Market Deeping Club to assist in film production

Market Deeping Model Railway Club is to loan its 'Cannons Cross' layout for a short film. Dream Big, written and directed by Pip Swallow, under French Fancy Productions is a bittersweet comedy about a young woman who discovers she can control the world through her model railway.

Pip's first short, a sitcom pilot, Great Expectations won Edinburgh TV Festival’s New Voices Award for ‘Best Pilot’, and also screened at Tribeca, Underwire, Cambridge and Norwich Film Festivals. Her second short as writer and directorial debut, is the comedy-horror, Day of the 20,000 Gammon, currently in post production.

Pip Tribeca at TV Festival, where her first short film ‘Great Expectations’ premiered.

The Dream Big script has been developed with the support of the British Film Institute, which is continuing its support with part production finance. Fancy French Productions needs to raise a further £5,000, and is looking for Associate Producers to donate £1000 or more to the film’s production. In turn, Fancy French Productions is promising Associate Producers the following benefits:

• A ‘Thank You’ on the film’s website and social media channels
•  A copy of the film on DVD
• Aan opportunity to appear in the film in a supporting role
• An invite (plus guest) to a private screening with drinks reception
• An IMDB entry as Associate Producer
• An Associate Producer credit in the closing credits of the film

Fancy French Productions' previous short films have won multiple awards and been screened at BAFTA and Academy Award-qualifying festivals. Its intention is to make the film with the same high production values and the best of local British talent, including partnering with the modellers of Market Deeping Model Railway Club (MDMRC). It is aiming the short at the premier tier of film festivals – Sundance, Cannes, SXSW and London to gain exposure and to take the model railway to new audiences.

Bill Sowerby of MDMRC will be transporting the layout with a small team from the club and operating it during the film shoot. A series of articles on Canons Cross appeared in BRM magazine between January and April 2010, available to download as a digital edition. Since its original concept the layout has had two further extensions, the most recent in 2018.

For further details on the film production, including contact details, visit the Fancy French Productions website.