Target reached!
With our stretch target, we would be able to submit our film into more high quality ...
Trucker's Atlas
Manchester, England, United Kingdom
Aim
A new short film set in rural Scotland, tackling emotional repression within working class men.
Hello!
We are Flat Cat Films; a film production collective based in Manchester. With your help, we are hoping that a fantastically emotional script can be transformed into an intense and poignant short film, one that will bring a new voice to the middle aged, working class man.
What is this film about?
TRUCKER’S ATLAS is a moving, authentic story about two working-class Scottish men who both struggle with grief and emotional repression.
Mike and Rob are electrical-line repair men who work across rural areas of the UK in peace. However when one man returns from a family bereavement, the quiet working relationship the two had is put under pressure, culminating in a long repressed emotional break-through.
This film explores the difficulties that can affect men as they attempt to express their own emotions, and how by repressing such feelings a damaging effect can be created for both the individual and those around them. We hope through this film to tackle the long standing problems that middle aged working class men have faced with opening up and allowing others to support them in tough times, such as the death of a loved one. For too long society has fostered a masculine ideal which is outdated and unhealthy, so this story aims to highlight the benefits of even the smallest gestures of support.
Our cast
We are incredibly fortunate to be working with two fantastic leading actors! Both men truly believe in the script and are dedicated to giving an honest portrayal of their characters' circumstances.
Neil Bell - Mike
Mike is a quiet man who enjoys being able to work in solitude. He and Rob have a reluctance to share their personal lives to each other. Having recently lost his mother he took some time off work and returned to his hometown. The absence from his job however only caused him further frustration, and he returned in the belief that continuing his profession would help alleviate his grief.
Neil has worked in film and TV for over 18 years, and with credits including Peterloo, Peaky Blinders, 24 Hour Party People and Dead Man's Shoes, we are thrilled at the level of experience he will bring to the project!
Kris Hitchen - Rob
Rob is an easy going but withdrawn individual, and shares similarities with Mike in that he will only speak when absolutely necessary. He prides himself on his job, and when his father passed away several years ago he refused to take any bereavement leave, believing that he was making him proud by staying on and working.
Soon to appear as the leading role in Ken Loach's new film Sorry We Missed You, Kris is an exciting new talent who we are proud to include in our cast!
Our crew
We have an extremely talented group of emerging filmmakers collaborating on this project, who have worked together on multiple projects over the last 3 years. Together they have produced an excellent portfolio of work that has found its way into festivals such as Aesthetica, International Irish and Bolton International Film Festival, amongst others. Aside from their impeccable working relationship, they all share a fundamental passion for creative storytelling, which we hope will be translated onto the screen!
So why do we need your help?
Making a short film is a costly process, and we’ve been fortunate enough to receive a grant awarded by the British Film Institute to help with this. The grant will cover areas such as:
Kit Hire
Insurances
Actor fees
Location costs
Transport
Catering
However, in order to help make this film a reality, we still need that little bit extra for the stuff that will make the film truly special! Your funding would help cover:
PROPS
Constructing a believable and authentic world for TRUCKER’S ATLAS is extremely important in order to completely tell our story. With funding for props, we’d be able to turn our vision into a reality!
COSTUME
By being able to fashion costumes, we would not only aid the naturalistic feel we’re hoping to achieve but also give the characters an extra dimension and uniqueness which would complement the performances of the actors. Have a look at some of the images below for what inspirations we’re taking from:
FESTIVAL RUN
Once the film has been completed (Hooray!) we will be hoping to send it out to various film festivals across the country as well as the rest of the world - some of which will be BAFTA and OSCAR recognised! In order to achieve this your funding would contribute to the film being able to reach its widest possible audience.
These areas that your contributions would go towards are for making what's in front of the camera look amazing, and then for the opportunity for audiences to have the chance to see it!
Other Ways To Help
Aside from supporting us financially, you can also help spread the word by sharing this page online and telling your friends and family about this exciting new project! We really do appreciate anything you can do to help us get the word out.
Thank you for taking the time to look at our crowdfunder! To keep engaged with the development of the film please follow us on our social media accounts, where we will be posting regular updates throughout the production.
This project successfully funded on 28th February 2019