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The second short film, from the talent behind the award-winning “Occupied”, will premiere in the island next month.
Dare to Dream, which was created by a local crew and stars Channel Island actors, is a darker piece by up-and-coming director and writer, Alex Bates.
Dare to Dream stars Jerseyman Jonny Labey, best known for his role of Paul Coker in Eastenders, as an aspiring chef battling a cocaine addiction and psychosis alongside a tumultuous relationship with his abusive celebrity chef father.
Pictured: Eastenders actor Jonny Labey stars as "Theo" in the locally-produced film.
“I have been wanting to take a film down a gritty route for a while and Dare to Dream brings topics including mental health and toxic masculinity to the surface,” said Mr Bates.
“Toxic masculinity is something which really affected me in my teenage years. I think that this film is the perfect lens for telling a story involving the issue and I hope that it will get audiences thinking and talking about the subject.”
The White Rock Productions film is sponsored by Guernsey Arts and Guernsey Mind working alongside the UK-based hospitality mental health charity: The Burnt Chef Project.
The White Rock Productions film will premier at Beau Sejour on 3 May and then screen at the Mallard Cinema from 10 May.
Pictured: Actors Olivia Ephgrave and Bryan Ferguson rehearsing a scene. (Credit: Kay Martin.)
“It’s quite surreal that Dare to Dream will be showing just one year after Occupied,” said Mr Bates.
“Occupied was the first production that any of the crew had worked together on locally and it was a huge learning curve. We have taken everything we learned from that experience and Dare to Dream is really the next level up.”
Mr Bates said that it was important to him to cast local actors and have a crew of islanders.
“I have been passionate about filmmaking my whole life and I felt very strongly that there are not enough opportunities available locally for creatives. I wanted to bring people together and also be able to give something back to the island,” he said.
“We have a cast and crew of fantastic, talented and creative people. Guernsey really is a market of untapped potential in this industry.”
Pictured L-R: Consultant chef Lewis Scarfe, director and writer Alex Bates, cinematographer Matthew Stockreiter and actor Jonny Labey. (Credit: Kay Martin.)
Mr Bates said that the film took hundreds of hours of editing after three weeks of filming in November last year.
“The film didn’t turn out how I expected it would, but in good way. Dare to Dream really came into its own through the editing process after a very intense period of filming and I am excited to share the finished project,” he said.
“I honestly can’t wait for the premier; if the premier for Occupied is anything to go by then it should be a great evening and I’m really looking forward to it,” he said.
“The event will be really lively; there will be a question-and-answer panel with the cast and crew after the screening and live music.
“I would encourage everyone to come along and support the local creatives who are helping this industry to flourish locally.”
Tickets for the premier are available HERE.
Pictured top: Dare to Dream poster (credit: Ben Le Marchant).
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