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OFFICIAL PRESSKIT & MAKING OF

THIS WORLD WE LIVE IN Designed by Gage Oxley

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T E C H + R E L E A S E

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T E C H Country: UK Production, shot entirely in Leeds, West Yorkshire Language: English Running Time: 20 minutes Camera: Sony FS7 and Sony DCR-TRV15E Shot in 4K (4096 x 2160), 25fps / 60fps and 16:9 DV Recording Format Aspect Ratio: Shooting Format: 4K Sound: 5.1 Surround Presenting Delivery: 4K DCP / 2K DCP / 4K Online

T H E M E Short Synopsis Joey, an image-conscious 22 year old student swept up in a new city begins to fall into an addiction of drugs to repress his inner demons. Long Synopsis #TWWLIfilm challenges the social construct of masculinity through the story of imageconscious Joey, a 22 year old student swept up in a new city, who begins to fall into an addiction of drugs to repress his inner demons. A film by Gage Oxley, starring Jack Parr in a provocative and twisted short film that aims to bring light to one of the darkest issues that face the gay community. Themes This World We Live In features many themes in its 20 minute running time, primarily looking at masculinity and image for young adults, as well as the toxic increase of a â€˜lad cultureâ€™ against struggling sexuality. We also decided to open an important discussion on a prominent and rising issue within the gay community, how technology influences sex, and the danger of introducing drugs and chems. This is more commonly known as chemsex. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in the UK, Oxygen Films are working on 3 short films (O D Y S S E Y) to raise awareness of issues and challenge stigmas within the LGBT community in 2017. This World We Live In is the first in the series, with the preview release on March 11 2017.

INSPIR A T I O N For a film as challenging as This World We Live In, it’s sometimes necessary to be inspired by existing art to create a more definitive atmosphere. Some of the main inspirations for writer Gage Oxley was the music of Florence + the Machine, especially the ‘Ceremonials’ album which created a very distinct tone for the script. During filming and post-production the song ‘Heavy In Your Arms’ was played for reference, used by Tilly Fallows and Emma Bloodgood, who created the original music for the film.

The first meeting between Jack Parr and Gage Oxley came from the MTV short ‘American Male’, which Jack sent to Gage in October. The shorter film sparked further ideas and plotlines around the masculinity theme which would eventually become ‘This World We Live In’. For lead actor, Jack Parr, the main inspiration for his performance came from actor Bryan Cranston, especially in the closing scene of This World We Live In, which involves a seizure. Jack used Cranston’s emotional scenes from Breaking Bad (which similarly involved a seizure sequence) to inspire the emotional scenes where he speaks with his mother on the phone. The rather prominent theme of ‘chems’ and drugs with sex was introduced by Oxley when he saw the play ‘Five Guys Chillin’’by Peter Darney and the Kings Head Theatre at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe, and further by the VICE documentary ‘Chemsex’, which featured supporter 56 Dean St.

CREDIT Gage Oxley Sian Carry Beth Fallon Matthew Tingle Michael Houghton Tom Whitby Philip White Rachel Frost Kirstie Watson Jamie Riley Alice Gregory Poppy Potts Daniel Proctor Olivia Russell Tilly Fallows Emma Bloodgood

Writer, Director, Editor Executive Producer, Pre-Production Manager, Casting Director Executive Producer, Unit Production Manager, Assistant Director Director of Photography, Colourist Assistant Director, Producer, Official Photographer Assistant Director, Production Driver Sound Recordist, Sound Editing Key Make-Up Artist, Hair Line Producer, Location Assistant Floor Manager, Production Assistant Camera Assistant Production Assistant Production Assistant Production Assistant Original Music Original Music

With Special Thanks - David Stuart - Craig Lawson - Deborah Oxley - Edward Oxley - Martin Grund - Debbie Maturi - Chris Hallas - Ciaran Lennon - Jodie Solaiman

CAST Jack Parr Kaya Moore Jim Bayes Jack Bell Cameron Hutchinson Oliver Ashton Lily McDermott Beth Fallon Sian Carry William Jordan Matthew Bentley Michael Houghton Peter Cuffe Shania Bailey Angie Smiles

