Bright Pictures and Finite Films present in association with Creativity Media and Fierce Productions HONEYTRAP Written and Directed by REBECCA JOHNSON
Starring: JESSICA SULA, LUCIEN LAVISCOUNT, NTONGA MWANZA & NAOMI RYAN
Produced by: SARAH SULICK and AMY RICKER
Executive Produced by: LAURIE HOLDEN
Running time: 93 mins
U.S. Press Contact: Tilane Jones | [email protected] Mercedes Cooper | [email protected]
U.S. Distributor: ARRAY Releasing | www.ArrayNow.com @ArrayNow
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SYNOPSIS
HONEYTRAP is a tragic teen romance, set in South London and inspired by true events. It tells the story of fifteen-year-old Layla, who sets up the boy in love with her to be killed.
Fresh off the boat from Trinidad and full of fairytale fantasies, Layla is swept off her feet by self-styled gang leader/rapper Troy. But in the dog-eat-dog world where being Troy’s girl buys her envy as well as status, social outsider Shaun becomes her only true friend.
When Troy discards her, Layla is left in ruins. She vows to rebuild herself as a hardened player in order to win him back and Shaun becomes a pawn in her game. Soon the forces she has set in motion are escalating out of control.
The first UK urban drama seen from a girl's point of view, HONEYTRAP is authentically local in its setting but universal in its themes of passion, jealousy and revenge. We have not seen a character like Layla take centre-stage before and it’s time her story was told.
BACKGROUND TO THE STORY…
HONEYTRAP takes as its creative point of departure a case that came to public attention in 2008. Fifteen-year-old Samantha Joseph led sixteen-year- old Shakilus Townsend to a quiet cul de sac in Croydon where he was murdered by a gang led by Danny McLean, the boy she was in love with.
Joseph insisted she had not known when she agreed to the set up that Shakilus would be killed. The jury decided otherwise and she was found guilty, along with the boys that carried out the attack, of murder. QC for the Prosecution Brian Altman said Joseph had known “exactly what she was doing in manipulating her sexuality.” In his sentencing, Judge Richard Hawkins said: “The reality that these young people with no souls had such a disregard for life that they deliberately conspired to use manipulation to cause nothing short of destruction is absolutely soul-destroying for me.”
Rebecca initially began to write the story of the case but soon realised she didn’t want the creative restrictions or responsibility of depicting actual people. Her work over the last decade with young people in Brixton, many of whom are touched by gang culture, gave her ample means and material to draw on in creating a story that was fictional but nonetheless powerfully authentic.
Q&A: REBECCA JOHNSON, Writer-Director
1) Where did the idea for HONEYTRAP come from?
The idea for the film came from a case that took place in South London near where I live. A fifteen-year old girl had set up a boy, luring him to a quiet cul- de-sac, where he was killed by a group led by the boy she was in love with.
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During the trial, press coverage very much hinged around how young and beautiful she was and yet how calculating and inhuman. It was similar to other gang-related killing stories we see in the press – blank faces we are encouraged to look at in horror, never to see ourselves in, but because she was female there was this extra level of abjection. I found it extremely disturbing that she was characterised both in the trail (by the prosecution) and in the press as a femme fatale, despite the fact she was still legally a child.
One piece reported that she was laughing as the boy was killed (there is no substantiation for this). I suddenly thought: if she had been laughing, it would have been in shock. Improbable emotions can come out at extreme times – I have experienced it myself.
That thought started unlocking other thoughts. In the work I’ve done with young people in Brixton over the last decade, I’ve got to know many who were involved or affected by gang culture in different ways. I know from first hand experience that young people who’ve been involved in terrible violence are often not at all what you might expect from reading these articles. They are not blank-eyed and impenetrable. They are not at all scary for the most part. They are very vulnerably, messily human.
I realised that I wanted to make a film about this because it needed to be seen. De-humanising children, even if they’ve been involved in abhorrent violence, is not the solution. It is not acceptable for us as the media, as adults or as a society. The way that girls are involved is starting to become more of a focus now but it’s still not something we’ve seen on screen with any attempt at veracity. That was also something I felt was important to put out there.
