorts. Click here to find out more about the full length drama feature film. A social commentary thriller that tackles issues such as Homelessness and social injustice like no other.

“ I feel safe and respected in First Take. I feel valuable. There is never any pressure on me so knowing this is a reassurance whilst I’m encouraged to develop myself and grow as a person. My confidence and self worth grows whilst I’m here. This helps me to come here – I don’t build up anxiety and cancel because of those reasons”

“ I am 71 years old and resisting isolation by engaging in filmmaking and active interest. The people are friendly and helpful and patient, very well conceived with best ideas”

“ I now feel my voice matters”

“ I feel like a part of the family at Reel Recovery now and have made good friends with everyone”

“ I have something to focus on for my future employment. Positive feedback from tutors on my progress”

“ It helps by giving me positive and productive opportunities to focus on. This helps structure my mental health therefore my recovery”

“ The people here are amazing. The facilities, equipment and general energy in the place is a joy to be around”

“ Lovely teaching style, practical hands on and being able to use the equipment and actually make films!”

About The Project

The Reel Recovery Project is a filmmaking project for people in Recovery (Drugs/ Alcohol addiction). It was instigated by people in Recovery from the Liverpool Region who came to First Take wanting to use filmmaking to help them in their Recovery journey after successfully working with First Take previously. Together we applied for funding and developed an amazing course teaching and then carrying out all aspects of filming, scriptwriting and acting for camera. Working alongside industry professionals whilst making films. They have gone on to make 5 short films and have a Feature Film shot and in the edit.

The Tables Turn Synopsis:

Grace struggles balancing her work at the job centre and caring for her father who has dementia. She’s hard-hearted with her vulnerable clients following the strict rules regardless.
When her father deteriorates, she loses her job, gets into debt and becomes vulnerable herself.
How will she survive now the tables have turned?

The Tables Turn trailer: written, performed and filmed by people being trained on the Reel Recovery Project.

Written by Joolz Nylander.

Addiction Spiral trailer: written, performed and filmed by people being trained on the Reel Recovery Project.

Written by Leroy Ruglass.

Addiction Spiral Synopsis:

A heartless and cruel drug dealer is forced to see the hurt he’s causing. He refuses to change until it is too late, but is it ever too late?

A Stich in Time Synopsis:

A Stitch In Time is a children’s comedy drama. A nine-year-old headstrong girl with an amazing imagination, makes up stories, which drives her stay-at-home Dad mad and irritates her work weary mum. But her eccentric granddad loves it, because he makes things up too… or does he?

A Stich in Time trailer: written, performed and filmed by people being trained on the Reel Recovery Project.

Written by Ian David Jones.

A Time For Living trailer: written, performed and filmed by people being trained on the Reel Recovery Project.

Written by Celia Carmichael

Add Synopsis:

A downtrodden widow who was bullied by her husband is now dominated by her son who insists she goes into the cheap care home he’s chosen for her. Her kind grandson secretly moves her into a beautiful apartment in a retirement block instead, where she meets some fabulous new friends. It’s her time for living… but will it end when her son finds

A Step too Far Synopsis:

Lily, ex-nurse turned unemployed party animal, turned member of Alcoholics Anonymous, sober and contrite, is up to her Step 9, making amends and she is finally ready to make amends to her best friend Gina. Her devoted yet controlling partner Sam has other ideas. He doesn’t want her to see Gina. He doesn’t want her to make amends. He doesn’t want her to find out the truth.

A Stitch in Time: written, performed and filmed by people being trained on the Reel Recovery Project.

Written by Tess Leigh Phillips.

Filming

Start on your filmmaking journey by learning all the basic skills in the different roles.

How to operate a camera, record sound, light a scene, production design, clear locations,
how to edit, add sound effects and music – all this whilst working on a short film.

Go on to specialise in your chosen area and do intermediate and advanced level course.

Basic filmmaking – 1 day a week over 5 weeks

Specialised training and mentoring also available.

Acting for Camera

A professional Actor and Director wil train you in acting techniques for film and television.

It covers being in the moment, listening, acting is reacting, working with images, and other acting techniques.

You may have never acted before – it doesn’t matter – just come along and give it a try.

You may go on to act in a short film or even a feature film.

1 day a week over 10 weeks

Screenwriting

Have you ever watched a film or tely and thought ‘I could write that’? Now is your chance.

Learn about character, theme, genre, structure,& how to write dialogue,

How to layout a script & be mentored through the process of writing your own script.

You don’t need any past experience or to have written anything before.

1 day a week over 10 weeks – how to write a screenplay from idea to final draft script.