A third date is cut short. Two queers have it out in the backseat of a cab. Can they put their egos aside to figure out if the connection between them is real?  

We are a small team of Black working-class creatives who have set out to tell stories by, for and about Black, queer and working-class communities. Inspired by the likes of Michaela Cole, Steve McQueen, and Campbell X, ‘Cab Ride’ celebrates contemporary Black British culture with captivating aesthetics, slick storytelling and down-to-earth characters.

RIDE THE SERIES 

‘Cab Ride’ is the pilot episode of a new series of queer-centred narratives we’re developing called ‘Ride’: set in London, telling the stories of a group of queer creatives, fighting to keep it together whilst riding the roller-coaster of love, work, aspirations, mental health and bills, bills, bills.

THE ASK

Fair wage for great talent!

We are lucky to have a great team but we want to pay them the day rate they deserve.

Here are the numbers:

LED STUDIO 

The LED studio is so important! The bulk of the pilot uses an LED studio screen, especially for the car scenes.

The LED studio is changing the way filmmakers do special effects. It democratises the access to shoot in ways which is way beyond the budget of indie filmmakers, but it’s not yet widely available and is therefore still quite pricey.

We want to create a meaningful, representative film with beautiful cinematography that's enjoyed by future audiences for many years to come. This is part of a turning point in British culture where, for the first time, Black, queer working-class stories with fantastic production values can be created and widely distributed.

We made this with you in mind, please help us complete it!

DIRECTORS STATEMENT

We want to see more love stories that encompass the black queer joy we have experienced and witnessed in our communities. Mixing the ‘meet-cute’ scenarios from your favourite romcom's with naturalistic dialogue and themes that explore the intersectional politics of queer love and friendship. 

The choice to name our two lead characters in Cab Ride, Popular and Fledgling, was because we’ve all interacted with a Popular or a Fledgling. In some cases, we've even been a Popular or a Fledgling. The decision to highlight a love story (of sorts) between two dark-skinned femmes was to counteract society's expectations of beauty and who can be a love interest.

Inspired deeply by tv shows like Insecure, I May Destroy You and queer and indie films like Campbell X's Stud, Five Feet High and Rising by Peter Sollett. We're marrying high end aesthetics, natural dialogue, high jinx and serendipity to create a rounded experience for our audience.

MEET THE TEAM

The core team are three incredibly talented, creative and experienced filmmakers. By backing ‘Cab Ride’, you will play a part in the history of Black British film and also a part in our core team’s stories' as they continue upwards in their filmmaking careers.

MICHELLE TIWO (ACTOR,WRITER, DIRECTOR, STYLIST)

Michelle is a queer Nigerian/Togolese multi-disciplinary artist. A Barbican young poet alumni and co-founder of Sistren Collective, their work explores ancestral connections, youth culture, identity and religion, and what it means to be raised in Sarf East London. With work spanning across radio, poetry, theatre, film and music- there is no art form off-limits, when it comes to fully realising the perspective of this emo with a sunshine aura.

Recent credits include, writing: Rights For Whom, Exactly? (Fly The Flag/Young Vic), performance: Head Over Wheels (Open Sky); Little Miss Burden (Bunker); Parakeet (Roundabout); And The Rest of Me Floats (Bush Theatre); Ackee and Saltfish (BBC3); Faces (dir. Joseph Adesunloye); We Love Moses (dir. Dionne Edwards); The Ting (Channel 4 Random Acts).

RICARDO MCLEARY-CAMPBELL (DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)

Ricardo McLeary-Campbell is a London based cinematographer / writer specialising in premium online social content. His eye has led him to work with national / international leading brands and the UK's top online trending shows. His mission is to impact the culture whilst pushing the boundaries between visual excellence, and affecting change through storytelling.

As an active member of the creative agency PAQ.works, original videographer for The Wall Of Productions and also showing promise as a writer, with the viral short film 'Amani', starring actor Joivan Wade ('HBO's -  Doom Patrol ''Cyborg'' and 'The First Purge' as Isaiah), he has yet to show the best of what he has to offer.

CARO OHEMAA (PRODUCER)

Caro Ohemaa is a British-Ghanaian Creative Consultant, Producer and Project Manager working across the Arts and Entertainment sector.

After a stint in drama school, Caro began her journey in entertainment as a performance poet on the London circuit, quickly opening doors to the entertainment industry in both the UK and her native Ghana.

Using the expertise acquired both on stage and behind it, through creative consulting Caro’s focus is to  offer other creatives a one-stop shop to transform their passion into their profession.