Films made by Steve Rainbow

BROKENHEAD

85 minutes, Drama, Digital, (In production)

The story follows Stefan, the last light-house keeper, over the last few days of his job before he gets replaced by an automated system. This solitary, hermetic 'answerable to no-one' life style has suited him perfectly, but now reluctantly, he is being extracted and has to do something else. His main purpose is to keep the 'light' burning, but one night quite unexpectedly, the light goes out. He manages to get it started again but all that is needed for the forces of uncertainty to emerge in his mind is a chink of darkness. He finds a dead albatross and then receives a distress call from a little girl who appears to be lost out at sea and the spectre of his past is coming across the waves to confront him. On the night before he is meant to leave, his past, present and future knock on the door and he is forced to face his most terrifying demon.

Written & Directed by Steve Rainbow. Produced by Blair Keseller, Steve Rainbow, Michael Rehberg and Sean Connolly. Edited by Michael Rehburg, Music composed by Andy Garbi. Starring Sean Connolly, Ian Brooker and Barrett Robertson.

iWITNESS

73 minutes, Drama, Digital, 2015

A thriller set inside an English caravan park which centres on the landlord (with broken legs) being confined to his office in a wheelchair. His only contact with the outside world are the daily visits from his nurse and sporadic encounters with his paying tenants. As the days go by he becomes increasingly dependant on his CCTV for information about the world outside his door; a world which becomes more and more distorted as cabin fever sets in.

'iWitness' also has the unique aspect of being the first feature film to star a disabled actor playing a conventional able-bodied role.

Written & Directed by Steve Rainbow. Starring David Proud (EastEnders, Secret Diary of a Call Girl). Also featuring Bella Hamblin, Ian Brooker, Laurence Saunders, Samantha Lyden and Sean Connolly. Produced in partnership with 104 Films, Ark Media, The Fear Factory, Creative Skillset and the BFI. Produced by Phil Arkinstall, David Proud and Justin Edgar. Executive Producers Justin Edgar, Alex Usbourne and Colin Pons. Cinematography by Lauren Hatchard, Sound by Olivier James, Art Direction by Annabelle Bevan, 1st AD Andy Richardson. Edited by Phil Arkinstall. Music by Phil Mountford.

OFFICIAL SELECTION
India International Disability Film Festival
2015
 

NOMINATED FOR BEST FILM AWARD
Madrid International Film Festival
2015

OFFICIAL SELECTION
Southend Film Festival
2015 

More Canals than Venice!

MORE CANALS THAN VENICE

60 minutes, Documentary, Digital, 2013

A high octane signpost documentary featuring 100 interesting and eductional facts about Birmingham.

Featuring Willard Wigan, Kash 'The Flash' Gill, Simon Topman and Roger Shannon to name but a few. Music by CBSO playing Elgar's Enigma Variations.

Co-written, Directed and Produced by Steve Rainbow. Produced by Blair Kesseler. Co Produced by Philip Arkinstall. Associate Producers Nick Venning, Rita McLean, Christine Cushing and Sean Connolly.

NOMINEE FOR BEST FACTUAL PROGRAMME
Royal Television Society Awards (Midlands)
2014 

PREMIER SCREENING
Lunar Festival 2014

Screened at Flatpack Film Festival 2014 

Distribution has been secured to give every school in Birminghmam a copy of this film. To obtian a copy contact blair@blairkesseler.net

NFA (No Fixed Abode)

NFA

72 minutes, Drama, Digital, 2012

Adam (Patrick Baladi) is a successful middle-class businessman and homeowner with a beautiful wife and little girl. After his delightfully quiet birthday celebration with just the three of them, Adam bids his daughter and wife goodnight, unaware of the consequences falling asleep would bring into his life. It is immediately clear that something is very wrong when Adam wakes to find himself in a hostel with no memory of how he got there. He knows his name but lacks any sort of identification proving he is whom he says. A trip to the police station proves useless, as officers look down in disgust at a man they presume to have drunk too much the night before and tossed out by his wife. As flashbacks periodically afflict his mind like migraine lightening, Adam fights to maintain control of his fleeting psyche. It’s like a nightmare where you just can’t wake yourself up. One moment you are on the top of the world and the next you find yourself at a loss for when your life has disappeared to. A brutally touching narrative about homelessness and mental illness.

 Starring Patrick Baladi (The Office, Stella, Line of Duty). Also featuring Simon Lowe, David Sterne, Laurence Saunders, Saskia Butler, Vicky Roberts, Sean Connolly, David Proud and Ava Baladi. 