2) The film is ‘inspired’ by true events. How much is truth and how much have you created yourself?
My first inspiration came from the real case: I did a lot of research around it and talked to many of the people involved and connected to it. But gradually I came to the decision that I needed to be freer in the way I told the story. I needed to create my own characters and not feel bound by the huge sense of duty that came with depicting actual people who really existed. Through my work, I had connections with young people who’d been involved in gang violence and had been caught up in that state – where, owing to a fundamental lack of grounding, life seems cheap and consequences don’t seem real. I felt I had immersed myself enough to create characters and a story that would be authentic. Some of the young people I’ve worked with have become friends. I’m a mentor to them but they have also been extremely helpful to me – as script consultants, production assistants etc. There were four in particular who read and re-read the script over the years and fed into it, which was absolutely invaluable to my writing process.
3) You’ve lived and worked in the areas the film is set for a number of years. How did that help?
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I’ve actually lived in or near Brixton for nearly twenty years and I’ve also been making films with young people in the community for more than ten and both of those things helped a lot. I have built up a network and a level of trust that it wouldn’t have been possible to make HONEYTRAP without. I’ve been based at Stockwell Park estate right in the heart of Brixton for my recent shorts Top Girl and Home Turf, and the friends and contacts I’ve made there have been the mainstay of getting this film made. People are used to seeing me around. They like the films I’ve made so they wanted to help and be part of this one.
4) Did you feel a greater duty to do the areas justice, given the film looks at more negative aspects of life in these areas?
The responsibility I felt was to depict everyone as multi-faceted, believable characters so that viewers would engage with them – all of them, even as they made terrible choices and did terrible things. The responsibility I felt was to tell a story dramatically without using melodrama or the two dimensional, dehumanising broad-strokes of a news piece.
5) Do you think this is a different take on gang-related drama audiences may have seen?
It is the first to centre round a girl as the lead character. And it’s the first time, to my knowledge, that a film has been made about a girl who acts as a honeytrap where it’s her side of the story being told. HONEYTRAP is an urban film as it takes place in that world and will, I hope, speak to that audience but it is a new take on the genre. It has a very different feel and tone. For example the music in it is mainly orchestral score, something you wouldn’t find in a typical urban film.
6) Did you speak to and seek the blessing of the families of those involved in the ‘honeytrap’ cases you called on for inspiration?
Initially I was going to make a film that was very much about the real case. I started to research it and I spoke to quite a few people who’d been involved: police, court reporters, prosecution and defence lawyers, young people and also parents who’d suffered the terrible loss of a child. I felt it was important not only for research but out of respect. The film is no longer a factual retelling but that respect is still very important to me.
7) Is there optimism in the film?
I think the film succeeds in making you identify with people you could very easily be made to judge and condemn and there is something inherently hopeful in that: in our ability to connect with each other as human beings; I am saying that we are still human even if we do even dreadful things. This isn’t a film that sets out to tell you what an awful depressing place the word is. It’s about how confused and messed up we can be, flailing around in the grip of illusion and fantasy.
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8) How did you cast the film?
We worked with a casting director and saw a whole range of young people, including some with little or no experience. We also put the word out through local theatre networks and networks for young people.
9) What made Jessica Sula stand out in her audition?
Jess stood out for her intensity – a sort of understated intensity, which was always there, even when she was doing very little. She understood both sides of Layla and how important it would be to balance them – the vulnerability and the shield of hardness that she tries to create for herself. Jess was absolutely committed from the start; I could tell that immediately even though she was so young, and I knew I could trust her.
She is also half Trinidadian and lives in Wales so she understands very well the experience of being a cultural outsider. She had a very strong connection to the character of Layla and it was clear she would give absolutely everything she had to make her as complex and heartbreaking as she needed to be.
10) It’s Jessica’s first film role and it’s very different to anything she’s done before. How did you help her get to grips with the part and the added pressure of leading the film?
