The near-future based short film Touch, by British filmmaker Shola Amoo is now available online for free via the filmmaker. It is a must-watch.
Touch, which played just this past week in the States at New Voices in Black Cinema and at The Future Weird screening series to much aplomb, stars Tanya Fear (Kick Ass 2) and Alexis Rodney (Guardians of The Galaxy) and concerns people who for some reason find themselves disconnected to the greater world: Jessica and George meet in an open field at a specific time and place everyday. George is in love – but unbeknownst to him, Jessica hides a devastating secret. As Jessica’s feelings for George grow, she must make an important decision that will change her life forever.
Touch is as ethereal as it is arguably romantic and has numerous societal undertones to it that I will not get too much into as you should watch the film for yourself below.
The online release comes on word that Shola is working on his first feature film entitled A Moving Image.
Starring Touch actress Tanya Fear, it is a film about becoming a 21st century creative amidst a rapidly gentrifying city. Nina (Fear) wants to create the perfect piece of art – but her creative juices aren’t flowing. Whilst she searches for inspiration, she forms a three-way relationship with an actor called Mickey and performance artist Ayo. The three bond during a sweaty summer spent on rooftops, parks and art spaces in South London, as they each strive to find an artistic niche and circumvent their burgeoning mid-twenties crises. Nina discovers her creative spark between both men but this, and their triangular relationship, is threatened when she is forced to make a choice.
You can stay abreast of news about A Moving Image at www.aMovingImagefilm.com
A rising star in the film community, Shola won The BFM (Black Filmmaker) shorts awards 2009 with his debut short film The Hydra. His second short, Reparations For The Soul starred the prolific UK actor Ashley Walters (Inside Men, Top Boy). Shola’s third fiction short The Prayer (NFTS 2011) has played at various international film festivals including, The Samsung Womens International Film Festival (India), Africa In The Picture 2012 (Holland) The British Urban Film Festival 2012, The London Short Film Festival 2013 (UK) and The Pan African Film Festival 2013 (USA). The Prayer was produced by Fiona Lamptey. Touch premiered at The Hollywood Black Film Festival in 2013 and was also been selected for The London Short Film Festival 2014. Shola is a recent graduate of The National Film and Television School and he is represented by The Curtis Brown Agency.
You can find out more about him at Twitter.com@sholaamoo and Facebook at www.facebook.com/sholaamoofilm.
Touch (Short Film) Directed by Shola Amoo Starring Tanya Fear (Kick Ass 2) from Shola Amoo on Vimeo.
Curtis Caesar John is the Film Editor for Bold As Love Magazine. He also covers film and culture for Limité Magazine and is a film programmer and co-founder New Voices in Black Cinema. He is born, raised and resides in Brooklyn, NY, of course. Follow him on Twitter at @MediaManWatch.