Joey Mikey Wyatt Ste Harry Ash Joey’s Best Friend Joey’s Friend Girl in Club #1 Girl in Club #2 Bar Staff Footballer #1 Footballer #2 Footballer #3 Clubber #1 Clubber #2 Clubber #3

The final shooting day, 20 December 2016 (L-R) Olivia Russell, Jamie Riley, Tom Whitby, Rachel Frost, Kirstie Watson, Beth Fallon, Jack Parr, Gage Oxley, Michael Houghton, Daniel Proctor, William Jordan, Oliver Ashton, Philip White, Matthew Tingle, Alice Gregory

C A S T Jack Parr, Joey Jack is originally from Mansfield, where he first fell in love with acting after being an extra in a big budget film on his estate. Since meeting the cast and crew, Jack has been working as an actor in the industry for over three years. Moving to Leeds to study in 2014, Jack has continued finding challenging and exciting roles and projects, from independent short and feature-length films to commercials and music videos. Jack is currently represented by John Doe Management for acting work and is signed by Boss Model Management as a model. First working with Gage Oxley on independent feature film ‘Beneath the Shadows’, Jack has continued to act in Oxley’s films, starring here as Joey in This World We Live In. Jack is excited to continue landing challenging roles in 2017, currently auditioning for several works in theatre and commercials, as well as a working on a WW2 Short Drama Film titled ‘Outpost’. Kaya Moore, Mikey Kaya has been performing since he was 9 years old, as a street dancer. Picking up choreography naturally, he fell in love with dancing and began expanding into other styles of dance including; Contemporary, Ballet, Breaking, Musical Theatre and many more! At the age of 14 he obtained a full scholarship at ‘Northern School of Contemporary Dance’, where he trained for 2 years before receiving his first major role as Phoenix Taylor on BBC’s ‘Waterloo Road’. Kaya has recently worked with ‘SlungLow’ theatre company in the ‘SlungLow Shorts’ and has just returned from Rome, after working with one of the world’s leading acting coaches, Bernard Hiller.

Jim Bayes, Ste Born in Leeds Jim first set foot on stage at his primary school performance of Dick Whittington, it was the role he wanted, not the lead nor a major speaking role... a rat! Ambitions have changed since then but the love for performing continued, taking drama and performing art at college and moving on to do Panto’s and amateur musicals, this despite having a poor singing voice. In 2011 Jim took up stand-up comedy, going pro in 2015 as well as turning his attention to TV and film, taking ongoing acting studies and development workshops with the final exams in April before receiving his LAMDA qualifications. After performing his third solo stand up show Light Metal at Edinburgh fringe in the summer, Jim has had a busy end to 2016 with two short films and a feature, as well as being cast in a sitcom web series. 2017 looks set to be a great year too with Jim landing a role in a challenging short film, a dark true story about domestic violence , as well as two further feature film roles and a comedy short tour. Away from performing Jim is a keen cyclist, a footballer type, a vegan and has a huge love of dogs especially his 11yr old Lab Retriever Ronnie.

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This is how it works. you’re young until you’re not you love until you don’t you try until you can’t you laugh until you cry you cry until you laugh and everyone must breathe until their dying breath.

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C R E W Gage Oxley, Writer, Director, Editor Gage has been creating films since he was 8 years old, remaining passionate about becoming a writer/director 11 years on. Deciding not to study at university, Gage instead put the money he’d saved up toward his second feature film, the first on such a major scale. Titled ‘Beneath the Shadows’, a story of the many pitfalls of mental illness, with the main focus on creating a text representative of such a huge and personal issue. Gage was 16 when he began this project, working on his first feature film at 14. Continuing from ‘Beneath the Shadows’, Gage feels it important and a responsibility of a storyteller to create accurately representative media and texts that can help people and allow a platform. Living in Whinmoor (Leeds) all of his life, Gage looks forward to continuing creating films and working on projects which can offer genuine support and help for an audience, as well as spending time with his cat, Dorian.