Written & Directed by Steve Rainbow. Produced by Anna Savill, Justin Edgar, Alex Usborne and Colin Pons. Produced by by 104 Films in partnership with BFI and Creative Skillset.  

Cinematography by Flemming Jetmar, Sound by Todd Richardson, Art Director Annabelle Bevan, Edited by Phil Arkinstall, Music by Alex Baranowski. Camera assistant Chris Wanklyn, 1st AD Andy Richardson.

  OFFICIAL SELECTION
Edinburgh International Film Festival
2012

  OPENING GALA FILM
BornHolm Film Festival, Denmark
2012

  OPENING FILM
Departure Lounge Film Season,  MAC Birmingham
2013

  CLOSING GALA FILM
Southend Film Festival

2013 

EatSleepLiveFilm - David Rowley (4 stars) "A brutally touching narrative. NFA is the sort of independant film many people oughtto see becuase it encourages conversation on very importnat subjects."

Read full review from EatSleepLiveFilm.

FlickFeast - Kevin Matthews (4 stars) "NFA is a fantastic film, absolutely fantastic."

Read full review from FlickFeast.  

SpoonFed - Steph Hurst (4 stars)
 

"The beauty of this film is that the viewers experience mirrors that of the protagonist. It stayed with me for days after I'd watched it."

ScreenDaily:  http://www.screendaily.com/festivals/cannes/ballpark-takes-uk-rights-to-no-fixed-abode/5056256.article

Edinburgh Int Film Festival http://edfilmfest.org.uk/films/2012/nfa

To but a copy of the film go to Amazon 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fixed-Abode-DVD-Patrick-Baladi/dp/B01I06P078

A SMALL SILENT FILM ABOUT DEATH

3 minutes, Comedy/Silent, Digital, UK & France, 2008 

A silent film lamenting the death of conversation.

Written, Directed and Produced by Steve Rainbow. Starring Cathy Clarke, Andrew Loxley, Richard Stokes, Fiona McKibben. Camera by Ian Brow, Edited by Dan Jones, Music by Martin Fisher and Michael Callaghan. Produced by Henry Angell James.

Distributed by Future Shorts.

 OFFICIAL SELECTION

Hello Digital Festival

2010

 Screened at Glastonbury 2010 

OFFICIAL SELECTION

Britspotting Film Festival, Berlin
2009  

WINNER OF BEST COMEDY FILM AWARD

Chicago International REEL Short Film Festival
2009 

NOMINATED FOR BEST SHORT FILM AWARD 

Hamburg International Short Film Festival

2009

NOMINATED FOR AUTEUR AWARD
London Short Film Festival
2009

OFFICIAL SELECTION 

The Accidental Arts Festival, London
2009

OFFICIAL SELECTION 

 Flatpack Film Festival, Birmingham

2009

OFFICIAL SELECTION

 Palm Springs International Film Festival

2008

 OFFICIAL SELECTION

Branchage Film Festival, Jersey

2008

OFFICIAL SELECTION 

Birmingham Arts  Festival
2008

TO

3 minutes, Art Instalation Film, GoPro, 2007

A triptych film created for an art instalation depicting three continuous journeys along the Grand Union Canal. The journey tracks old and new lines of communications. It contains the only complete visual depiction of the canal system from Birmingham to London and is presented at 7,500 mph.

Conceived and made by Steve Rainbow. Produced by Michael Rehberg.

Screened at Glastonbury 2010 

Screened at BBC Big Screen 2010

QUEST FOR FIRE (The hottest curry in the world)

3 minutes, Documentary, Digital, 2006

Documentary about one mans search for the hottest curry in the world.

Written & Presented by Steve Rainbow. Sound by Oliver Rochell. Music by Dominic Paul de Grande. Produced by Lucy Baxter. Executive Producer Mark Calvert.

Commissioned by Channel 5 from the Sheffield Doc/Fest. First screened for Channel 5 on Christmas Day 2006.

WINNER BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY PITCH
Sheffield Doc/Fest
2006
 

NOMINATED FOR BEST FILM AWARD

Rushes Soho Film FestivaL
2007 

OFFICIAL SELECTION

Raindance Film Festival

2007

NOMINATED FOR BEST FILM AWARD

Cinematic Film Festival

2007

AUTO DA FE

10 minutes, Comedy/Sci-Fi/Horror, Black & White, 2006

Two men, one car, no road!

