Film made by Croydon’s homeless screened on BBC tonight
Film made by Croydon’s homeless screened on BBC tonight (6th December 2007)
FIXUP, a film about how a young person ended up homeless, will debut tonight on BBC2.
The film was written by and stars residents of The Foyer at Croydon, an Oasis UK housing project. Screening tonight as part of the BBC’s Blast Film Festival, the drama was chosen from hundreds submitted.
The BBC described the film as ‘well made’ and praised it for the ‘honesty and pathos it showed around the issues of homelessness and rape’. The film was made to warn other young people that leaving home is not always a glamorous option.
Nancy Doyle, The Foyer’s Services Manager said, “FIXUP gives a voice to the homeless who often have disturbing experiences before they reach us. The young residents didn’t shy away from showing the reality of their life in the film.
“FIXUP refers to young people’s lives getting ‘fixed up’ or put in order after they arrive at The Foyer,” adds Nancy Doyle. ”It represents their journey of becoming homeless and highlights issues our young people often face before arriving here. Making the film really helped their confidence – in fact the main character has recently auditioned for Ricky Gervais’s EXTRAS. The film being picked up and praised by the BBC has given them all a great boost.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
For further information or interviews contact:
Nancy Doyle, Foyer Services Manager 020 8239 6066
Andrew Green, Press and Media Officer 020 7921 4300
BBC2 Blast Film Festival 2:00a.m. Friday 7 November
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blast/film/bbc2/
The aim of The Foyer at Croydon is to enable young people achieve a transition from dependence to personal and economic independence, breaking the cycle of homelessness and joblessness, thus raising their belief in their futures.
The Foyer is managed by Oasis UK.
http://www.oasisuk.org/uk/projects/Foyer/