Matthew Tingle, Director of Photography Since starting his company White Tingle Media Productions at the age of 22, Matthew has worked across multiple projects and sectors including: television, film, commercial and fashion. Now, having three international short film nominations, he continues to work as online editor and DoP for ‘This World We Live In’. Off the back of his success with the short film Fate (dir. Chris Hallas) and the commissioned TV series The Purple Pigeon (dir. Andrew Dorée), Matthew has been lucky to work with the young, creative and talented Director Gage Oxley as editor on his two previous feature films and is currently working as head cinematographer at an exciting new modelling agency ‘Swifty Productions Ltd’. Here he is honing the craft of cinematography to make shots more colourful, vibrant and exciting for future projects.

Sian Carry, Pre-Production Manager/Executive Producer/Casting Director Specialising in screen acting, Sian became acquainted with writer/ director Gage Oxley through several projects and has become a sort of directors trademark, acting or indeed cameoing in all of Gage’s projects since 2013. More recently however, she has turned her interest to the other side of the camera, working as an executive producer and casting director. Sian worked with excruciatingly narrow deadlines in the two week pre-production for the film, but it was her enthusiasm and commitment which maintained its success, as well as great humour and wit which is noted as stopping Gage from having a breakdown. Sian is excited to continue her ongoing relationship with Oxygen films and hopes to be able to facilitate the creation of more meaningful content in the future. Film-making aside, Sian is an avid Harry Potter fan and her indisputable knowledge within this area makes her the ultimate teammate for pub quiz nights. Beth Fallon, Production Manager/Executive Producer/Assistant Director Drawn to acting from the age of 7 when cast as the lead role in ‘The Enormous Crocodile’, stage acting at age 12, and releasing an album at 18, Beth has always had a love for the arts. Enjoying musicals, pantomimes and comedies - landing the leading role of Dorothy in ‘The Wiz’ in a theatre performance was the perfect fit for Beth, who was born in Leeds. Now studying Classics at the University of Leeds, Beth joined the cast of Oxley’s second feature-film ‘Beneath the Shadows’. It was there where she saw the operation of the crew, and applied to become a member of the production team in future films. Beth enjoys setting up challenging scenes and seeing the final effect, and working with a variety of talented people to create an exciting atmosphere on set. Beth is looking forward to overseeing the future productions of the O D Y S S E Y, and having more artforms merged into film in Oxygen’s titles, as well as continuing writing her masters dissertation on leading female characters in hard science-fiction films.

OXYGEN Oxygen Films are the production company behind a selection of gripping short and feature-length films. Based in Leeds, Oxygen Films are managed by a group of passionate young people intent on raising further discussion through enthralling fictional film. Oxygen Films are proud to continue creating provocative and thought-provoking content on such challenging topics as mental health, sexuality and identity. Gage Oxley won the Love Arts Award for his work surrounding accurate representation of these important issues in 2015/16 with Oxygen Films. This World We Live In is the first instalment of Oxygen’s O D Y S S E Y, a film project containing a series of short films dealing with the issues and challenges of Leeds’ LGBT* community. Oxygen’s key messages and motives are to create media and texts which stand as a platform for debate, discussion and for potential issues to be raised. We know just how difficult it is to talk about topics such as mental health and sexuality, and having a basis to raise that conversation is something we are extremely passionate about.

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whispering like it’s a secret only to condemn

the one who hears it with a heavy heart

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L E E D S We felt it quite important to take advantage of the gorgeous landscape of Leeds, the majority of our crew are from or live in Leeds, and we also wanted to target the increasingly outdated view that all opportunities are in London. Even in 20 minutes, we used many locations within Leeds: Joey’s House was shot in Jack Parr (Joey)’s actual house, located in Headingley. The majority of the film is set in Joey’s House, although there was only 2 days of production here. One of the harder locations to source was another house - Mikey’s, particularly the rather distinct basement for the chemsex scene. The location was found in Hyde Park by location assistant Beth Fallon. The film featured many Leeds-based brands and companies, such as Eiger Music Studios as secured by location assistant Sian Carry, which was the backdrop of the nightclub. Also a distinct location in the film was The Hunslet Club, used for the football, shower and gym scenes in the film. This, and The Calverley Conservative Club were sourced by location assistant Kirstie Watson. We as a company are very proud to be able to highlight the locations and landscapes of Leeds, showcasing companies and brands that are important to Leeds and who are loved by many locals. Our previous films have worked with many prominent locations in Leeds, such as the Leeds Town Hall, The Wardrobe, the Leeds Art Gallery, Waterstones, The Belgrave Music Hall and both University of Leeds and Leeds Trinity University. We are proud to have such distinct places within Leeds as sponsors and supporters of Oxygen Films.

