Hello Carter

Hello Carter has its world premiere at the 57th London Film Festival this week and I caught up with the cast and debut director Anthony Wilcox for a quick run down of this romantic comedy.

Anthony Wilcox

Your debut film is having its premier at the London Film Festival, how does that feel as a British director ?

It’s very exciting, it’s my home festival. For my first film it’s an honour and privilege.

When you were writing Hello Carter did you draw from your own life?

Probably some, not consciously but yeah I guess when you’re writing you do draw from personal experiences.

How was filming on location in London?

Filming in London is always tricky. luckily I have has experience as an assistant director in London, so I knew some of the pros and cons. You know the advantages. Things like the tube were tough, we spent 12 hours on the central line just going up and down filming a dialogue scene. I don’t think I’ll be writing one of those again ( laughs). But we had the opportunity to shoot on a fake carriage, but we made the decision to not use that and go for the much less friendly on the schedule and budget, but it gave a better atmosphere. To get that sort of atmosphere and the feel of the train we felt it was something we couldn’t fake. We tried to carry that trough to other locations throughout the shoot.

You have some great names in the cast; Charlie Cox, Jodie Whittaker to make a few, were they your first choices?

Yeah, we just got so lucky with the cast. You always aim high and expect them all to say no, but we got lucky and they all said yes. It was a privilege to work with such talent.

Jodie Whittaker

Tell us about your character?

I play jenny in Hello Carter she’s very lost in herself and even physically lost at the start of the film and Carter swans into her life in a very bumbly way, he’s not your stereotyped typical leading characters. He’s fantastic and awkward and a bit lost himself. They so they have an evening which my character starts thinking is a bit of a crap night in a club. But it turns into a farce and a huge journey all set over one night set in London. Meeting an American on the way it’s quiet fun

Being a British film set in London how important is it that it’s being premiered here at the London film festival?

I’m really really passionate it’s in a schedule with so many great films, big films little films and this is  a baby film for us  Anthony ( Anthony Wilcox- Director  ) has worked so hard  getting it from a short film to a feature – it’s just amazing and i feel more and more passionate the longer I’m in this industry the more excited i am for independent cinema and how we should support it more, they are really important , just as important as the bigger ones and this festival gives us that.

Henry Lloyd Hughes

Tell us about your character in Hello Carter

He is the boss from hell who is the last thing you would ever want to face on a Monday morning and with that it was a pleasure to play I relished every moment of that.

So was he based on anybody in particular?

Yes, yes defiantly (laughing)

Do they know this?

No but maybe they will write me a letter after they see this film. It depends on how well I played them. I think I took from a few sources I think I’ve spread it thinly enough so that I won’t get in trouble

Are you happy with how the film turned out?

I’ve not seen it (Laughs), This is a proper premiere for me I’m generally nervous.

Charlie Cox