Projection Room- checking into the Renata

IMAGE: Eric Colvin (Percival) and CJ de Mooi (The Stranger) in The Renata Road

Back in January I had the honour of attending the very first
screening of The Renata Road, and I must say, there is a certain amount of
pride that comes with writing the first review for a film like that. This was
my very first premiere, so I just had to document it for this strand on the
blog. And of course- as soon as I receive news on a distribution deal for the
film, I will keep you loyal readers, and most importantly fans of the film (who
I believe call themselves Roadies) updated.

January 30th, 2017, 16.45pm

I arrived at the screening room just outside Blackpool with
a few hours to spare, and the first person who I bumped into when I arrived at
the cinema was the film’s director Ed Greenberg and his entourage of sorts. It
felt like I recognised him from somewhere, but I couldn’t work it out in the 7
hours I spent with him that day. We got chatting about what to expect from the
film, the latest releases from the mainstream cinema (that very proudly hosts
my review screenings- yes, I’m on about that place) and other topics from the
film industry- it’s not often that you get to nerd out about projector throw distances,
aspect ratios, sound levels and the creation of the file that actually plays
the film- and I have to admit, there might be a little bromance brewing as a
result of the night’s events. The rest of the cast and crew began to turn up
around half an hour afterwards- the first of which being the film’s lead actor
CJ de Mooi. CJ is without question one of the nicest blokes I’ve ever met-
friendly, knowledgeable and very down to earth, and he is a great sport both on
and off the big screen. Plus, we might have had a discussion about my ritual of
getting a cup of Earl Grey before a film starts. It might not be the best tea
in the world, but if it does the job I’m happy. The cinema where the screening
was held was actually open to the public beforehand, and admittedly the wait
for the last show before ours to come out felt like an eternity. Luckily it was
a showing of T2 Trainspotting (a film I had seen just 2 days prior), and when I
heard the credits music start bellowing out as people left the screen, I gave everyone the heads-up.
It was almost time to check in.

IMAGE: My view for the night’s events- not the best image, but it’ll have to do.

The film’s advertised start time of 6pm rolled around very
soon after. With obligatory Earl Grey in hand, I took my seat just before the
pre-film speeches began. CJ began proceedings, giving us a brief history of the
film’s production from the original 2011 short film to the feature we were
about to see, and then Ed introduced the film to a sold out screen 1. 2 hours later, we all knew we had witnessed something historic. After
Ed and CJ brought the cast up to the front of the screen (alongside a selection
of the Kickstarter backers who were in attendance), we had to leave our very
intimate screening room for the very cold Monday night we had escaped from.

IMAGE: CJ de Mooi and Ed Greenberg introduce the cast behind The Renata Road

POST-FILM: Visiting the actual set for drinks

The production company behind this film (Beyond The Bar)
have been known to think outside the box for both their films and their
marketing- and what they did for us after the screening was very imaginative. The
hotel where most of the film was shot just happened to be across the road- so
we all went for a drinks reception. It was here where I properly got a chance
to speak to the cast and crew. The chat I had with Abigail Hamilton (who plays
Agnes in the film) was particularly memorable, as we mused on how my hometown
of Preston has changed over the years when it comes to the provision of cinemas.
John Sharp (who played hotel manager Jacob in the film) was one of the first to
ask about my upcoming review of the film, and trying to remain tight lipped
about an incoming 5 star review was incredibly difficult. I also managed to
speak with set designer Craig Priestley, and let’s just say that I heard a fair
few entertaining stories from the film’s shooting period. After this drinks
reception was over, most of the cast and crew began the search for food in a bitterly cold Lytham St Annes. Luckily we found a Wetherspoons across the road, and I don’t think I
will ever forget the sight of myself, CJ, Ed and the rest of the crew
frantically trying to work out if we would make it to that place before they
stopped serving food for the evening. That closed what was a brilliant night
meeting a group of very talented people who I am proud to have provided the
first review for.

IMAGE: The leading man, the critic and the director: from L-R, CJ de Mooi, myself (Jack Smit) and Ed Greenberg

THE DAY AFTER THE NIGHT BEFORE

And that was where the Renata journey began for the wider
film industry. At 8pm the next night, the review went live here on this blog.
My work was done, and now the film is in the sales process to gain distribution
into cinemas. I’ve been in constant contact with Ed and the team at Beyond The
Bar since then (on an almost weekly basis believe it or not), and to be able to
help them launch this film to the world has been amazing. Tonight, another lucky audience will have their eyes opened to the unique nature of this film, and of course, I will be in that audience once again, not only as a critic, but as a film fan. For Ed, this has been the culmination of 5 years of hard work- now we wait with eagle eyes to see what he is cooking up next.

THE LEGAL STUFF

Stills from The Renata Road © 2017 Beyond The Bar Ltd

Premiere Night images © Christopher Holmes Photography 2017 except where noted