We hung out a lot so we could get to know each other and feel really comfortable together. Of course we talked about Layla and the themes of the film but we talked about a lot of other stuff besides. The key thing really was trust. She had to trust me by making herself vulnerable in a lot of difficult scenes and I had to trust her with my baby. She completely immersed herself during pre-production, thinking about what Layla’s life would have been like in Trinidad, playing out little scenes to herself doing all sorts of private stuff, which really bedded her into Layla’s skin.
11) What do you hope the film will say to young people that could end up in similar situations as Layla, Troy, Shaun and co?
I hope that a lot of young people will relate to the characters in the film, seeing the foolishness of some of their choices but also knowing they are not a million miles away from the same mistakes. The truth is we can all, at any age, fall for the wrong people or be dazzled by status. Our society doesn’t set a great example for young people – our media paints an incredibly alluring world where celebrity is possible for anyone regardless of talent, and where looks and money mean everything. In HONEYTRAP we see that world – albeit in the microcosm of street celebrity - means nothing when the chips are down. Really, all that matters is connection, true connection with each other.
Q&A: JESSICA SULA, ‘Layla’
1) Tell us about Layla…
Layla is a young Trinidadian girl, fifteen years old and she’s been living with
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her grandmother. She was abandoned by her mum when she was young, when her mum came to London to make a new life for herself. Layla’s an introvert, she hasn’t had many friends and she’s extremely influenced by pop culture, by the sheer perfection of people in magazines. Beyoncé is her queen and she wants to aspire to be everything that she is.
2) What appealed to you about the role?
I semi grew up in Trinidad when I was very young so I could relate to Layla being a fish out of water when she comes to England. My mum is a Trinidadian lady, and I love the fact that Rebecca was actually exploring a story about a young girl in gang culture but not necessarily about gang culture. I think that’s something that hasn’t been explored a lot. Also the fact it was such a passionate script from a female writer-director and it was from a different vantage point.
3) What impact did filming in areas where gang culture if part of the reality? It was a very real experience. Everyday you knew you were dealing with something that happens in real life. However, this isn’t based on a particular reality – this is a fictional story that borrows from some of the real life cases. I have met people who knew of honeytrap killings, were relatives or friends of victims or knew the attackers.
4) What was it was like working with Lucien?
He’s lovely; really sweet! I think this was a real challenge for him, and I think he really stepped up to it. He was great to work with. It was a really different role for him, and people maybe wouldn’t expect this of him because it’s a really different character to anything he’s done before but he’s really great. He makes Troy so much more than just the bad boy.
5) Did the fact HONEYTRAP had such a strong female core – female writer- director, producer, cinematographer etc – have an impact?
It really helps because it makes you feel proud, and with the script being about female experience it meant I could ask about things coming up: would this really happen? Have you ever felt it about a person so strongly like this? And you could talk about it. Yes it’s all universal, but to have a team of women around you for a film where it’s a central female character really helped.
6) Did Rebecca’s knowledge of the area help during filming?
I’d watched the short films she’d created in the local estate. She’s really embedded in the local community – when we were filming everyone knew Rebecca, everyone was a part of it so that was a great feeling. She had lots to share with me: films that she thought I should watch, different characters. She’s really wise – she’d recommend novels I should read, and we just got really comfortable working with each other so we could work together no matter what we’d come across when we were shooting.
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7) This is your film debut - how did you find the transition from transition from TV?
It was a lot quicker! Everything’s much faster but at the same time we spent so much more time beforehand on character work and preparing. I’ve always wanted to work on an independent feature, especially a British independent feature – there’s so many great small films coming out of this country and we have to keep making them and supporting it. Skins and Love and Marriage were things that I got and was very happy to get, but this role was a completely different league of challenge. I was so scared I’d screw it up! I’d go home and think about who Layla really was and I wanted to be a perfectionist with her, which is unattainable but she became a part of me. By the time we got to shoot I knew she was there and she wasn’t going to leave me.
8) Some people will look at Layla with premeditated ideas of what she’d be like. How did you approach the character?
