The Toll Premiere
Sunday 8 February was the premiere of the locally made independent feature THE TOLL. It is the third feature directed by Zak Hilditch. His first two were The Actress and Plum Role. The Actress garnered good reviews, won awards and was eventually distributed on DVD. THE TOLL is about two men who go into the forest of the South West, searching for a treasure they believe has been stashed away by a dying man. The two men are played by Steve McCall and Nick Britton. Other cast includes Rose McKenna, Talei Howell-Price and Kingsley Judd.
The script was written by McCall and Hilditch and the film was produced by Antony Webb. Webb was also cinematographer and editor of the 84 minute feature. The experience this team has gained in making three features and a string of shorts was obvious in the finished product. THE TOLL is an absorbing two-hander with an unpredictable story, strong performances and a convincing resolution. The independent, ultra-low budget feature is easy to get wrong, however this film is solid in all departments including the music which was composed by Dave Richardson and Steve McCall.
There were two screenings of the film in the FTI Cinema. The first was for friends, family, the second was for Industry. Webb and Hilditch gave an opening speech at the beginning of the second session in which they thanked their dedicated crew who worked for love in cold and gritty condition during a wet winter. There was a lot of love in the room and an extra dollop went to Ethan Marrell for his firsting of the film. He then proved his credentials further by reminding the audience to shut off their mobile phones as the lights went down.
There was a conjoined after and pre-party for the two audiences. Seen at this event were: Debbie Thoy, Wade K Savage, Pauline Butterworth, Stuart McKenzie, Ash Gibson Greig, Alex von Hoffmann, Tristan Fidler, Naomi Lynch, Lauren Hestelow, Jacob Fjord, Pierce Davison, Liz Kearney, Luke Jago, Michael Hoath, Janine Boreland, Henry Inglis, Lauren Elliot, Aaron McCann, Kate Csillag, Anthony Hanson, Alison Hayles, Alison James, Liz Sideris, Ken Miller, James Helm and Steve Sheen.
Phil Jeng Kane
Editor, Monitor Magazine
The script was written by McCall and Hilditch and the film was produced by Antony Webb. Webb was also cinematographer and editor of the 84 minute feature. The experience this team has gained in making three features and a string of shorts was obvious in the finished product. THE TOLL is an absorbing two-hander with an unpredictable story, strong performances and a convincing resolution. The independent, ultra-low budget feature is easy to get wrong, however this film is solid in all departments including the music which was composed by Dave Richardson and Steve McCall.
There were two screenings of the film in the FTI Cinema. The first was for friends, family, the second was for Industry. Webb and Hilditch gave an opening speech at the beginning of the second session in which they thanked their dedicated crew who worked for love in cold and gritty condition during a wet winter. There was a lot of love in the room and an extra dollop went to Ethan Marrell for his firsting of the film. He then proved his credentials further by reminding the audience to shut off their mobile phones as the lights went down.
There was a conjoined after and pre-party for the two audiences. Seen at this event were: Debbie Thoy, Wade K Savage, Pauline Butterworth, Stuart McKenzie, Ash Gibson Greig, Alex von Hoffmann, Tristan Fidler, Naomi Lynch, Lauren Hestelow, Jacob Fjord, Pierce Davison, Liz Kearney, Luke Jago, Michael Hoath, Janine Boreland, Henry Inglis, Lauren Elliot, Aaron McCann, Kate Csillag, Anthony Hanson, Alison Hayles, Alison James, Liz Sideris, Ken Miller, James Helm and Steve Sheen.
Phil Jeng Kane
Editor, Monitor Magazine
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