It’s the last day of 2023, and it’s time to reflect on the year that was.
My 2023 Resolution was to keep my Letterboxd Watchlist below 700 films. It raised up to nearly 750 this year. I’m hours away from the new year, and should be able to get it down to 699 (which is proving tough, because I strained my eyes by using screens too much lately).
My 2024 Resolution is to write a feature film script (at least one).
At the end of 2022, I was told my employment at Vice would end at the end of January. Last year’s Xmas and New Years were tough, because I was applying for work.
Over the year, I had two periods of unemployment. I even experienced being on the Jobseekers Allowance. I returned to Teaching, which was in part enjoyable and confidence-giving. I’ve worked for important industry organisations, developing a better understanding of the screen industries. It’s been a tough year. I’m currently working part-time at the Beeb, teaching media at a University as an HPL, and using the rest of my time to work on film projects.
I’ve been working on two major film projects this year. On Hortensia Road (aka Tinsel Town) is a Christmas feature; we’re developing the script and raising finances. Ken is a dramatic short about muscle dysmorphia and disordered eating in men; we’ll be running a crowdfunding campaign and aiming to shoot in 2024.
Pearls, the film we shot in 2022, has screened in one film festival so far. A Winter Barbecue, the last Action On The Side short film we made, is currently playing in the London Lift-Off Festival, in the Local Filmmakers Shorts. (I’ve been listing the other films in the festival on Letterboxd here).
For Action On The Side, we ran our short screenplay award; I ran Cinema SoundEX for the first time in the UK – which created 6 short films; and I ran The Ealing 48 | 48-hour film competition, in which 11 teams took part — something I have been wanting to do for years!
Other things I did in 2023:
- In April I visited Liverpool, Belfast, and Dublin, seeing family and friends;
- I was on the jury for multiple film festivals: International Film Festival The Hague; The London Sci-Fi 48-hour film competition; and Tels Quels LGBTQ+ Competition Court Métrages.
- I was a guest lecturer at Rose Bruford.
- I visited Sheffield for the first time, and helped manage the Sheffield Global Cinema Festival as the Assistant Location Manager (I’m pretty sure that was my title), and I ran a filmmaking workshop.
- I continued to run regular script development workshops, and I took part in a weekly online scriptwriting group.
In 2024, I look forward to more filmmaking, scriptwriting, teaching, business, and improving my physical and mental health.
Busy Times 
A fully year for you in 2023. And 2024 looks like it will be good.