Big screen premiere for film inspired by 1980s Hartcliffe

The premiere might have been at Cabot Circus’ Showcase Cinema De Lux but the heart of a new film is in Hartcliffe.

With motorbikes, fast cars, punch-ups and a banging 80s soundtrack, The Fence transports us back some four decades to life on a south Bristol council estate, the characters and community that hold it all together.

The premiere on Thursday marked the culmination of a long-held ambition of director William Stone to turn his award-winning short film of the same name into a feature length piece.

And the years of work have paid off for the film that features a cast of well-known names, including Bristol’s Jayde Adams, Joe Sims and Paul Holbrook, alongside Sally Phillips (Smack the Pony and Bridget Jones), Eugene Simon (Game of Thrones), Paul Cooper (This Country), David Perkins (Hollyoaks), among others.

Jayde Adams as Miss Bourne in The Fence – photo: RED ANCHOR FILMS Ltd

Speaking to Bristol24/7 ahead of the premiere, writer and director William admits it’s a nerve-wracking moment to finally be showing The Fence on the big screen.

“In a way there’s a lot of ‘you’ in the film so you can feel quite exposed,” he says.

“But I’ve been happy with the film for a while now and I know that me and the team left nothing in the tank. It’s cut from the same vein as the original short film, which was always the goal and I’m totally confident that it’s much better too. I hope the people of Bristol enjoy it, we did it for them and the city.”

Set on the streets of 1980s Bristol, the retro comedy flick, produced by Will, Adam Pickford and Guy Davies, follows a council estate kid out to settle the score with local thieves who stole his motorbike.

He seeks the help of his scoundrel friends and notorious older brother to track it down before it’s gone forever.

Speaking about the inspiration behind the film, Will says: “The original short film was based on one of many stories from my father’s childhood. He grew up on a council estate in Bristol during the late 70s and early 80s.

Will Stone’s inspiration for the film came from his dad’s tales of growing up on a Hartcliffe council estate in the 70s and 80s – photo: Will Stone

“It was a very different world then and I was fascinated by the way people interacted with each other. There seemed a greater sense of community and principles. Life was simpler, but not without its drawbacks: poverty, alcoholism and violence featured in many of the stories.

“It’s taken years of incredibly hard work to make it a reality and I couldn’t be happier with the finished film. I think what we’ve achieved with our micro-budget is hard to rival. Every penny is up on the screen where it should be and I truly believe this is one of those few little Indie films that has the potential to break the mould and surprise people.”

Joe Sims is just one of the well-known Bristol names to feature in The Fence – photo: RED ANCHOR FILMS Ltd

Set on the streets of 1980s Bristol, the retro comedy flick follows a council estate kid out to settle the score with local thieves who stole his motorbike – photo: RED ANCHOR FILMS Ltd

The Fence will be released exclusively in Bristol on September 2 with Showcase Cinemas.

Main photo: RED ANCHOR FILMS Ltd

Read more: Award-winning film set in 1980s Hartcliffe 

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