Mother & Wild is an independent feature film about a mother & daughter who are emotionally disconnected because of a tragedy in their lives. Meanwhile the daughter re-examines her relationship with her estranged mother. 

The film is set in London and a seaside town in East Sussex. Mother & Wild is dedicated to the actress Sally Mates who plays the role of Suzy in the allotment scenes.  Mark and Sally had worked close together for many years on Mark's earlier short films. Mark considers Sally's performance in Mother & Wild to be one of her best posthumous roles.  

THE MOTHER & WILD TEAM

Mother & Wild is from Multi-Award Winning Writer-Director-Producer-Editor & Camera Operator

Mark Forbes

Mark has directed many short films, documentaries and attended several Raindance Masterclasses. His film directing career started in the late nineties when he directed his first short Horror film, 'Hobgoblin'. The script was written by his late Stepdad, Norman Adams. It that went on to be selected at the Raindance Film Festival in 2000 and appeared in several national newspapers.  Mark and Norman's long filmmaking collaboration would sadly come to an end in late 2011.   

In 2019 Mark first began filming `Mother & Wild` which unfortunately halted in the Spring/Summer of 2020/2021 because of the Corona Virus pandemic.

In 2021, as Mark focused on making documentaries as he filmed without a Crew or Budget and he would make the 3 documentaries entirely by himself where he won 9 awards for Best Short Documentary for his film `Memories of Mortlake` appearing in 36 film festivals around the world. 

For 2022, Mark hopes to finish Mother & Wild and enter it into film festivals the following year. 

Mark's IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4361982/

Louisa Rowley - Director of Photography

Louisa has been working as a DoP, Camera Operator and Self Shooting Director for over 10 years, she spends most of her time on non fiction projects for the likes of ENO and De’Longhi as well as videos for smaller companies. More recently Louisa has shot a series of videos for Vinegar Strokes and the Morning Afters, a new band featuring the Drag Queen made famous on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. When it comes to fiction projects Louisa has DP’d feature films, pilots, web series and short films including award winning feature film Welcome To The Majority.

Paul Jones - Sound Recordist

Theo Baldauf is our Production Assistant

Theo graduated with a degree in computer science and music technology. Having had the opportunity to work in the post production sound department on the 2017 ‘Jumanji’ film, as well as his work on smaller projects in film and theatre, Theo has developed a deep appreciation of the differences and challenges that occur on small and large productions. Theo’s ambition is to develop his skills in post production sound.  But his support in Mother & Wild has been greatly appreciated by the Mother and Wild Team.

Vanessa is our styling Wardrobe Assistant

Vanessa worked as an independent fashion designer where she created her own brand of up-cycled leather garments. She won the award` Liberty's Best of British.  She also won an ethical innovation award and  works with vintage clothing restoration. Vanessa has a 3D Design degree and is a stylist working with vintage clothing, so she is perfect for our Hastings scenes which feature a flashback around the 1960/1970's and she will do all the styling for the actors in their respective scenes. 

Zane Veremeja is the Music Composer for Mother & Wild

Zane is from Riga- Latvia. She studied in music school and specialised in flute playing. Besides being a solo instrumentalist she also has participated in many national and international music projects and competitions, played in many ensembles and orchestras, which taught her to have a great ear for a detail. She has worked with film directors outside the university. For instance, one of the short-films. Since 2018 Zane has composed music for few short-Films in Latvia and is currently also teaching flute and piano in music schools as a private tutor.

Tessa Wood plays Rita

Tessa has mostly worked in films.  She won a Best Supporting Actress award for Skin, directed by Deloris Collins, played Freeze Girl in the multi-award-winning Swoosh! directed by Sabina Sattar, played leading roles in two of prolific Welsh director, Andrew Jones’s features – The Last House on Cemetery Lane and A Killer Next Door, and the tormented alcoholic mother in Charlie Steed’s feature An English Haunting.  These last two are currently available on Amazon Prime. She is also scheduled to appear in Charlie’s next film, The Haunting of Bloody Tower due for completion in early summer 2022.  Tessa has enjoyed working with Mark Forbes on Mother & Wild, and very much looks forward resuming filming now that Covid seems to be in retreat.