I think when you come across certain projects the reason things click and you want to do it is because you recognise something in the piece and it’s not explainable. I understood where Layla was coming from and who she was. But every project is trial and error. You try it one way and maybe certain parts don’t work and you try something else until you find something that feels right, and that the director feels is right. HONEYTRAP really put me out there. I was really vulnerable going, ‘hey, this is me, I’m going to explore this person in front of everyone, I’m not going to hold back, I’m not going to be afraid of going to some really difficult places’.
9) Many would say what Layla does is unforgiveable. What would you say to them?
I’m here just to present a person. Every day people do good and bad things. There’s no such thing as a bad person, it’s just terrible choices, and it just spirals off from there. It’s also about balance. It’s fascinating to think about what flicks that switch in someone’s head to make these choices. I think watching a person go through a process is something very powerful. It may not be a good process and you may not like what happens at the end, but I just want people to see what she went through. Not necessarily to think she’s callous or that she’s good or even to make up their minds straight away, but just to see and maybe recognise how it could happen.
10) Why should people see the film?
I think HONEYTRAP will surprise people because it’s a very different film than we’re used to seeing in terms of urban films. It’s a completely different perspective, just from being a girl’s story. The fact it takes you on a journey with a girl most people would condemn is a very powerful thing. It’s got a depth and a heart to it which I think will really blow people away.
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Q&A: LUCIEN LAVISCOUNT, ‘Troy’
1) Tell us a bit about your character Troy… Troy comes across as quite dark but he’s just been trying to work his way up the ranks. He finds it difficult because he’s not a born leader, and he then takes his anger, or whatever it is that he feels because he can’t be that bad guy, on less hardy characters like Layla. Layla gets the backlash from him being an insecure young lad. He’s got his music and his music really is his way out – or he hopes it is.
2) Did you have a knowledge of, or could you relate to, the issues HONEYTRAP addresses?
I think this transcends just being a story in South London – it happens nationally, it happens all over the world. People end up in these situations and it explores that; it’s jealousy, it’s revenge, its status. It doesn’t just happen in South London. Personally, I’ve been jealous, I’ve said things, I’ve done things, I’ve had things done to me, and I think anyone that’s experienced those types of emotions can grasp the story.
3) How did you find the shooting process?
Everyone’s been wicked. We’re all searching for this end result, and it’s been great to work on. It’s not like TV where it can sometimes be watch it today, gone tomorrow; this is a film that transcends generations. We wouldn’t be doing if it was something just for people to watch today, hopefully people will watch it tomorrow and for years to come. I think everyone having that in mind and wanting it to be this epic thing has driven us all on set. It’s also educational – TV and film has massive scope to educate people, and we’ve all taken that on board. We all felt like we were making something special, and hopefully that comes across.
4) What was it like working with Rebecca Johnson?
Rebecca is one of the most intense people I’ve ever met in my entire life! She really wants to find out about you as a person, get to know you; what makes you tick. Having that, and then working with such a powerful script that she’d been working on for so long means you can see in her eyes when something doesn’t look right and she really wants that next take. When she gets it, it’s perfect. To be able to make this film for her is fantastic. She works in a way I’ve never worked before. We were all in it and living it.
5) Many people will look at Troy and just see a bad guy. What would you say to them?
I don’t really see Troy as a bad guy. I think he’s misunderstood – he’s trying to find his way in life, he’s trying to find his next step within the group he’s in; the environment he’s in. He’s not a bad guy; he just unfortunately does bad things. It’s the only way he knows to relay his emotions, by being aggressive, by being angry. I hope the piece we’ve developed makes people realise he
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isn’t just a bad guy, because he’s not. No one’s a bad person; no one wakes up and thinks I’m going to be bad today. Everyone’s got a story.
6) What would you want people to take from the film?
First and foremost I want everyone who watches HONEYTRAP to feel like they’ve just watched something new, something spectacular that’s going to educate them and change their views on things. Within this piece, the victim isn’t necessarily the only victim. We’re all victims of the environment we’re in. I hope viewers don’t judge things just at first glance. And hopefully they go and watch it again and again, seeing more every time.
Q&A: NTONGA MWANZA, ‘Shaun’
1) This was your debut film lead. How did you find it?
