Dreamscape | The Toyah Willcox Fansite

Filmed on the Isle of Wight: Weightless garners success at Soho London Independent Film Festival

A short film shot on the Isle of Wight, Weightless, has added another prestigious accolade to its growing collection.

The film, starring the renowned Toyah Willcox, won the award for Best Experimental Drama at the Soho London Independent Film Festival over the weekend.

Exploring a powerful story: Directed by Lois Norman, Weightless tells the poignant story of Maureen, a woman confronting her inner demons alone on a beach. As she steps into the water, the film explores themes of resilience and personal transformation.

The screenplay was penned by Louise Monaghan, with production led by Isle of Wight-based producer Rowena Amos, founder of 9 of Cups Productions. Among other places, it was filmed in Freshwater Bay and Ventnor Bay.

Celebrating the team’s achievement: The film’s success was shared by writer Louise Monaghan, who expressed her delight at the recognition.

• Continue reading at On The Wight.

Congratulations to Weightless – and Toyah, the film was awarded Best Experimental Film at the The Soho London Independent Film Festival – SohoLIFF – on Monday evening.

• See Toyah’s post about this at Facebook. Browse Dreamscape’s Weightless news archive.

It seems to be a tradition over the past few years for BBC Two to air Quadrophenia at Christmas, and 2024 is no different…

Quadrophenia: BBC Two: Sunday 22nd December: 11.45pm
The Who wrote and produced this energetic story of a young man disillusioned with his life in 1960s London. Phil Daniels excels as the alienated anti-hero Jimmy Cooper. Director: Franc Roddam. Starring: Phil Daniels, Leslie Ash, Toyah Willcox, Philip Davis, Mark Wingett, Sting, and Ray Winstone.

The award winning short film Weightless will have its online premiere this coming Saturday at 9.30pm on YouTube. More details, at Facebook, by clicking below.

For 45 years Toyah has taken to the stage like no other. She has won numerous awards and nominations from singing to writing to acting. In 2001 Toyah was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Central England in Birmingham. This showreel includes extracts from her filmography…

What a great year 2023 was for Weightless! See the collection of awards and nominations the short film received by clicking below.

Quadrophenia – Our Generation: Sky Arts: Sunday 14th July: 0.25am
Celebrity fans and cast members come together to shed light on the making of Quadrophenia and explore the legacy that the cult film has left behind, 40 years after its release.

Quadrophenia Reunited – 40 Years On: Sky Arts: Sunday 14th July: 1.25am
Lauren Laverne hosts a one-off special bringing the stars of Quadrophenia together. Featuring reminiscing, interviews, a table-read of the script and plenty of surprises. (Photo © Sky Arts)

The Footage Detectives: Talking Pictures TV: Monday 1st July: 7pm
Quadrophenia. Featuring a look behind the scenes on Quadrophenia. Plus, rescued cinema advertising slides from the Second World War and memories of Smedley’s Sausage Rolls.

The Footage Detectives: Talking Pictures TV: Sunday 9th June: 5pm
Quadrophenia. Featuring a look behind the scenes on Quadrophenia. Plus, rescued cinema advertising slides from the Second World War and memories of Smedley’s Sausage Rolls.

Quadrophenia Reunited – 40 Years On: Sky Arts: Wednesday 27th March: 00.30am
Lauren Laverne hosts a one-off special bringing the stars of Quadrophenia together. Featuring reminiscing, interviews, a table-read of the script and plenty of surprises. (Photo © Sky Arts)

Quadrophenia – Our Generation: Sky Arts: Tuesday 26th March: 11.30pm
Celebrity fans and cast members come together to shed light on the making of Quadrophenia and explore the legacy that the cult film has left behind, 40 years after its release. (Photo © Sky Arts)

Quadrophenia: BBC2: Sunday 18th February: 00.20am
The Who wrote and produced this energetic story of a young man disillusioned with his life in 1960s London. Phil Daniels excels as the alienated anti-hero Jimmy Cooper. Director: Franc Roddam. Starring: Phil Daniels, Leslie Ash, Toyah Willcox, Philip Davis, Mark Wingett, Sting, and Ray Winstone.

Far Out Magazine has just published a new article on the 2015 film, Aaaaaaaah!, in which Toyah had a lead role.

‘Aaaaaaaah!’: The surreal British comedy that sees everyone pretend to be monkeys

British cinema has long championed experimental and offbeat ideas, funding arthouse and non-commercially viable films that have gone on to become cult classics. The work of Derek Jarman, beginning in the 1970s, helped to establish the prominence of art cinema in Britain. His transgressive films, establishing him as one of the most important filmmakers in the queer cinema canon, came to inspire many other budding artists.

