The Exeter Phoenix have kindly donated £500 towards the production of my film. Host Familie will be showcased at the Phoenix film festival, Two Short Nights, in December.
orquay isn’t just a popular destination for British holidaymakers; it is also awash with foreign students during the summer. Having worked in a language school for several years, I have wanted to develop a dark comedy about a regular guy from abroad who is dropped into a very peculiar British family.
And so 'Host Familie' was born.
arl Dreher is a German undergraduate who hopes to work in the German automotive industry. He comes to the English Riviera to improve his English and is lodged with the Robinson family. Each one of them seems to be lacking something in their life and they hope that Karl can fill that gap. The story takes place over his first night with The Robinsons and is made up of a series of vignettes, exploring our obsessions with sex, alcohol and football. It is a dark comedy tinged with elements of the surreal. It's a tale of two similar cultures that clash with tragi-comic results.
am passionate about filmmaking, as are the crew that I have gathered around me. The effort that it takes to make a short film on a low budget is extremely demanding and challenging, but the time working together is very precious. You feel part of a close-knit family for that week. Each one of my films feels like a child to me and when you finally see your baby up on the screen for the first time, it’s a very proud moment.
Of course, you’re never happy with the end result and you always criticize yourself for not having done things differently. But no matter. You have created a thing of beauty.
Meet our dedicated and talented cast and crew, most of whom work for nothing to make our impossible dreams possible:
Tom Austin - Writer & Director
Tom is a teacher, journalist, poet, writer and filmmaker based in south Devon and has made three short films to date. Tom's unique and darkly humorous films have garnered him critical acclaim, and Tom hopes that Host Familie will be no exception to the rule. He says: "People who have read the script have said nice things, including ‘It’s definitely a Tom Austin script,’ which I take as a compliment!"
http://www.thehaphazardorganization.co.uk/
Robin Whenary - Cinematographer
Robin is a professional Cinematographer based in London. He has worked on a 'host' of short films including Tom Austin's award winning 'La Legende Dali'. Robin has recently completed photography for his first feature film, due to be released this year.
Cast