FREELANCE film-maker Marcus Lee has high hopes his new movie shot in his home city will put Bradford and its talented citizens on the map.
The 34-year-old from East Bowling whose first camera experience was eight years ago filming his sister's wedding is putting the final editing touches to the back and white psychological drama Immental made with a cast of 30 local actors recruited through Facebook.
The independent feature film plots the tale of a man who becomes silent after being accused of murdering his brother. He is put in a mental health facility where he encounters flashbacks and many weird and wonderful characters, said Mr Lee.
Self-taught Mr Lee, who runs his business Reel Street Productions from home, fitted in the scriptwriting and movie-making around his day job running workshops for schools and young people's projects and at last has it all "in the can".
He said he borrowed and begged to fund it himself, held the auditions at the New Playhouse in Little Germany and started filming in April at various locations throughout the city including corridors of community centres, in City Park, up on the moors and in friend's homes.
He also got help from Bradford's City of Film, with director David Wilson allowing them to use its lift in the Design Exchange for one of the film's scenes. Mr Wilson said: "We're happy to help where we can. We're here as much for the independent film-makers as we are for the big companies. Marcus has been making films in Bradford for years, they're always good quality and he's got a great reputation to work with."
Mr Lee said: "Immental was entirely made here in Bradford although there was just one little cheat when I went over to Otley to save paying the actor's travel expenses."
His cast included people from all walks of life from a charity manager to a bar worker. He added: "It was all very much a part-time production and ad-hoc over a number of months trying to film as and when we could fit it all in but altogether we had about 18 days of filming.
"I'll be locking myself away now in jogging bottoms with plenty of tea and biscuits while I get on with the editing. After that I'll be sending it off to film festivals some nearer home and then others further away like the Sundance Film Festival in the US.
"It's never going to make it to the mainstream cinemas like a Brad Pitt latest smash but I hope it will attract a distributor to promote it as a DVD or on video demand so we can get some of the money back and do more. It's also a kind of calling card for me and everyone involved to show what can be achieved here in Bradford and what great talent this city has got."
To hear Mr Lee explain the Immental story, go to youtu.be/wJMLhm8kDCc
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