Hannah Dean plays Saffron

Hannah Dean plays the daughter, Saffron. Hannah says her resentment towards her mother, festered after so many years apart, is not uncommon in relationships where communication has broken down. Saffron has carried on, despite a tough bout of chemotherapy, the loss of her father and in some ways her mother too. She shut down as a means of preservation, but her life, like her mother’s has been on hold while they heal individually. Their future lies in Saffron being able to drop her emotional barriers and accept that not everything is black and white.

"Working on the film has been a wonderful journey. Mark has a real vision for the film and we are all keen for it to be completed, having only filmed the London locations so far.  The Hastings location is the most revealing part of the film for the lead character - a history of Rita’s life before Saffron was born and a real eye opener to the person she used to be. It is the catalyst to Saffron realising she doesn’t know her mother very well.  Hannah says she is so looking forward to filming this part".

Jon Campling plays Norman

Jon Campling is a British actor and good friend of Mark's  He portrayed the Death Eater who, along two other Death Eaters, looks for Harry Potter inside the Hogwarts Express in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, and also appeared in Part 2.  He is a hard working, professional, down to earth no-nonsense actor. I have a striking and very impact-full appearance that works extremely well both on stage and screen. He has a strong presence and am classically trained.  Jon is Always on the look out for visually exciting and/or emotionally challenging roles.

Isabella McCarthy Sommerville plays Young Rita

In 2017, Isabella won the Arts Council Best Actress Award for her portrayal of the title role in Eugene O’Neill’s Anna Christie. Recently Isabella enjoyed a collaboration with Moving Pictures Theatre - combining her love of theatre and film while creating an exciting new project, shot using a 360 camera. Isabella is excited to be working with Mark and team on Mother & Wild – it’s been a long time coming and she can’t wait to see it all come together!

James attended Identity School of Acting where he trained in classical texts and improvisation. James has experience as an actor, director, director of photography, and editor having played a vital role in the behind the scenes of Grace Can’t Play Guitar’s music videos. Having attended Chichester college where he studied Acting, James learned new talentssuch as comedy and puppetry. He has a real passion for acting describing it as “a fire that burns within me” and is eager to continue to learn and to be able share his experiences as a mentor to younger people looking to train in the film industry.

WHY WE ARE CROWDFUNDING

We'd be so grateful for your support which will enable us to enter the second stage of filming and post production and complete the film to the highest level possible. We raised some funds for the first stage of filming in London in 2019, collaborating with an amazingly talented crew led by Mark, whose vision elevated the film beyond our imaginations. We are now aiming to raise funding for £8,000 to for around 7-10 days filming in Hastings. 

We passionately believe in Mother & Wild and once finished we aim to submit the film to renowned film festivals across the UK in order to bring it to as wide an audience as possible.

WHAT WILL OUR BUDGET BE SPENT ON?

TRAVEL 10%

INSURANCE 5%

FESTIVAL SUBMISSIONS 5%

CAST & CREW 30%

CATERING 20%

ACCOMMODATION 30%

YOU CAN ALSO SUPPORT US BY...

Spreading the word to your friends, family, network or even through your social media!  Any mention about our Mother & Wild campaign would mean the world to us and get us even closer to our goal in finishing Mother & Wild!

A scene from Mother & Wild as Rita (Tessa Wood) comes to see her daughter, Saffron for the first time in 2 years.

Another pivotal scene, Rita meets her past friend, Suzy played by the late Sally Mates, Mother & Wild is dedicated to her memory.

Rita tries to re-connect with her Daughter, Saffron (Hannah Dean).

A scene from `Mother & Wild` Rita contemplates.

Please follow Mark's social media channels for Mother & Wild!

Internet Movie Database - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10567228/?ref_=nm_knf_i2

Mark's showreel  - https://vimeo.com/622623629

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/scotsfilmmaker/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/MarkForbesFilms

Thank you so much!

Mother & Wild Team