source: Homeless Ashes

I was at the premiere of Homeless Ashes at Raindance film festival. I really enjoyed it Homeless Ashes is a beautiful and moving film, go and see it when it comes to a cinema near you.

There's a lot of impressive things to say about what the film shows. Brilliant performances across the board where the film allows time for a lot of these characters depth. People who can seem like bad people get emotional moments where you see how they struggle. People who seem happy but see how sad life has been for them. There's an admirable effort to give the smallest characters their time to be seen and heard. A film partly about homelessness seems to want to make right by a lot of the people around the world who are often ignored because they live on the streets and the time given to go through a good number of characters who are homeless is well done. From characters like Al played by Ritchi Edwards doing a fantastic job playing a veteran soldier, to Kirsty J Curtis playing Viv who gives a well rounded performance of an addict and Lew Temple as Chico gives depth to a funny character that gets emotional as the film goes on when you know more about the character. The film is well cast and a lot of the heavy lifting has to be done by Marc Zammit who gives a heartbreaking, grounded performance as Frankie. A quiet character traumatized by many things deprived of the best things in life who does the best he can. The performance is smart and the role well written. A lot of great moments between Frankie and characters like Gavin played by Jason Flemyng who continues to be great, Abbie (Frankie's mum) played by Angela Dixon who gives an emotional performance and Jamey May also giving a fantastic performance on perceived privilege still struggling with who they are as they continue make bad decisions. Once again time is given to allow the audience to feel what the characters feel, brilliant cinematography by Richard Oakes, great writing by George Willcox and direction from none other than the lead Marc Zammit make this possible. This is a definitely worth the time to see even more great storylines and performances not mentioned in this review. If you are especially into independent films, it shows to be one of the best independent films to watch to prove independent filmmaking is alive and well.

There are not enough words to express how great this film is, bringing such awareness of homelessness and domestic violence. From the outstanding cast who put so much into the characters and bring them to life on the screen, to the hauntingly moving soundtrack and outstanding cinematography. Marc Zammit and his team but their hearts and souls into this film, it's a definite must-see film.

Homeless Ashes is a great piece of cinematography by Marc. From the moment it starts you begin to understand how life can turn upside down at the flick of the switch. Marc has created a masterpiece in such detail that you can't help but feel the emotion all the way through. Actor/Director the cast and crew they have put life in to prospective and that no one is immune to being homeless I've witnessed this with my own eyes.

The standard of the film is really good, with some great shoots and beautiful frames. There is a whole variety in how the story line is delivered, with the past, present and future events overlapping, so you can get the full insight into Frankie's life. Actors done a really good job with being naturalistic and believable. Most importantly the film conveys an important message about homelessness and how every person has an individual story. It's a film worth seeing!

A deeply moving portrayal of a boy who runs away from home and grows up on the streets. The story takes us on a journey into homelessness - a world we all avoid as much as we can. It reminded me of what Saving Private Ryan did taking me along on a personal journey into the horrific reality of World War ll. I came away from the film with a sobering sense that we are all just a thin veneer and a bit of bad luck away from finding ourselves in this situation. These people are the same as you and me. Just that thin veneer separates us. A wonderful film that everyone should watch.

From the breathtaking cinematography of Richard Oakes & the beautiful musical scoring of Mark Wind in the opening of the film, we know this will not only be a story of pain but also of beauty. Life can be painful, whether you live in a penthouse or on the streets. We are reminded that it's not our circumstances that define us, but rather what we do with them that does. The power for me in this film, is that despite whatever hardship or heart wrenching pain Frankie experiences, he never loses his purity of spirit & sense of hope & beauty. Every box is ticked for me in this movie, from the powerfully raw yet beautiful story by George Wilcox, to the breathtaking cinematography of Richard Oakes, to the sublime scoring of Mark Wind. The casting is spot on, with impeccable performances by each actor. Seeing each character & relationship fleshed out by this insanely talented cast, is an absolute masterclass in itself. The only piece that doesn't fit is the fact that this incredible film was not made by a studio & is not only a first time indie film by filmmaker Marc Zammit, in which he also brings the lead character Frankie to life, but it's also his directorial debut! Color be gob smacked! This film, it's Cast & Crew are clearly ones to watch!

I was lucky enough to see this film at the Raindance Film Festival this week. It's a beautifully crafted work dealing with a difficult subject with care and compassion. As a debut feature film, Marc has created an immersive world which most of us will never see from inside, which lays out the stark brutality of homelessness and the breadth of reasons as to why this occurs. Whilst not perfect, it's a satisfying and emotional journey, made all the more compelling by the gorgeous cinematography, thoughtful score, excellent performances and great use of location. Huge congratulations to Marc and the team for bringing this important film to the cinema, and raising all of the money himself when no studio thought it would have an audience. Disclaimer: I backed the production of the film but I do not get any financial compensation.

Shining a light on homelessness & domestic violence. Having had the opportunity to see this film, From my experience i find it quite rare nowadays to be so effected by a film and it's story- that was not the case with Homeless Ashes. Incredibly moving a truly wonderful film with a powerful message. HOMELESS NOT INVISIBLE Congratulations to everyone involved BRAVO! I don't think i will ever watch a washing machine-mid cycle, in the same way again. No spoilers!