Written and Directed by Steve Rainbow. Starring Dominic Coleman and Simon Lowe and featuring Paul Murphy. Sound by Oliver Rochell, Camera by Steph Harrt, Edited by Phil Arkinstall, Mucis by Alex Baranowski. Produced by Justin Edgar. Executive Producer Dan Lawson. Produced by Screen WM, UK Film Council and 104 Films.

WINNER OF BEST COMEDY FILM AWARD
International Sci-Fi and Horror Festival, USA
2007 

Screened at BBC Big Screen 2007 

BLACK & WHITE (The Guinness Film)

3 minutes, Comedy, 35mm, UK & Ireland, 2005

Three guys discuss the correct way to order three pints of Guinness.

Written, Directed and Produced by Steve Rainbow. Produced by Michael Rehberg, Justin Edgar, Jon Briest, Stuart Pitcher and Katie Grayson. DOP Stephen Nelson. Starring Michael Colgan, Kevin Murphy and Tom Farrelly.

RUNNER UP FOR BEST FILM AWARD

Rolling Stock Film Festival
2006

OFFICIAL SELECTION
Britspotting Film Festival, Berlin
2005
 

Screened at BBC Big Screen 2006 
 

OFFICIAL SELECTION

Birmingham Arts Fest

2006

OFFICIAL SELECTION

Asian Short Shorts Film Festival

2005

OFFICIAL SELECTION

Leeds Film Festival

2005

OFFICIAL SELECTION

Stratford-upon-Avon Film Festival

2005

THE LODGER

3 minutes, Comedy/Social Realism, 8mm, 2004

A little girl remembers the day the lodger moved in.

Directed by Steve Rainbow. Starring Daisy Bannon-Ryder and Michael Colgan. Written by Andrew Loxley. Camera by Ian Brow. Post Production by Katie Grayson. Produced by Steve Rainbow and Michael Rehberg.

RUNNER UP FOR BEST SHORT FILM AWARD
The BIG Issue Film Festival
2004 

GORILLA FILM MAKING

5 minutes, Comedy, B&W and Colour, Digital, UK, 2003

'It's about a gorilla that makes films!'

Written & Directed by Steve Rainbow. Starring: Zoe Lyons, Simon Hill.  Voice by Bob Boyton. Produced and made by Michael Rehberg, Stuart Pitcher, Jon Briest, Katie Grayson.

AWARD FOR BEST SCRIPT PITCH
Raw Talent, Raindance, London 
2003

THE PUNISHMENT CUPBOARD

9 minutes, Drama, 16mm, UK, 2002 

A story based on elements from the childhood of Ingmar Bergman. A young boy turns fear of dark places into a love of the cinema.

Written & Directed by Steve Rainbow. Starring Aaron Lambourne. Camera by John Steadman, Sound by Jon Breist, Edited by Ben Campbell, Music by Mark Lane, Produced by Kate Murray.

DEAR SANTA

2 minutes, Comedy, 16mm, 1999

Did you get what you asked for last Christmas?...No! Neither did these guys. The Four Bald Hitmen of the Apocolypse ride into town to take their revenge.

Written & Directed by Steve Rainbow. Starring Enda Mullen, Michael Callaghan, Simon Smith, Anthony Smith, Andrew Savage and John Kirby. Camera by Ian Brow, Edited by Steve Rainbow, Music by Mark Lane, Produced by Steve Rainbow and Peter Shaw, Executive Producers Pritpal Sagoo, Peter Crook.

 
Screned at Glastonbury 2010 

Screened at BBC Big Screen 2007 

WINNER - BEST SHORT FILM AWARD
Battersea Arts Festival
1999 

RUNNER UP FOR BEST SHORT FILM AWARD
BBC Drama Award, Birmingham International Film & TV Festival
1999

PIG IN A POKE

20 minutes, Comedy/Drama, Digital, 1998

The story of a man who couldn't fart and became trapped by his own wind.

Starring Simon Hill, Russell Wootton, Philip Rosch, Felicity Wren, Michael Wattam, Sarah Jarman. Written, Directed and Produced by Steve Rainbow. Music by Mark Lane, Edited by Toby James, Camera by Jon Briest, Co Produced by Michael Rehberg, Produced by Richard Veitch.

  OFFICIAL SELECTION
Raindance Film Festival
1998

  RUNNER UP FOR BEST SHORT FILM AWARD
BBC Drama Award, Birmingham International Film & TV Festival
1998 

Now serialised into 4 parts.

PIG IN A POKE: Part 1    PIG IN A POKE: Part 2    
PIG IN A POKE: Part 3    PIG IN A POKE: Part 4