W H I T E TINGLE White Tingle Media Productions are an ever-expanding collective of industry professionals that work closely with clients in both the industrial and commercial sectors. Starting off in 2013, they began in the world of Music Production, but soon expanded to offer a near endless variety of digital medias to fulfill their clients needs. They now offer everything from music, video production and online marketing campaigns to business branding services and database management â€“ and everything in-between! To keep up, White Tingle Media Productions are constantly educating themselves on new and exciting media platforms to improve their services â€“ whilst keeping up-to-date with the latest advances in technology.

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I N T E R V I E W S Writer / Director : Gage Oxley - Page 15 Lead Actor : Jack Parr - Page 19 Executive Producers : Beth Fallon and Sian Carry - Page 23 PLUS: Supporter Spotlight: 56 Dean Street - Page 27 14

G A G E Interviewer: What inspired you to make This World We Live In? Gage Oxley: For this project, I took a lot of inspiration from a lot of different places - the main spark which caused this project to happen was Jack Parr [lead actor] who texted me the link to the MTV Short Film ‘American Male’. Something about that representation of masculinity really struck a chord with me, having explored elements of sexuality and gender in my previous films - I thought there was a definite story there. Jack and I met up that same night to talk about ideas, which is where the chemsex storyline entered, and what came from that was a very distinct passion for the story, and a definite feeling that this film should be made. I: What was the process of writing the screenplay like? GO: Initially it was tonnes of research, with all of Oxygen’s productions our main aim is to create something that accurately represents the issues in the film, so that when discussions are brought about they’re more informed. One of the trickier sides to writing the screenplay was to capture that ‘lad’ element, and to tackle the lad culture within the film.

“There’s a very distinct passion for the story and a definite feeling that this film should be made” So it was talking to a lot of different people, hearing stories and experiences to make the script more well-rounded. It was challenging as a lot of times it was quite emotional hearing people speak to candidly on topics which were really close to them. I’m really proud of the final script, it does raise and bring up quite a few different themes and issues within the community - the main thing I wanted to get across was that vulnerability of the characters.

I: How difficult was the production process, considering that the main part of preproduction was two weeks before shooting was scheduled? GO: It was genuinely so exciting - despite the race against time on an already challenging project, it made the victories even more fantastic. Although, truth be told, the actual process seemed to go unbelievably well in all areas of the project. Working alongside Beth Fallon and Sian Carry, who are so committed, passionate and really did care about the project ensured everything just slotted into place, and every issue that was raised and task that needed completing was done so carefully and efficiently. I always felt that something would or should be going wrong, because it seemed too good to be true! Working with such incredible people who just got the job done, not because they were getting paid for doing it, but because of the love for the art, the project - and because they were a team was unequivocally the reason behind the success we had in production. I: How was directing the talent in such a challenging film? GO: Again, it really was exciting. Working with Jack Parr to create the story itself, and having his input from the beginning was a huge weight off of my shoulders, as I knew what he was and wasn’t comfortable with. Even so, the extent Jack and all of the other actors went to with their performances was mind-blowing. I felt really honoured to be able to create something powerful with them - and I think they felt the same way. It was nice to have that communication on set, when such huge challenges are actually part of the story it’s great to converse and share thoughts and ideas, having that meaningful discussion on set allowed us to maintain that platform which I hope will allow meaningful discussion for our audience.