It was amazing, considering this is my debut lead role, and to play a character like this, because Shaun carried so much emotionally. The relationship he has with Layla I found very interesting. It was an amazing experience.
2) Were you aware of the issues the film addresses?
I was very much aware of the issues, considering the fact that in my area, not to say it’s common but I’ve seen it before. I was aware of the cases in the media, and I studied and researched what happened in those cases. That’s why I took this role, I knew it was going to make a difference, and I really understood what it was trying to do; exploring the understanding of why Layla did what she did, and why Shaun was lured in so much and why he was so blinded by his emotions. He literally just came out from where he came from, and he just got brought back right in. Even Lucien’s character Troy, to understand where that anger and pride came from, and how those characters intertwine; the human side.
3) People may just look at characters like Layla and Troy as inherently bad. What would you say to that?
There’s definitely more to them. They’re not inherently bad. Their background comes in to play. With Troy, all he wants is money, cash and to be famous, and he’ll do anything to get that. Layla wants attention, and there’s different levels of wants and needs. All humans have wrong desires, and some people allow those desires to take over them. They’re not inherently bad, but it’s the environment they’re in.
4) What was it like working with Rebecca Johnson?
Where do I even start? She’s very patient and she’s lovely. She’s a director I enjoyed spending a lot of time with. When she’s directing she obviously knows what she wants, but she’s patient. She’s sweet. It was amazing working with her because she taught me a lot. Characters, emotions, drive. She’s a very
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good person to work with. She’s got a motherly nature to her which was very nice – you don’t get that with every director, that nice side, that comfortable side. I’ve not done many films, but I’ve not heard of many directors who call their actors to talk about their lives. There’s probably very few and I’m very thankful that I got to work with one in Rebecca.
5) What do you hope people take from the film?
I’d like people to take an understanding from this film, from Layla, Shaun and Troy’s point of view. An understanding that things aren’t always what they seem on the outside. There’s a lot more to these people, there’s a reason, there’s a root to these things.
Q&A: SARAH SULICK, producer
1) How did you get involved with HONEYTRAP?
Rebecca brought the project to me in 2011, with the script at a first draft stage. Once I watched Top Girl I knew I wanted to work with her. It felt very fresh and authentic; I loved her sensibility. I could see that she was very tenacious as well as talented, which is essential for a filmmaker. So we decided to team up.
2) What attracted you to the project?
It was Rebecca’s particular approach to the subject matter that appealed to me. She had a very specific take on the challenges facing girls growing up in an urban environment – much of which she had witnessed first-hand due to her extensive work in the community – and how a girl might be led astray due to a combination of environmental, social and family circumstances, coupled with her own dreams of escape and desire to belong and be loved. I felt it was an important story to be told and the way she wanted to tell it on film was exciting.
3) A key part of production was involving the local community – how did that work, and to what effect?
Rebecca felt very protective of the community and of the estate where we were based during much of pre-production and shoot itself. She had already developed relationships with many people working and living on Stockwell Park Estate over many years and it felt like everyone on the estate knew her. So we didn’t just show up and say, “hey we’re here, we’re making a film, get out of the way”. During pre-production every new crewmember and cast member was taken down to the community centre to meet people. It was really helpful in building up excitement and momentum for the film too: the community were behind us, helping to make it happen. We couldn’t have done it without their support. And I think that lends the film a real authenticity and specificity of place, because of where we shot it and the people we involved in the production who are from that estate.
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4) You had 20 trainees on production to gain an insight into film production. What encouraged you to do that?
Rebecca has been making films with young people through her not-for-profit company Fierce Productions for more than ten years now. She is used to working with young people and involving them in the process as trainees and both in front and behind the camera. She loves the semi chaos and energy that comes from mixing ‘real people’ with actors. She herself has been mentored by Paul Greengrass, his editor Chris Rouse (The Bourne films, Captain Phillips) and another editor Tracy Granger (Boys Don’t Cry) and really believes in the power of that kind of working relationship. So we knew it was something we very much wanted to do – to give young people from the area where we set the film an insight into film production, and solid, valuable experience to take away with them.
