Duo’s Cannes laughter bid
ANDREA Thompson and partner Chris Burke have produced a short comedy film which they’re submitting for this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
A COUPLE from Bridgend have produced a short comedy film which they’re submitting for this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Andrea Thompson and partner Chris Burke wrote, directed and edited Soul Mates, a 30-minute comedy about finding love in strange places.
For Andrea, it was a chance to get back to doing what she loved. After training to become an actress, Andrea left the vocation to work in a corporate office in marketing.
But after a sudden realisation she was getting older, and with encouragement from Chris, she decided to get back into writing.
“I knew I could write but didn’t have a huge amount of confidence and with family commitments and caring for my mum, I didn’t have a chance to do anything,” she said.
“I got to last year and I was in a full-blown midlife crisis. I looked in the mirror and I didn’t recognise who I was and wasn’t doing what I wanted to do. So I decided if no-one was going to give me any opportunities, I decided to do something different.
“I lost two stone and that immediately had the impact of making you look younger and giving you confidence. Having that gives you a voice.
“Chris dared me to write a screenplay in a month which I did.”
The result was Soul Mates. After a casting call was put out, and more than 140 hopeful actors replied, a cast was found and filming took place in November at Ballas Farm, Stormy Wood.
The story follows Alison who, realising she has only one “non-virtual” friend and zero chances of finding a mate, agrees to go on a blind date. What she doesn’t realise is that the date involves wilderness camping.
Now Andrea hopes it will have international success – and has entered it in the Short Film category at Cannes Film Festival, which will be held in May.
“I’m going to send it out there and see what comes back,” she said. “Cannes has the strictest entry criteria – you can’t send it to anyone else until they’re done with it. I want to have it recognised as a piece in its own right and for somebody to say it has been a success.”