Hi, my name is Simon and I’m a writer/director, living about 3 miles from where I was
born in North London. In 1973, after we’d dropped out of the rat race to live on an
arts-centre-come-hippy-commune near Glastonbury, I declared I wanted to be a film
director and my parents, who always indulged my creative urges, bought me a
second-hand standard 8mm camera and a tripod.
CUT TO: London, March 2010. After screenwriting for a few years, making a small amount
of money, one thing was bugging me - my screenplays weren’t getting made into films.
As my agent said at the time, financiers weren’t prepared to take the risk.
So, I set out to shoot my debut feature-length film with whatever I had to hand, or
could afford to buy with my wages working in a cinema. I was told I couldn’t do justice
to the screenplay without a professional crew and at least a modest budget for equipment.
But I went ahead and started filming, anyway. Because one thing my parents taught me -
the most important thing in art is not what tools you have, but the creativity you put into
using them.
After a lot of hard work, improvisation and imagination, we made a film which has gone
on to show at a prestigious festival in Germany and receive critical acclaim. We couldn't
have done it without a great cast, so I was lucky enough to have actors and friends
appearing in the film and donating their time for free, as well as many other generous
helpers along the way.
We now invite you to join on us on this incredible journey as we take our film to one of the
most prestigious movie theatres in the world - the BFI IMAX in central London, the biggest
cinema screen in Britain.
Third Contact is a gripping psychological thriller with a sci-fi twist, which originates from
what has been described by one film critic as ‘a goldmine of ideas’, including madness, depression, grief, as well as scientific concepts such as a disturbing ‘thought-experiment’
called Quantum Suicide.
With influences beginning at Sophocles Oedipus the King, this story follows on from Hitchcock’s Vertigo and Marker’s La Jetée - stories about time and fate, about memory and obsession.
“It is difficult for me to convey the sheer artistic brilliance and visual beauty that the work possesses.” Kate-Jane Hall, THE LONDON FILM REVIEW
“Quite the masterpiece and sensational debut” Joseph Rothschild, FAUST
“A goldmine of ideas.” Ralph Sziegoleit, FRANKENPOST
“A moving experience that not only qualifies as cinema but could also be considered a
masterful piece of art with its poetic use of mystery and dialogue.” Christopher George,
MOVIE SLEUTH
"The writing is beautiful. The storytelling. The performances. The art direction. At this
level in the microbudget realm, I can't think of anything else that comes close." Heidi Haaland,SCREENWRITER.
"A massive achievement and if I can ever produce anything that is even half as good
I'll be pretty bloody pleased with myself. BRAVO!!!" Steve French, FILMMAKER.
"Through Third Contact, Simon Horrocks has created the kind of film which I can only
dream of making in the future and has set the standard for low-budget mess-with-your-mind productions." Pardonmyfrenchie, BLOGGER & FILM EDITOR.
"poetic and... mysterious" Critic Nic, FILM BLOGGER.
"Fans of directors like David Lynch, Darren Aronofsky, Richard Kelly, Vincenzo Natali and
Duncan Jones ought to enjoy Third Contact’s open-ended, philosophical and conspiratorial nature." Ian Cavalier, SPIRAL NOTEPAD.
We'll release Third Contact independently in select theaters around London. From there,
we’ll be pushing to show the film in independent cinemas across the UK.
We’ve shown Third Contact to independent cinemas in London - they like the film and
want to show it. Before they can show it, however, we need funds ready to pay for film promotion.
The theatrical release and resulting media coverage of the film will become a huge asset
as we then move on to distributing via DVD, Blu-Ray and video streaming services to an international audience.
I’ve done all the promotional design work myself, which means even more of your money
will go where it’s needed. Apart from securing a professional film PR company’s services,
costs will include hiring a cinema booker, paying for posters and flyers to be printed and
other “deliverables” such as Digital Cinema Packages and Blu-ray masters.
I believe in cinema, which means watching films on a big screen. That‘s what inspired me
to want to make my own films. I would love to bring Third Contact to cinemas around the
world and your backing will help me to keep pushing towards that goal.
I want the exclusive event screening of Third Contact to be a special experience for those
making the £50 donation. That's why I've provisionally booked the BFI IMAX cinema screen
in central London.
This is one of the most prestigious cinemas in the world, where many of the biggest stars
in the business attend premieres of their films. But why should big budget productions
have all the fun?
Should you choose to pledge £50, I will be eternally grateful. Should 250 or more of you
decide to pledge £50, the event screening will take place at the BFI IMAX. If not we will
find another (slightly smaller) prestigious venue in London.
If you pledge £50, as an added thank you, I will add your name to the opening credits for
this special event screening. If enough people make this pledge, your name will be up on
the biggest cinema screen in Britain. Feel free to take a picture!
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They've played many gigs and festivals and gathered the support of thousands of loyal fans in such diverse locations as South America, Poland and Indonesia.