“I felt really honoured to be able to create something powerful with the actors”

I do love writing challenging films, as I feel I need to be challenged as a director, as much as many actors are crying out for challenging roles which they can really sink their teeth into. When it comes to the actual day of shooting, it’s all dependent on every little thing working out to whether the end product ends up okay. If one link in the chain breaks then the rest can very easily fall as well - so having that team who were so aware and passionate to create an environment on set which allowed

everyone to work in a positive attitude was crucial. I: What is the O D Y S S E Y? GO: I began working on the O D Y S S E Y with this project, but had the idea back in July last year. I was fortunate enough to be on the Leeds Gay Pride Parade with Sainsbury’s, who was a sponsor of our previous film, seeing the outpouring of love and the hope for the LGBT* community in a year of tragedy was very eye-opening. I felt while every one of my film brought focus to a LGBT* character, that there was something more I could look at doing. Knowing that 2017 was the 50th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in the UK, I thought it was the perfect time to forge a series of short films which explored a different challenge and issue within the LGBT* community, involving a variety of artforms - and most importantly, against the backdrop of Leeds. This World We Live In is the first instalment of the O D Y S S E Y, and we are really excited to continue working with different partners and charities to forge something meaningful for an audience. I: How has making This World We Live In changed you as a director? GO: Possibly the biggest thing that this production has shown me is how much I want to continue making the projects I really do care about. It’s taught me that whatever I’m afraid to write is the thing I should be writing. It’s given me hope when 2016 gave me a lot of despair, and it’s allowed me to realise that there are people out there who are insanely talented at what they do, who have the right attitude to film and to sets.

“It’s taught me that whatever I’m afraid to write is the thing I should be writing.” I think having that team working alongside you who you can feel safe delegating tasks to is very important, and This World We Live In has changed me in the sense that even though it’s still very hard to give away a part of what feels like your baby, it is incredibly necessary - and with the right people, they can create something magical and new which you’d never have thought or considered doing before. I: And finally, does Joey die? GO: [laughs] - I’m not too sure I can answer that! [long pause] There’s a lot of answers to that question for me, but I think one which was always most prominent whenever it came up on set was: ‘was he alive at the beginning?’.

J A C K Interviewer: You and Gage Oxley both came up with the idea together, how did that happen? Jack Parr: I came across a film called “American Male” which was an American short film that won an MTV award. It was about a man who really finds it difficult to come to terms with his sexuality as he’s in such a masculine group of friends, a fraternity. The short film was so well shot and put together I messaged Gage to pitch this idea to him. We met that night and started brainstorming.

“I can easily say it’s the hardest, most challenging role, and I’ve become such a better actor from that” A week later Gage came back to me with a script, I read it and instantly fell in love with it. He said to me, ‘I’ve written the role for you. It’s yours if you want it’, and I said I wouldn’t let anyone in the world play that role except from me. So that was that, preproduction started and we started shooting around a month later. I: How did you tackle such a challenging character as Joey? JP: This was such a tough role to tackle. I can easily say it’s the hardest, most challenging acting I’ve ever done and I have become such a better actor from that. I cant really say I got any inspiration from any other actors because I really wanted this performance to be my own and not copied from anything else. And there aren’t many productions out there that are similar to this production. Me and Gage did go through some chemsex documentaries to show me really what its like for those that are suffering and I picked up on a few mannerisms from that. I: Had you heard much about chemsex before filming? JP: I had no idea what chemsex was before this film and everybody who I’ve spoken

to and told about my role in the film has said “What is chemsex” and I said exactly. This is exactly why Gage wanted to get this point across to public and make people aware because it seems like such an underground, unknown term that is happening all over the country and young men are becoming HIV positive from which is massively dangerous. On dating apps within one or two conversations you could be invited to a chemsex party and the naïve young gay community might attend not knowing what they are going to, they may be abused, become addicted to drugs and there’s always the very real fear and stigma around becoming HIV positive. I: As an actor, what was the shoot like for you? JP: The shoot was absolutely amazing. I have worked on decent budget feature films that weren’t organised as well as this shoot. Organisation was on point, we had an amazing crew on board, everyone put 100% into the film, everyone was on time every day, wanting to be there, wanting to put the hours in to create a great film. This made the actors more at ease because I knew as an actor I was in safe hands.

