Wednesday, 21 January 2009

Al Jazeera and Channel 4 commissions, and BAFTA!

Well 2009 has got off to a good start. Baghdad Express was screened at BAFTA last night as part of the regions top talent showcase. Was great to catch up with Maggie Ellis and see Baghdad Express on the big screen again. My Dad came too, Weedon family out in force!

Great news too, I've been commissioned to direct a documentary about the story of The Poet of Baghdad Nabeel Yasin who was exiled from Iraq by Saddam Hussein's regime because of his poetry, branded "enemy of the state" he faced certain death if he stayed. The documentary will broadcast on Al Jazeera English's Witness strand with Rageh Omaar later this year. We are now in the edit. Do see brilliant writer Jo Tatchell's book website about Nabeel here too: www.thepoetofbaghdad.com. 

Also pleased to report that Channel 4 have commissioned  me, through Eleven Film,  to direct eight short films for their three minute wonder strand about the magazine Super Super. These will be broadcast primetime at 7.55pm  after the Channel 4 news. 

Thrilled to see the Voices project broadcast on Channel 4 last week, having worked with Quark Films, and sundance selected director Hope Dickson Leach on the story- gathering process. The short drama films were written by young Londoners with experience of violence and crime on the street who wanted their voices heard. We also had a screening at Wandsworth Cineworld on Sunday. On the BIG screen! 

I'm also working on a pitch for the BBCs Fresh strand for new Directors. More on that later... And most excitingly I've been accepted onto the short course at the National Film and TV School for the course moving from Documentary to Drama Directing, with fantastic filmmaker and total inspiration to me, Pawel Pawlikowski. One week in February. And I can't wait! 

Sunday, 5 October 2008

LONDON FILM FESTIVAL SELECTION!!

This is slightly old news, but for the purpose of making this blog up to date, we're thrilled to say that Baghdad Express a short drama that Georgie produced through Tom Benski's Pulse Films (http://www.pulsefilms.co.uk/), funded by the UK Film Council New Cinema Fund through Film London, has been selected for the BFI London Film Festival 2008. Written and directed by award winning writer Nimer Rashed (http://www.nimer.co.uk/), Baghdad Express tells the story of Maya, a teenage girl working in her father's Arabic restaurant who is forced to decide which comes first - her dreams or her family. More info here: www.nimer.co.uk/baghdad. We're looking forward to the red carpet and are planning on over-dressing for the evening!

We're also holding a screening and celebration for cast, crew, family and friends at Soho House next week. Long may it continue!

Baghdad Express
  • Writer/Director: Nimer Rashed
  • Producer: Georgie Weedon
  • Co-Producer and Casting: Rose Wicksteed
  • Line Producer: Ross McKenzie
CAST
  • MAYA Georgina Leonidas 
  • TALAL Riz Ahmed
  • NAWAF  Nayef Rashed
  • INTERVIEWER  Elizabeth Garvey
  • LOUISE  Erin Wilson
  • MAYA'S MOTHER Alice Brickwood
  • YOUNG MAYA Ingrid Biggs
For the rest of the brilliant cast and crew: (www.nimer.co.uk/Baghdad/Cast_and_Crew)

Story Studio, Playback Theatre and September filming


We've completed filming and editing of Arben and Eliza (Working Title)! Team gingerWINK consisted of Luke Rodgers, Jeton Xhulina and Georgie. We have been using playback theatre techniques to garner people's true stories to make into films. In this case Jeton brought his experience as a refugee from Kosovo to the table. We (Georgie, Luke and Jeton) worked up who the characters of Eliza and Arben were, and what they might do. The story charts their meeting and falling for each other. We wanted to make the characters as different to each other as possible. We started with the premise that Eliza was English, worked as a photographer, and was happy-go-lucky. Arben on the other hand, was a refugee from Kosovo, and although had lived here for over 10 years, lived a somewhat safe life.

Old friend, and BAFTA award winning (Best Newcomer) DOP Tom Swindell (http://www.youtube.com/tomswindell) then came up from Bristol to film. We started at 1pm and wrapped at about midnight. The first cut of the film is 13mins, but it will come down to 8mins or so. We're going to enter it for UK Film Council Completion money and then plop it into the festivals so watch this space!