Sorority Film Spotlight

Today’s film spotlight focuses on the feature film Sorority directed by James Webber.

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

My film is called Sorority – It’s a film about sisterhood, so I felt the title really encompassed that.

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

Sorority tells the story of two sisters (played by the wonderful Sophie Kennedy Clark & Emily Haigh) who are moving in opposite directions in life. An urban drama, the film charts the last few days before one of them moves away, forcing them to re-examine their tragic family past, whilst both looking forward to a brighter future.

The journey to making Sorority really began a number of years ago, with my short film Soror. I enjoyed making Soror a great deal, but I felt that there was more story to tell and that the characters could be expanded into a longer film. The wonderful Kate Dickie (Game of Thrones) appears in both projects but, whilst the themes are similar, the feature film version is quite different and certainly feels richer for it.

The story came from in-part my own childhood, growing up in a household with my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, all under one roof. I grew up watching the interactions between these women and it always fascinated me. They were funny, hard working, occasionally annoying, but didn’t take any shit and dealt with anything life threw at them. As a result, I’ve always been interested in those kind of relationships, especially if that family bond has been entrenched in adversity.

Any films or filmmakers that inspired this film?

I’d say the work of Terrence Malick and Andrea Arnold has been a massive inspiration on my work as a director and writer. Malick’s The Thin Red Line in particular is one of my favourite films and I’ve lost count how many times I’ve seen it now. Although it’s quite different in genre and tone, I’d say that the way realistic scenes play alongside more stylistic moments in The Thin Red Line has definitely crept into my own work.

What is the goal of the film for you?

First and foremost you want people to see and, hopefully, enjoy the film you’ve made. I simply wanted to tell that story and I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to do so. Now it’s all about the next feature…

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

I had been working on another feature which had been a really bad experience. Sophie Kennedy Clark was also part of that project as an actress and, after really having enough of the way things were going, we decided to make our own film with myself as writer/director and Sophie as lead actress and producer. The financing of the film was incredibly straight forward and we found our budget quickly, in fact, the whole production was refreshingly enjoyable including the shoot itself which, despite some pretty intense scenes, was a lot of fun. Releasing a film during COVID was certainly a challenge, but I’ve been super proud of everyone’s hard work and the response to the film itself. Also getting on the BIFA talent long-list for the film’s script was a lovely surprise.

One thing you learned from this project?

Make sure you put together a talented team that are, not only as passionate about making the film as you are, but are also nice people. Low budget filmmaking can be tough at times and having people that you can depend upon standing next to you, really makes a difference.

How can folks find you and your film online?

People can follow me on twitter and Instagram and also see more of my work on my website www.directorjwebber.com.

Sorority is available to rent and buy on Amazon Prime Video in the UK and US. Read more about the film here: www.sororityfilm.com

Any last pieces of advice for fellow filmmakers?

Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Short films in particular are fantastic for discovering your own voice and taking risks. When you start making shorts, you’ll probably make a bunch of mistakes and that’s OK. Learn from them all and take the lessons with you so, when you come to shooting your first feature, you will have already learnt a great deal.

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