Quintessence Films Ltd | Independent Film Production Company, South West England

Previews

Independent Spirit

Bristol - the only city to vote yes in last year's mayoral referendum - has it's first directly elected mayor: independent George Ferguson. He took on the party machines of the main political parties and won... and now faces the challenge of implementing his ambitious vision in a time of austerity. Production is underway on our observational film commissioned by BBC West that documents his first year in power.

Bluesmen Don't Really Sing About Their Grandmas

Our pilot for a film on singer/songwriter, storyteller and contemporary troubadour Rory McLeod is on You Tube. Rory on travelling, family and one man bands is at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XPXxQDukBg

Whatever the Weather

We have been commissioned by BBC West to produce a 30' documentary on our year of adverse weather: "2012 - A Year of Crazy Weather." For the first time ever we're hoping for bad weather on shoot days!

Acting My Age at the UK Film Festival

Our polemic on attitudes to age authored by Dudley Sutton has been selected for the 2012 UK Film Festival and is screening at the Aubin Cinema, Shoreditch on 15th November.

Quintessence on the web

Please follow links to recent Quintessence projects available on the web.

A short documentary for the Guardian about the history of famous Bristol cutters sailing ships entitled "Seeking to the Westward" film is at...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/video/2012/mar/12/bristol-channel-pilot-cutters-video

For information about our Ricky Valance documentary...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01g965g

Our film about maternity care at Kings College hospital is available on Youtube at...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNDSqyWwfwc

Ricky Valance - My Voice is My Life

BBC1 Wales, Sky 972 and Virgin 864: Tuesday 24th April, 10:35pm. (And on BBC i-player until April 30th). The opening film of a new series "They Sold a Million", our film tells the story of the first Welshman to have a number one... 52 years on. His fans may be aging and the venues may be smaller but he still takes to the stage, determined to prove he's more than one song.

The First Welshman to Reach Number 1...

How does it feel to be defined by one monster hit when musically and personally your life is so much more? Production is underway on our portrait of singer Ricky Valance. After 51 years in the business Ricky has an extensive reportoire to choose from but there's one song the audience always expects to hear and that Ricky is obliged to perform: the 7 million selling single Tell Laura I Love Her, his number one. Filming on the Costa Blanca and in the South Wales valleys our film, commissioned by BBC Wales, will be transmitted in early summer 2012.

Pint Sized or Super Sized?

Transmitted on BBC1 Wales on July 28th, this documentary on the future of the Welsh dairy industry was the catalyst for a passionate debate on BBC Radio Wales.

Outstanding Views

Quintessence have recently completed a series of short films for Overlooking the Wye, a Heritage Lottery Funded body tasked with restoring, preserving and interpreting sites along the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

First Steps

NCT classes are all very well but if you've ever wondered what was really involved in giving birth at hospital then our recent film about Kings College Hospital Maternity Unit might prove helpful. This engaging 10-minute film provides advice and personal insights on the birth experience from the perspective of midwives, consultants, breast feeding counsellors and new parents.

The Future of Agriculture

Production is underway on a 30 minute documentary to be broadcast on BBC1 Wales on 28th July at 22:30.

"Acting My Age"

This film has been selected for the 27th Warsaw Film Festival, 7th - 16th October 2011. Screenings can also be booked through the website. info@quintessencefilms.co.uk

Kings for a Day

Following the success of the DVD "Kings for a Day", a Quintessence team returned to Kings Hospital to produce a film on the role of volunteers and will shortly be returning for a third time to produce a DVD on the Kings' maternity unit.

Quintessence shorts on-line

There are two short Quintessence documentaries at Guardian on-line. "Seeking to the Westward" tells the story of the Bristol Channel Pilot Cutters; "Mousehole's Magical Christmas" the story behind the community lights in the Cornish village of Mousehole.

Acting My Age

"Acting My Age", a comic polemic by actor Dudley Sutton that subverts conventions of age, was premiered at Watershed Cinemas, Bristol and generated an enthusiastic - and animated - response.

Commissioned by Bristol City Council to launch the 2010 Celebrating Age Festival, the film has engaged audiences from teenagers to octogenarians in London, Bristol and Penzance.

For further information - or to book screenings of the film - please e-mail info@quintessencefilms.co.uk

Kings For A Day

A new corporate induction film for King's College Hospital, London. Commissioned, produced and delivered within the space of two weeks, the marketing team at King's College Hospital were delighted with the film.

"Just been to the launch of the new corporate induction video and it was a great success. When it finished there was a silence and then the audience sighed with a communal arhhhhhh...... They were really bowled over."
Jane Kautupelis, Head of Marketing

Forgotten Pilots

"All we’d take were pyjamas and a map - and sometimes we didn't even have a map, so found our way by memorising the landmarks below"

Of all the tales of wartime heroism and achievement, the story of the 'ancient and tattered aviators' of the Air Transport Auxiliary, established in 1939, must rank as one of the most extraordinary. This group of amateur pilots from over 20 countries - which included first time flyers, three one-armed pilots and celebrated aviators such as Amy Johnson - made a major contribution to Britain's war effort, delivering planes from factories to the front line throughout the Second World War.

Seventy years on, told through the testimonies of those who'd take "anything to anywhere", this is a story of heroines, heroes and mavericks. 'Dads (or Mum's) Army' meets 'The Dam Busters' - the exuberant spirit of the ATA is set against the realities of living and working in wartime Britain.

Originally commissioned by ITV, this three-part documentary series has been acquired by UKTV's channel,'Yesterday', and will be screened on the 20th and 21st December.