“I was so fixed on not failing, I went way out of my comfort zone.” The script was great and the one to one treatment I got from Gage was just what I needed to achieve a performance for the film. He spent a lot of time making sure I was ready for the scene and looked after me, he ran me through the scenes thoroughly and always made sure I was ok. I really appreciate that from a director because the actors are the representatives of the film. You could have an amazing story to tell but without a believable performance the story could be ruined. I: You had a lot of intense solo scenes in the film, how did you overcome any nerves? JP: I was very nervous. I was nervous I wasn’t good enough, I was nervous I couldn’t act certain scenes out or that it wasn’t going to look real on camera, I was nervous people wouldn’t believe my performance on the big screen and it all be a farse. “Ahh that’s just Jack Parr acting, that’s not Joey”. This made me work so hard and push myself so far to save myself from the embarrassment. I was so fixed on not failing I went way out of my comfort zone. Therefore, the audience will think, “I know Jack and I know he wouldn’t do that”. That’s what I wanted to get across; I wanted to show people that I put everything into this performance.

I: What are your hopes for the film? JP: I really want this film to do well at festivals and get recognized. Not necessarily win all the awards and do the best. But I want a lot of people to watch this film. I want people to see me act, I want them to appreciate Gages amazing talents as a writer, director and filmmaker and give him some recognition, I want people to think about the story line and realise what actually goes off. And I want people to recognize all the hard work people put into this project, right from the extras, supporting actors, make up, producers, line producers, runners, DoP’s and sound. I: What was the most challenging scene to film for you? I would say mentally most challenging was filming the video of when Joey is sat on his bed, and he is watching/listening to a video on his phone. The video involved Joey at the chemsex performing some sort of sexual act. As you can imagine we had to actually film this, no CGI or stunt doubles involved. We just filmed it, and to mentally get my head around doing this was pretty scary.

“It took a good few hours to film that scene, laid in sick and blood. ” The most physically challenging scene was the final scene when Joey has overdosed and is fitting on the floor. Not only did have a seizure, he was crying, on the phone to his mum, asking for forgivingness, coming in and out of consciousness because of the amount of drugs he just taken all at once, coughing up blood and vomiting. This was one mighty challenge. Gage will tell you how horrific it was just to watch. Bear in mind it wasn’t a quick scene to film, it took a good few hours to film laid in sick and blood. I: Which scene are you most excited to see on the big screen and why? JP: As I’ve just said the seizure scene was the most intense and hardest scene to film and act, I would definitely say that’s the one I’m most excited about. It was such a challenge I’m hoping it comes out really well. I: And finally, does Joey die at the end? JP: Me and Gage know what we think Joey does at the end and we’ve agreed with each other. But I’m going to leave it to you to decide.

S I A N& Interviewer: You both were involved in pre-production, what was the biggest challenge you found with that? Sian Carry: For me, I think it was schmoozing people. The reason is, when you are doing something low budget there’s a tendency for actors to stay away from it. There’s a sort of generalisation of student or low budget films, so trying to get everything for free or for as little as possible would be the biggest challenge for me. Beth Fallon: I would agree, these sorts of films are always very challenging when it comes to budget issues, it’s that public perception just as much as the view within the industry which is difficult. I think the time limit was so short, as well which was a great challenge. I: How long did you actually have in the end, to sort everything out? BF: I think it was about two weeks? SC: It got to a point where I was literally casting for one of the leading roles a week before the scheduled film date! We just sort of sat down and said “Yeah, this is a project we’re really passionate about - let’s make it” and God knows how but we managed to get it done, I put it down to a good story, good attitude and buckets of enthusiasm.

