Bluff Film Spotlight

Today’s film spotlight focuses on the feature film Bluff directed by Sheikh Shahnawaz.

What is the title of your film and what inspired said title?

The title of my film is ‘Bluff’, the inspiration for the title comes from the story and theme of the film which follows an undercover cop who must lie to the people around him and bluff his way out of any dangerous situations he might find himself in because in his line of work, the truth will get him killed.

Tell us a little bit about the story and origins of your film.

The film follows a London police officer who goes undercover as a heroin addict in a small English town and manipulates an unsuspecting local junkie into working with him for a dangerous drug dealer. The film is set in my hometown and deals with homelessness and the illicit trade of heroin which is a prevalent issue here. The film also revolves around the rising use of fentanyl, a lethal drug used to increase the potency of heroin which we are seeing involved in more drug-related deaths around the world than ever before as part of the opioid crisis. I spent time with actual heroin users and drug dealers for research. The undercover policing tactics depicted in the film are based on real-life experiences of actual undercover police agents that operated in this region.

Any films or filmmakers that inspired this film?

In terms of influences on myself as a filmmaker, I’m a huge Christoper Nolan fan, his first film ‘Following’ was the film that inspired me to want to make my own micro-budget feature film and maybe one day go on to have the amazing career he has been able to achieve for himself. Stanley Kubrick too with his 2 first micro-budget film ‘Killer’s Kiss’. The works of Martin Scorsese are also a huge influence on me, it was from watching ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ and then ‘Goodfellas’ immediately after, that I realised what a director actually does. In terms of influences on the actual film, definitely non-linear thrillers like ‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘Memento’ as my film has a very unique non-linear structure of its own. Stylistic influences would include films like ‘Mean Streets’ and ‘Trainspotting’ for their grittiness and showing crime from the street level. I also enjoyed watching other undercover cop films throughout the years like ‘The Departed’, ‘Infernal Affairs’, ‘Donnie Brasco’, ‘Serpico’ and ‘Point Break’.

What is the goal of the film for you?

Firstly to find some representation and a manager in Hollywood. Secondly, be able to make some residual income from the film so I can pursue filmmaking full time. And lastly, capitalise on whatever success or attention this film receives so I can get my next film off the ground which I’d like to make in the States with some big stars.

What has the journey been like getting the film into production?

I spent 8 months writing the screenplay for ‘Bluff’ and when I finally finished it my father died 5 days later. I went from the highest point of my life to the lowest point in the space of a week. In the film, there is a photo of the protagonist as a child with his father. This is actually a photo of me and my father that I found during the week of his death. I was going to postpone making this film for at least 2 years if I had not found this photo. After I buried my father we started filming the very next month. I was driven to finish this film so that I could dedicate it in honor of his memory.

One thing you learned from this project?

You have to be prepared to do everything yourself. I made ‘Bluff’ for $2000 as a one-man crew on my own. Fortunately, I had some amazing actors and a composer that I worked with previously on my short films that were willing to collaborate on my feature. But this still meant I had to write, direct, shoot, edit and do the sound design. And even after producing the movie, I had to create the trailer and poster, find a distributor to get it out there and then market it. I didn’t mind though, I feel like this was the best film school I could have asked for. I learned everything to do with making and releasing a movie and hopefully, I can scale things up for my next project.

How can folks find you and your film online?

Visit www.bluff-movie.com to find all the information on the film and where you can watch it.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel:

www.youtube.com/nawaz101

Follow me on Instagram:

www.instagram.com/cinesheikh

And follow the film on social media:

Instagram – www.instagram.com/bluffmovieuk

Facebook – www.facebook.com/bluffmovieuk

Any last pieces of advice for fellow filmmakers?

Making movies is hard, there are so many easier and better ways to make money and provide for your family. If making movies is as necessary as breathing to you and you are willing to take on the financial hardships and the constant rejections of this pursuit, then don’t give up and give it everything you got.

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