How to see the world premiere of Portsmouth-made film The Mire

The events of the film unfold as two of his most loyal folders begin to worry something is very wrong and confront Joseph...

It could be the plot of a Hollywood thriller, but The Mire is very much a homegrown affair – shot here, in and around Portsmouth using mostly local cast and crew, including final year students from the University of Portsmouth.

And the feature length film will have its world premiere at a gala screening early next month at No.6 Cinema in The Historic Dockyard.

The movie is the second full-length feature to have been made by the Portsmouth-based production companies Apple Park Films and Familiar Stranger Studios. Directed by Apple Park founder Adam Nelson, much of the film was shot on location at King’s Church in Somers Road, Portsmouth, but also on Portsdown Hill and Southsea seafront.

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Adam, from Waterlooville, says: ‘The Mire represents the biggest, local independent film production in Portsmouth in a long time. When thinking about the premiere, it made sense that we make it a Portsmouth event and invite the people of the city to get involved.’

Screenwriter Chris Watt, from Aberdeenshire, is one of the few involved to not be connected with the Solent area, so how did his script end up in front of Adam?

‘I've known Chris for several years now. He was one of the first people to review a film I made in 2015. He said some really kind words about it, so we kept in touch. During the first Covid lockdown he sent me a two-hander feature script which was two people in a lift. It was just as film and TV were starting to open up again and there were new rules about bubbling and how people could work, and I thought: “I can do this. I can make this!”’

Unfortunately, someone made Chris an offer he couldn’t afford to refuse and they bought the script. It was released last year as Stalker, starring Sophie Skelton who is best known for the hit TV show Outlander.

But Chris came back to Adam, and the director says: ‘Because he had taken it from me at the last minute, Chris said, “Look, let's sit down and have a chat about subjects you find interesting and I'll write something specifically for you". I've always been interested in cults, so that's where that came from.

‘And because I'd been looking at building a set in King’s Church for the film set in the elevator, I was able to send him the schematics for the church and say, “What I'd really like is something set in here because I've fallen in love with this building”.’

Working closely together, they went through several drafts until deciding it was ready for shooting. ‘It was my first time doing that with a writer and I really enjoyed the experience,’ recalls Adam.

Life-long love of film

Adam fell into film-making through a series of fortunate educational choices. As a boy he wanted to be an author, but he found himself the day before sixth-form college began choosing A levels in film, media and psychology.

‘I'd always loved films growing up, but studying film at an academic level really gave me an understanding of the whys, and a sense of what film could be.

‘I finished my A levels and applied to do film studies at the University of Portsmouth – back then fees were only a grand a year, so I wanted to study something I was really passionate about. I came out from that and again had no idea what I was doing.’

From there, the he was nudged towards teaching film studies.

‘Really I just wanted a job where I could talk about films, and teaching film studies seemed fantastic. After a few years of doing that, things started to get consolidated and I was told if you want to keep your job you have to be able to teach film-making as well.’ So he did.

‘Then I met some fantastic people in the film-making department who guided me through it and met a really great man called Simon Westcott, who The Mire is partly dedicated to.

‘Because I watched lots of films, I kind of knew inherently what made a good film. The technical stuff like the camera work and how to set up and use a camera are all things that can be taught and learnt as they're technical skills. But the creative part I already understood because I liked writing and I liked watching films and putting them together and analysing them.’

Starting to make his own films

But he soon realised that he needed to show his students he could walk the walk, as well as talk the talk. After some experimental bits and pieces, he made a short film near his home called The House Near Apple Park – which gives his production company its name.

‘That did surprisingly well – it got into a couple of festivals, didn't win any awards, but got some good write-ups. I was around 25-26 when that happened, and I thought I was getting on a bit,’ he laughs, ‘I thought, “I've proved I can make a short film, and I can raise this much money, so I'm going to make a feature film”.’

That film was Little Piece, made for just £6,000, which got nominated for best drama in the National Film Awards against Oscar and Bafta-nominated heavyweights such as Lady in the Van, 45 Years, The Danish Girl, and Youth.

‘I don't know how that happened, but it did! When they rang me up to tell me, I thought it was someone taking the mick. That led to me getting some money to make a short film down in Portsmouth. Then I made a segment for an anthology with some other film-makers down here. Then Covid happened.

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‘I thought if I'm going to make another feature film, now's the time, and that's what I've spent the last two years doing.’

On the eve of its release Adam says he is feeling ‘sheer terror.’ But he adds: ‘It's weird because I've seen the film so many times, so in some ways I'm done with it! But I can't wait to see it with an audience, with other people to see how they react to it. Handing it over to other people, so it's no longer "my" thing, is quite terrifying.

‘But I was in No.6 the other day and they showed the trailer before the screening, and there was a buzz in the audience that was really positive, which was good. It was cool to hear people who didn't know I was there saying, “That looks cool, maybe we should check that out.”

Keeping it local

For Adam, it has been important for the film to be made here using mostly local talent (only one of the three actors comes from outside Hampshire).

‘I’m a big believer in localised film-making. I know Portsmouth, I grew up here, I know what it's like and I can tell a story here and know the envinronment and the place. If I was to a make a film in London, for example, it would be just in the same old place everyone always sees because that's all I know.

‘We have a great university here that is screen skills affiliated, and we get students in every year who go through the course, but then they go off to London and we're not really using that skills-base here, which is a real shame here.’

Chris Watt adds: ‘It’s very exciting to be having the premiere in Portsmouth. This is a film that shows, very clearly, that British filmmaking does not stop and start with London or Glasgow. British film should be regional, to represent all the beautiful and diverse elements that make up the country and Portsmouth is just one of many places brimming with cinematic potential.’

How to be at the world premiere

The Mire’s world premiere will take place at the No6 Cinema, based in Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard, on February 3, 7pm.

Adam says: ‘We’ve kept ticket prices low because of the cost of living crisis, that way as many people as possible can come along and celebrate filmmaking in our incredible city.’

The screening is followed by a Q&A with the cast and crew of the film. Tickets are £6. Go to no6cinema.co.uk.