“It does bring light to the issues but it won’t change them.”-Sian Carry BF: Coming from our variety of backgrounds I think it really helped us, sourcing those rather strange locations and acquiring them within the budget - obviously we had the help from Kirstie Watson [location assistant], and I think in a way what it says about us is that we do utilise and use our own skills, backgrounds and contacts - it’s very much a group effort. I: How did things slot together on set, what was the team like to get the project to work? BF: Generally there’s just a lot of love, between the crew particularly - and that’s so important for when a new member of the cast comes on set, especially when the roles

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are as challenging as they were in this. They warmed up a little bit because there’s such a nice atmosphere - one story that really sticks in my mind, and it’s awful, but on Day 2 of the shoot, I had to delegate a task to two of our Production Assistants - Jamie [Riley] and Poppy [Potts], which was to clean up the sick from the bathroom floor after each take - and Gage [Oxley] said he’d clean it up on the second time as it really was an unpleasant thing, but actually they just got on with it and really developed a method where it was quicker every time - there was such a focus and I think the team really did just slot together.

“It’s like when we popped in on Jack Parr to make sure he hadn’t taken too much cocaine”-Sian Carry SC: I wasn’t on set too much actually, but when I was there it was nice to see everything I’d worked on in pre-production was working out. There was such a positive atmosphere, and I think every time we do a new project we find more people with the same enthusiasm and passion for the art. On top of what Beth said, people like Dan [Proctor] and Poppy [Potts] who were on set for experience really did become such a vital part of the production and the team - so it really does all go together, it’s such a symbiotic relationship within the crew. I: What was the stand-out moment for you throughout the entire process of the project? SC: The chemsex scenes. [Laughter] - it sounds really terrible, but I think it was because obviously it was such a challenging scene to film, and everyone was so cautious and aware - it’s like when me and you [to Beth] popped in on Jack [Parr] to make sure he was okay and hadn’t taken too much of the fake cocaine. Everyone was always very wary of what was happening, and if there was any issues they were dealt with so quickly.

BF: I would definitely agree with that, there was a joke on set that the production crew were labelled as ‘The Empathy Brigade’, against bad lovers - but I think that came across throughout set, there was a definite feeling of empathy towards everyone. You often found yourself helping everyone and chipping in because they’d worked really hard. There was a definite stripping down of ego and a general collective group effort and ethic. I: Do you think it’s important to be aware of LGBT* issues like chemsex going into a project like this? SC: It definitely helped having that background knowledge. Although, the thing is if you didn’t have that it is important to do your own research, for example Jim [Bayes] who played Ste, went out and searched what ‘tina’ was to understand more about his character. But definitely, I think looking into that sort of stuff, especially if it is such a huge issue that not many people know about, it’s so important to have an understanding of what you’re tackling and how to approach it. BF: I would agree with that - obviously having the insight of the influence of American Male helps, but it was great to see when the scene came up the production team discussing things about it and getting involved to make sure the end product was as accurate as possible; at the end of the day it’s a job we have to do, and having people with different experiences being able to advise was so useful. We can’t shy away from something just because it’s difficult, or we don’t want to talk about it - we need to make sure that we have a healthy, informed discussion on set that everyone is able to contribute to and shape the actual creation.

“We can’t shy away from something just because we don’t want to talk about it”-Beth Fallon SC: Aside from what you said about bringing those different people and experiences together, I think the amount of research which was done before the production began was incredible - such as Gage [Oxley] seeing Five Guys Chillin’ and Michael [Houghton] visiting 56 Dean St, learning about the tiny important details such as using USB cables as opposed to a belt when ‘slamming’, make it all the more accurate and also relatable to those who engage in chems or struggling with the issues in the film.

BF: It’s details like that, such as using a USB cable which also really add another dimension to the characters, it adds a decision-making process and makes them feel more alive. I: What’s the one scene which you’re most excited to see on-screen, and see the audience’s reaction? [very long pause] BF: For me, it’s the home-video montage sequence - because it really displaces the drama and it’s so emotive. That contributes so heavily to Joey’s character, and adds a whole new dimension.

