After previously smashing our initial £2000 fundraising goal, we are back in the midst of filming to fundraise a further £1000. This is to allow us to continue our production, keep values high and ensure we have access to our amazing cast and super locations!

In a breakdown, the extra £1000 we need is being spent on our impressive set design, with large standing Christmas cutouts and decorations we have been creating and the money will be spent on securing locations, and access to our amazing cast and martial arts performers! 

So far we have only hit the tip of the iceberg, having worked and filmed with replica Police action vehicles, replica armed police costumes and imitation firearms, and even a jib during filming!

Members of the team have also worked tirelessly on Christmas cutouts and with the help of the 3D production centre a Christmas Grotto. We even managed to create our own 'Argyle's Garden Centre' uniforms with the help of the fabric studios at our University which you can view below!

'TINSEL' is a blink and you’ll miss it Christmas story about being nice and never giving up. Tinsel, our main character plays an elf at a Christmas grotto, in a sleepy garden centre. This shouldn’t cause too much drama which is ideal, because he’s had enough drama already. He’s estranged from his own family, and we join him at a time in his life when everything is pretty tough. He’s just discovered he’s had undiagnosed ADHD since childhood and he’s also struggling with motivation to keep persevering with his dream to become a famous actor. 

However, just like in every good Christmas story, our hero never gives up. Even when the garden centre he’s working in erupts in gunfire and thrusts Tinsel into a life-or-death armed hostage situation. Tinsel’s favourite film, Die Hard becomes art imitating life as he saves the day. Not with guns and yippee ki yay’s though, but with garden hoes, a plastic Christmas tree and, most importantly, by being nice.

See some of the latest artwork posters below! With a theatrical poster on the way after production.

Hey! Davey here and I just wanted to let you all know a little about Tinsel.

So firstly, the inspiration is very personal. I was an elf called Tinsel every Christmas, for several years, at different immersive theatre experiences. I’m also estranged from my family and have been since the age of 15. No violins here please mate. Just a fact and it’s time to tell some of that story via the narrative of Tinsel. 

It was amazing bringing magic to families at Christmas but then I was going home alone without a family of my own. This was where the story all started. It made me think, wow, that is really incredibly sad … I bet there’s a funny story in there somewhere too! The writing process has been very cathartic for me and I’m excited (and a bit massively nervous but that’s a good thing) for you all to share in Tinsel’s story. 

Then, more recently, I discovered I have had undiagnosed ADHD since I was a child. Incredibly difficult thing to wrap your head around that. However, I am now very passionate about creating a film where we can highlight ADHD in adults and make people realise they aren’t alone, no matter how much it might seem like you are.  

In terms of relatable inspirational films, I’m a huge admirer of Edgar Wright directed features, so expect inspiration from films such as Hot Fuzz. Fast cuts and even faster dialogue. I’ve also been heavily inspired by Die Hard and the debate around it’s legitimacy as a Christmas film.  These two films are why I have set it in a sleepy garden centre. I’m from a small village originally where nothing ever happened. So I love stories about BIG things happening in small places. Then I thought, imagine Die Hard happening in a garden centre … ridiculous but … my kind of ridiculous!

So, it’s my overall aim as director of this film to take you on a festive journey that highlights important issues of loneliness and mental health but does so via a colourful, comedic, self aware and exciting plot, with a very relatable human protagonist.

Ho Ho Ho! Greetings from the Team, a merry band of third-year film production students at the University of Portsmouth. Our hearts are overflowing with excitement as we continue on our journey to create 'TINSEL', a glittering gem of a short film.

Our passion for filmmaking extends beyond just graduating, as we dream of showing Tinsel to audiences at many prestigious film festivals and hopefully winning some awards!

Join us in our quest to bring Tinsel to life and spread some festive cheer along the way!