6) Your IndieGoGo campaign spoke of the lack of female lead roles – why do you think that’s still present in the film industry?
I think it’s just a fact of life that women don’t yet have equal representation in any public arena and leading film roles are just one example of this phenomenon. Historically in terms of the earliest storytelling and myth (there are exceptions of course), it was usually men who were the ones going on the quest or journey. And it’s been hard to overturn that. Women are often the wives, girlfriends, or sidekicks in film – which is why it’s so refreshing to see dynamic female heroines in Hollywood franchises like The Hunger Games, Twilight and Kick-Ass movies, as well as in nearly every film written by Abi Morgan in the UK. Growing up, I was inspired by the female protagonists in Alien/Aliens and Thelma and Louise. With HONEYTRAP we knew we had a kind of anti-heroine in Layla and wanted to take on the challenge of telling her story.
7) Likewise you’ve spoken of looking at gang culture in a different light in HONEYTRAP. How so?
We didn’t want to adhere to the standard urban drama tropes of portraying gang politics and petty drug dealing. We wanted to show the world from Layla’s point of view – how she sees it and is affected by it but without really understanding gang culture or what she’s getting herself into. Working with young people, Rebecca’s experience of alleged ‘gangs’ was that they were often just groups of kids who were not particularly organised in any significant way but rather bound together by codes or unwritten rules about status and not wanting to lose face. We wanted to offer a more shaded picture of this world – not just black and white/ good and bad. Despite their criminality, we wanted to show that these are just kids. And some of them make terrible, tragic mistakes for all the wrong reasons – but that doesn’t necessarily make them monsters.
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BIOGRAPHIES – Cast
HONEYTRAP is set to launch the careers of three young actors as major new British stars.
Jessica Sula – ‘Layla’ Best known for E4's award-winning series Skins, in which she played Grace Violet, and notable credits include ITV’s Love and Marriage. Her central performance as star-struck, embattled Layla, searching for love but seduced by power, is a true tour-de-force.
Lucien Laviscount – ‘Troy’ A regular face on British TV series including Waterloo Road (BBC1), Coronation Street (ITV), Skins (E4) and Episodes (BBC2), Lucien is now making waves in the US having played Ennis Ross in the spin-off pilot of the Emmy-award-winning Supernaturals. In HONEYTRAP, Lucien plays dramatically against type as estate rapper and wannabe gangster Troy, whose top boy reputation masks a volatile insecurity.
Ntonga Mwanza – ‘Shaun’ A brand new talent who excels in the role of Shaun in HONEYTRAP, new find who shines in HONEYTRAP as Shaun, Ntonga has appeared in Danny Boyle's Babylon (C4) and Suspects (C5). Ntonga also played the role Abdi in Polly Stenham’s Hotel at the National Theatre.
Naomi Ryan – ‘Shiree’ Naomi has previously been seen in EastEnders (BBC1), Doctor Who (BBC1) and Coronation Street (ITV1), and she will appear in the new series of ITV’s acclaimed series Mr. Selfridge (ITV1). In HONEYTRAP she plays Shiree, Layla's glamourous, estranged mum, unready and unwilling to take on the emotional burden of motherhood.
BIOGRAPHIES - Crew
Rebecca Johnson - Writer/Director Rebecca is making her feature film debut with HONEYTRAP on the back of a string of short film successes, including the award-winning Top Girl which played at more than 30 festivals internationally, including Berlin, Rotterdam and Los Angeles, securing several awards before being picked up by Canal+. She is a Screen International Star of Tomorrow.
Over the last 12 years Rebecca has run film projects with young people in Brixton through her not-for-profit company Fierce Productions, drawing inspiration for her writing and building a large support network in the local community, invaluable in making HONEYTRAP.
Sarah Sulick - Producer Sarah previously produced The Waiting Room (dir. Roger Goldby), an off-beat
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romance starring Anne-Marie Duff. The Waiting Room premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival before being theatrically released in the UK (Lionsgate) and sold to 15 territories worldwide through eOne International, including the US (IFC Films).