“It’s not a happy ending”-Beth Fallon SC: I’m very excited to when it cuts to black after the seizure scene. I just want to see that moment where the audience are questioning if that’s the end - whether it’s gone full circle, whether Joey survived. If they’re as invested in the story as we are - then they’ll want to know what has happened to our character. I: Okay, final question off the back of that then - does Joey die? SC: [gasps] You bastard! [Long pause] No. BF: I can’t believe you threw that one in there! [Very long pause] For me, I have several different answers for this! I think, no - he doesn’t die - but it isn’t a happy ending. This isn’t the end for him, this is on a loop, it’s a cycle. SC: It’s a vulnerability which is looked down on in society - and it’s always been that way.

56 DEAN STREET Dean Street is an award winning HIV and sexual health NHS clinic in the heart of Soho. The 56 Dean Street clinic offers emergency appointments and their convenient online services allow you to book a check-up in your own time or order a HIV home test. They also offer talking therapies and exciting community engagement events to enhance your wellbeing. Theyâ€™re proud to be connected to the people of London, supplying care that, regardless of sex, gender, sexuality or lifestyle meets the needs of all patients. Dean Street has a long history of providing sexual health services which started with the opening of the worldâ€™s first sexual health clinic for men, based at 91 Dean Street, London in 1862.

Originally, their award winning sexual health clinic was part of the Westminster Hospital where Professor Brian Gazzard diagnosed one of Europe’s first cases of AIDS in 1981. By the 1990s they had relocated to Vincent Square and in 2003 became the first NHS service to offer rapid 1 hour HIV POC testing. They have been known as ’56 Dean Street’ since they moved to Soho in March 2009 and in 2011 they set the World Record for most HIV tests performed in one location on World Aids Day at G-A-Y Bar in Soho, London. In 2014 they opened Dean Street Express – the first clinic in the world to have an on-site Infinity machine, allowing this service to give results within six hours. 56 Dean Street offers 1-to-1 support for those engaging in chemsex who are finding it problematic. They are there to inform and help patients maintain control when things become difficult. For more information, support or advice please visit www.dean.st or visit the clinic in Soho, London.

David Stuart, Substance Use Lead, Dean St Wellbeing Programme Curator (PHOTO CREDIT: Vice Media “Chemsex” dirs. William Fairman, Max Gogarty)

oxygenâ€™s

O D Y S S E Y To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in the UK in 2017, Oxygen Films are creating a series of original short films spanning the various issues and challenges within the gay community. Working with different organisations, charities and partners to forge a selection of fictional moving image against the backdrop of Leeds, where the first film was made. Oxygen Films will explore the creative talent in the area to involve numerous artforms in the O D Y S S E Y, from music and theatre to design and dance. With Leeds placing a bid to become the European Capital of Culture in 2023, Oxygen feels it necessary to showcase and nurture the extreme talent and creativity Leeds has on offer, especially younger people who struggle to gain a platform for their work. We are proud to launch the O D Y S S E Y at the official preview screening of This World We Live In on March 11, 2017 - as well as continuing the planning and pre-production of the next instalment in the series.

O 29

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I was in the darkness

So darkness I became

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This film could not have been made without the passion, commitment and creativity of the cast and crew. This film is a testement to them, their etiquetee and attitude, as well as their skills despite their age. I am very grateful. - gage oxley.

C O N T A C T S Regarding further Press Materials - including images and interviews, please contact: Sian Carry - sian@oxygenfilms.co.uk (Director of Communications and PR) Regarding future screening, showcasing, festival information or distribution, please contact: Gage Oxley - gage@oxygenfilms.co.uk (Managing Director) Regarding future work, commissions, or questions on the ODYSSEY, please contact: Beth Fallon - beth@oxygenfilms.co.uk (Production Manager) Regarding castings, crewings or experience with Oxygen Films, please contact: casting@oxygenfilms.co.uk and like our facebook page, where we post all opportunities. Regarding any other query that has not been addressed, please contact: info@oxygenfilms.co.uk - your request will reach us. THIS WORLD WE LIVE IN: /TWWLIfilm | @TWWLIfilm OXYGENFILMS: /OxygenFilms.co.uk | @OxygenFilm

there have been so many times i have seen a man wanting to weep but instead beat his heart until it was unconscious - masculine Nayyirah Waheed, â€œSaltâ€?