Of course, Jarman wasn’t the only experimental filmmaker active when the genre began to gain traction. Other notable avant-garde works of art include Jane Arden’s The Other Side of the Underneath and Laura Mulvey and Peter Wollen’s Riddles of the Sphinx, inspiring generations of British filmmakers to lose all sense of cinematic abandon. Britain has since gained a reputation for producing unique, unconventional films, continuing into the 21st century.

In 2015, actor Steve Oram, known for starring in countless British films and television shows, from The Mighty Boosh to Paddington, released his feature directorial debut, Aaaaaaaah! The movie is perhaps one of the most courageously subversive works of cinema released in the past decade, throwing all sense of convention to the wind. The movie, which stars Oram alongside some well-known British faces – Toyah Wilcox, Julian Barratt, Noel Fielding, Alice Lowe and more – features no dialogue. Instead, the characters all communicate through movement, animalistic noises and facial expressions.

• Continue reading at Far Out Magazine. Browse our comprehensive Aaaaaaaah! news archive.

Christmas 2019, Invasion Planet Earth – in which Toyah had/has a starring lead role and also performs the end credits title song, Step Into The New World, released as a digital single simultaneously as the film premiered – was screening in numerous cinemas around the UK.

With the tagline: They’re coming, and reviews boasting “British sci-fi at its best” and “A British classic… War Of The World meets Independence Day“, the film was being compared to enduring sci fi movie blockbusters, and is now considered a cult film.

Invasion Planet Earth – originally titled Kaleidoscope Man – had been an enduring, mammoth, film project and a labour of love for its creator, Simon Cox, for many years.

• See much more info on Invasion Planet Earth, here and here. The film is available on DVD and in digital format. NB. A few months after the original release of Step Into The New World, the song was also released on the Planetary Invasion Mix.

Isle of Wight film starring Toyah wins film festival award

A short film, shot on the Isle of Wight and starring Toyah Willcox, has won an award at the New Renaissance Film Festival (NRFF) in London.

Weightless was produced by Ventnor’s Rowena Amos, through 9 of Cups Productions.

It was made on the Island in 2022 and Toyah was spotted filming on beaches here, in Freshwater and Ventnor.

The project also featured a host of well-known Isle of Wight names, including photographer Gianpaolo Mario Giancovich, and musicians JC Grimshaw and Angelina Grimshaw – the latter working with the crew on costumes.

This week, Weightless picked up the NRFF’s prize for Best Female-led Short.

The film was directed by Lois Norman and the music was by King Crimson, Toyah’s husband, Robert Fripp.

A trailer was released in May.

• Continue reading at the Isle Of Wight County Press. See also Yahoo! News.

Weightless has been nominated for Best Female Led Short and Best Experimental Drama at New Renaissance Film Festival London.

Quadrophenia: BBC2: Saturday 22nd July: 10.50pm
The Who wrote and produced this energetic story of a young man disillusioned with his life in 1960s London. Phil Daniels excels as the alienated anti-hero Jimmy Cooper. Director: Franc Roddam. Starring: Phil Daniels, Leslie Ash, Toyah Willcox, Philip Davis, Mark Wingett, Sting, and Ray Winstone.

Weightless has been awarded Runner Up for Best Film at Brighton International Film Festival. At the same awards Weightless won Best Director for Lois Norman and Best Cinematography.

Watch the trailer for the short film Weightless starring Toyah Willcox as Maureen. Written by Louise Monaghan and directed by Lois Norman.

On a deserted East Sussex beach, a sixty-two year old woman struggles to face down her inner demons as she makes her way into the water.

Isle of Wight film starring Toyah Willcox has trailer released

The trailer for a short film shot on the Isle of Wight, and starring Toyah Willcox, has been released.

Weightless is produced by Ventnor resident Rowena Amos and her film company 9 of Cups Productions.

It was recorded on the Island last year, with Toyah spotted filming on beaches in Freshwater and Ventnor. The film has a host of well-known Isle of Wight names attached to it, including stills photographer Gianpaolo Mario Giancovich, musician JC Grimshaw, and Angelina Grimshaw working with the crew on costumes.

• Continue reading at the Isle Of Wight County Press. See more of Dreamscape’s post on Weightless here.

Quadrophenia Reunited – 40 Years On: Sky Arts: Saturday 27th May: 1.50am
Celebrity fans and cast members come together to shed light on the making of Quadrophenia and explore the legacy that the cult film has left behind, 40 years after its release. (Photo © Sky Arts)

Quadrophenia Reunited – Our Generation: Sky Arts: Saturday 27th May: 00.50am
Lauren Laverne hosts a one-off special bringing the stars of Quadrophenia together. Featuring reminiscing, interviews, a table-read of the script and plenty of surprises. (Photo © Sky Arts)