Amy Ricker - Producer Amy started working in independent production in the UK and Los Angeles before setting up Finite Films Ltd in 2008. She has produced/executive produced more than five feature films to date as well as several TV series. Amy also acts as an advisor to private equity funds that value her industry insight, vision and connections.
Annemarie Lean-Vercoe – Cinematography Annemarie Lean-Vercoe is the first cinematographer ever selected for Sceen International's Stars of Tomorrow. She has worked with acclaimed British directors Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross, shooting Mat’s documentary Moving To Mars which won the 2010 Grierson Shell Award. Her first drama feature was Wreckers, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Claire Foy for director DR Hood, nominee for Best British Newcomer at the London Film Festival). Annemarie has also worked on popular TV series including Fresh Meat (C4).
Laurie Holden - Executive Producer Laurie starred in smash hit US series The Walking Dead, is currently filming Major Crimes for TNT and is soon to be seen starring opposite Jim Carey in the Farrelly Brothers comedy Dumb and Dumber To. Alongside a successful acting career, Laurie also studied for a Masters of Human Rights degree at Columbia University. Her involvement in HONEYTRAP stems from her desire to see marginalised stories, particularly about young women, brought to the screen.
THE MUSIC IN HONEYTRAP
Mahalia Mahalia (www.mahaliamusic.com) is one of the hottest new musical talents in the UK, and her song ‘Let The World See The Light’ features in HONEYTRAP. The 16-year-old hails from Leicester and immediately caught people’s attention, including Ed Sheeran, when she was featured playing her song ‘Camden Town’ in a self-recorded video at home on www.thiskidisaproblem.com - the website showcasing new musical talent from BBC Radio producer Uche Uchendu. In 2012 she released a 4 track EP called Head Space.
More recently, Mahalia has played at emerging talent events across the UK such as I Luv Live and Put Me On It, as well as supporting well-known acts such as Ed Sheeran, Laura Mvula, Tom Odell and Emeli Sande, as well as Rizzle Kicks and Labrinth at a show at The Royal Albert Hall. Mahalia has also built her own regular showcase ‘Mahalia Presents’ at the Cookie Jar Leicester featuring an eclectic role call of up-and-coming talent such as Saint
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Raymond, Fiona Bevan and JP Cooper.
Others Brixton-based artists DJ Beefy and Killa P (former member of Roll Deep) also provided tracks, and the latter has an eponymous role in the film.
HONEYTRAP TRAINEE INITIATIVE
An important part of the HONEYTRAP production process was giving young people from the local community an opportunity to gain work experience within the film industry. The production received funding from a number of sources, including the Walcot Foundation in London, to enable 20 young people from diverse backgrounds to join production through a training and mentoring programme run alongside filming.
Rebecca Johnson has run similar schemes on her shorts through her not-for- profit company Fierce Productions, and many trainees have subsequently gone on to secure regular paid work in the professional industry, successfully apply for film schools and make their own short films.
COMPANIES INVOLVED
Bright Pictures Bright Pictures is a feature film company jointly managed by ACE Producer Sarah Sulick and Oscar-nominated writer/director Roger Goldby. The company was established in 2006 when Sarah and Roger teamed up to make The Waiting Room, a contemporary romance starring Anne-Marie Duff, Ralf Little and Rupert Graves.
The Waiting Room premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in August 2007 where it was critically acclaimed and chosen for “Best of the Fest”. It was then picked up for international sales by E1 Entertainment, and simultaneously sold to Lionsgate for the UK and IFC Films for the US.
Finite Films Finite Films & TV is an award-winning independent production company creating quality AV content for multi platforms. Its focus is feature films for theatrical release as well as comedy series for television & it also hosts the comedy online platform Finite Funnies.
Its features include Honeytrap, Brand New U & The Brother, all due for release in 2015. The feature film Light Years & feature documentary Museum of Innocence are currently in production & completed films include Island (2011), Having You (2013) & Dirty Money (2014). Finite TV pilots are Walk Like a Panther & Geri Halliwell's spoof show.
