THIS month will see the release of an exciting short film about the trials, tribulations and triumphs of a Belfast teenager who dreams of being like Frank Sinatra.
Produced by local outfit Apex Pictures, ‘I’ll Be Frank’ follows Danny Wilson (Jake Doyle) as he risks ostracisation and humiliation in his quest to emulate Ol’ Blue Eyes at his school talent show.
In a newly released trailer, our protagonist visibly struggles as he tries to hide his love of a bygone age of pop from his peers, but is spurred on by his loving grandmother, Annie (Helena Bereen).
The feel-good film, which was shot exclusively in West Belfast, draws on the lived experience of director, Carleton Rodgers, whose alma mater, St Mary’s Grammar School, provides the backdrop for much of the story.
Carleton, a self-confessed 'Sinatraphile', said the film partly reflects his own teenage years when his music taste marked him as the odd man out. He inherited his love of Frank Sinatra from his now 90-year-old grandmother, who the film is dedicated to.
In essence, ‘I’ll Be Frank’ is a tale of being different during the formative years when most people yearn to simply fit in.
“I was always a big Sinatra fan, and my mates weren’t,” Carleton said.
“I didn’t join any talent shows or get up and sing Sinatra in front of my classmates, but the film is ultimately about this boy trying to overcome his friends’ scorn and the way they look at him because he appreciates this music and they don’t.
“I didn’t do any of the singing or dancing, but I still had to confront my mates. I still had to, at one point, say that I love this kind of music, and in the end they did too to be fair.
“The main message of the film is to be yourself,” he added. "to accept others’ differences and to understand that you don’t have to hide from people, and that we are all different. The main character, Danny, that’s his journey so to speak, being able to be himself, to own up and say ‘I may be a wee bit different, but that’s okay.’ His mates in the end agree with that assessment.”
Although a short film, the shooting of I’ll Be Frank was a big logistical operation involving “all the maddest camera equipment you can imagine” being brought to St Mary’s another locations.
Carleton said filming in West Belfast wasn’t without its difficulties either. He recounted one incident where cast and crew were accosted by an angry Lenadoon resident who took issue with their filming near what is, ostensibly, his block of flats.
The success in pulling the whole operation together is something Carleton largely attributes to the talents of producers Michael Costello and Rachel Coffey, as well as director of photography, Carl Quinn.
As for choosing to work and film locally, he paid tribute to the talented crews, writers and actors who call Ireland – and pecifically Belfast – home.
“I’m very proud of where I come from and I think that we have a lot of stories to tell from this part of the world,” he enthused.
“Belfast has just come out and it has just got nominated for seven Oscars. Although that is related to the Troubles and the political nature of it, we are a very funny people, we have our quirks, we have our moments, and I think there’s a lot to tell within all of that.
“I’d rather tell it from here than move somewhere else and tell some other culture’s stories. There’s plenty for us here.”
‘I’ll Be Frank’ benefits from a talented lineup of largely young actors - Carleton insisted that Apex Pictures strives to “give young actors opportunities”. However, the film also features key performances from more experienced cast members, including “local legend” Helena Bereen, whose roles include BAFTA award-winning films United (1996) and Hunger (2008).
“We had no one else in mind, we just wanted to get her,” Carleton said.
“Whenever reached out to her agent and she read the script she absolutely loved it. We were absolutely delighted.
“She was able to teach us all. We’re all in our 30s and 20s, and she was able to bring that breadth of experience that she has to the set. It was amazing.”
The film was funded and supported by NI Screen and BFI, to whom Cameron said he is “absolutely indebted”.
Movie House Cinema City Side will host an exclusive screening of 'I’ll Be Frank' on February 26 before it hits the film festival circuit where it will be judged by the experts.
Apex Pictures are no strangers to the film critics – their previous film, Transmission, had its world premiere at the Academy Award-qualifying LA Shorts International Film Festival last year. But the biggest test for the young local director and 'I’ll Be Frank' will come when his grandmother watches the film later this month.
“I hope she likes it,” he said simply.
“The biggest fear of all is making a film for someone and then them going ‘Ahh, it was alright.' It does in a way carry a bit of burden.
“She’s about to be 91 in March, so I’m hoping it will be an early present for her when she gets to see it on the 26th of February.”