The Bite Magazine - Spring 2019 - Issue 24

Jada Brookes reveals the winner of the ‘Best Feature’ award at the 2019 Gold Movie Awards and talks a little about the film. bite red carpet Photography by TonyWellington Gold Movie Awards 2019 I t’s not just at the BAFTAs or Oscar Awards that creatives are recognised for their work in televi- sion and film. The Gold Movie Awards which has been running since 2018 was created by Italian di- rector Marco Recalchi, Irish actor and producer Jason Matthewson and Antony Reolon in partnership with The Old Film Farm, ikon Films and Skyup Academy to showcase the best in upcoming and seasoned filmmak- ers alike and to give them a place to have their work screened and awarded in a professional setting. This year’s Gold Movie Awards ceremony was held in January at the Regent Street Cinema, London’s oldest cinema which opened in 1848 and is regarded as the ‘birthplace of British cinema’. Attended by the likes of actors Billy Zane, Sadie Frost, Tamzin Merchant, Valentina Ospina and Simon Merrells, and film direc- tor Alessandro Negrini, these celebrities joined the at- tendees of this increasingly popular event to celebrate the winners who achieved awards of recognition for their work in independent and animated filmmaking. The great thing about the Gold Movie Awards is that it is attended by mainstream press and also provides an opportunity for networking and publicity, while the awards are judged by an international panel of direc- tors, producers and actors who take their roles very seriously. Films that achieve the signature Gold Movie Award trophy in any of the many categories which cov- ers a wide spectrum are assured of positive media and industry attention, and are provided with a profession- al platform on which to develop future productions. Whilst there were many awards presented on the night such as Best of the Year 2018 that went to Rodrigo So- rogoyen for ‘Madre’ and Best Documentary won by Nicolas Connor for ‘Cathedrals of Steam’ perhaps the most interesting and mind-provoking film was ‘Lucid’ by Adam Morse which was awarded Best Feature. This psychotherapeutic presentation of lucid dreaming was an interesting concept that had you focused on the sub- ject at hand. Opening with the middle of the story rath- er than the beginning gave way for the plot to unfold. We are introduced to Zel (played by Laurie Calvert) a young man who doesn’t have much interaction with the outside world, lives on his own but is funded by his parents, takes sleeping pills and yearns after an at- tractive neighbour, Jasmine (Felicity Gilbert), but is too shy to approach her. It is while going to lunch with his mother Georgina (Sadie Frost) that we see how hesitant he is to step outside of the front door whenever she is near for the fear that he will make a complete fool out of himself. Relying on his parents for financial support constantly, Zel is eventually forced to find a job and ends up work- ing in the underground car park of a nightclub, with a boss, Theo (Christian Solimeno), who is a patronising bully. Walking home after work, he meets enigmatic neighbour Elliot (Billy Zane), an American doctor who is interested in how lucid dreaming can help people re- hearse certain behaviour that will enable them to make changes in their real lives. Upon witnessing Zel’s inter- est in their fellow neighbour, Elliot offers to help him get the girl. BEST ACTOR: Billy Zane for LUCID BEST FEATURE: LUCID by Adam Morse