Fierce Productions Fierce Productions are a not-for-profit film production company, set up in 2004 by Rebecca Johnson and Victoria Lorkin-Lange. Every film Fierce
HONEYTRAP Production Notes 15
Productions makes is also a training and mentoring project where young people work alongside a professional film crew. Over the past decade, the company has established a track record in producing award-winning films and built a strong network in the local South London community. HONEYTRAP is the company’s first feature film production, and was awarded development funding from the UK Film Council (now BFI).
Anchor Bay Entertainment Anchor Bay Entertainment is a leading home entertainment company. Anchor Bay acquires and distributes feature films, original television programming, including STARZ Original series, children's entertainment, anime (Manga Entertainment), fitness (Anchor Bay Fitness), sports, and other filmed entertainment on DVD and Blu-ray™ formats.
The company has long-term distribution agreements in place for select programming with AMC Networks, RADiUS, and The Weinstein Company. Headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA, Anchor Bay Entertainment has offices in Troy, MI, as well as Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. Anchor Bay Entertainment (www.anchorbayentertainment.com) is a Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) business, www.starz.com.
Creativity Media Creativity Media is a post-production and film finance company, a partner to producers rather than just a supplier. The company has been built on the notion that great talent is the key to great movies, and to provide that talent with the best tools to do their job. Recent projects include The Class of ’92, Get Lucky and Moshi Monster: The Movie.
CREDITS (not contractual)
Written and Directed by REBECCA JOHNSON
Produced by SARAH SULICK AMY RICKER
Executive Produced by ESTHER DOUGLAS PATRICK FISCHER ROGER GOLDBY LAURIE HOLDEN REBECCA JOHNSON WILL WOOD
Starring JESSICA SULA LUCIEN LAVISCOUNT NTONGA MWANZA NAOMI RYAN
Line Producer STEPHANIE CHARMAIL
HONEYTRAP Production Notes 16
Cinematography ANNEMARIE LEAN-VERCOE
Associate Producer PAUL JOSEPH
Film Editing JOHN DWELY
Casting by AMANDA TABAK
Production Design ANA VIANA
Art Direction PETER NATION-GRAINGER
Costume MOLLIE BARR
Chief Hair & Make-Up LAURA WISINGER
Make-Up Artist KATY GILL LARA PRENTICE
Make-Up Artist (dailies) CLAIRE POMPILI
Assistant Make-Up Artist ALEXANDRA VLCEK
Production Supervisor BASSMA RASSI
First Assistant Director GARY WHITE
Second Assistant Director PASCHA HANAWAY
Third Assistant Director GEARY BARNES
Assistant Art Department TERESA DE MIGUEL
Foley Editor LOUISE BROWN
Supervising Sound Designer ALEX JOSEPH
Sound Re-Recording Mixer RICHARD KONDAL
Sound Effects Editor STELIOS KOUPETORIS
Production Sound Mixer KEITH TUNNEY
Boom Operator KIKE NAVARRO
Stunt Coordinator JUDE POYER
Best Boy STEVE GARAY
HONEYTRAP Production Notes 17
Second Assistant Camera MICHAEL HOBDELL
Grip MICHAEL MENSAH
Digital Imaging Technician THOMAS PATRICK
Camera Trainee TORREN SIMONSZ
Camera Trainee (dailies) CHRISTOPHER STARKEY
Lighting Technician PAUL SYNOTT
Stills Photography LUKE VARLEY
EPK LEIGH SINGER LUKE VARLEY
Focus Puller SAM VINES
Gaffer ROB WHITE
Casting Assistant JENNIFER LEE SMITH
Costume Assistant RUKA JOHNSON
Post-Production Assistant JENNIFER ERIKSSON
On-Line Editor FELIPE FERNANDES BERTA VALVERDE
Dailies Colourist THOMAS PATRICK
Colourist PAT WINTERSGILL
Assistant Editor CHIRS YOUNG
Music Supervisor RUPERT HOLLIER
Additional music by JORDAN ANDREWS
Runner Driver MYLES RADCLIFFE
Script Supervisor SHEILA MCNAUGHT
Assistant to Rebecca Johnson MARCUS NOBLE
Locations Manager GRAHAM SEWELL