Exeter School Alumnus film maker seeks funding for film on mental health in boxing

Film producer and 2014 leaver Owain Astles is working on a film which will be premiered at the Exeter Phoenix's Two Short Nights Film Festival on 1st - 2nd December and is keen to seek funding.

The Hardest Fight is a short film, commissioned by Exeter Phoenix, which follows a young boxer struggling with depression, in the lead up to their first fight.

Director and producer Owain explained that the film was a representation of the parallels of fighting against mental health issues and the physical fight of a boxing match.

“As well as the visual narrative, we're planning to use snippets of interviews with boxers, describing what goes through your mind when struggling with mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, and how boxing has helped them,” he said.

Based around the film they are running a campaign, through a series of online videos, looking at how boxing has helped many people to deal with mental health struggles they've been facing; this will include short interviews with boxers, mental health professionals and young people, as well as features with boxing clubs, such as Empire Fighting Chance in Bristol, that run classes specifically for people of all ages who struggle with mental health issues.

Owain also intends to release a short documentary, partially commissioned by Rife magazine, on his experiences talking to boxing clubs and the people he’s met.

“School can be a really difficult time, and I think that's true wherever you go; there are so many pressures such as exams, social pressures, looking good or problems at home that can really hit you hard when you're young,” said Owain.

“It's quite important to have support available at school, and I think Exeter School was good in that there's a lot of people you can go to; Head of House, Head of Sixth Form, or just a subject teacher you can approach. I think Exeter School had closer pupil-teacher relations than you might find in other places, which can often make a difference.

“One of the best things Exeter School gave me was actually some of my best friends; to know you have friends and a support network around you makes such a big difference. With issues such as depression, you can feel really lonely or down, sometimes with no warning, and just having mates you know you can rely on is really comforting.

“This doesn't mean you have to speak to someone about what you're going through if you don't want to or you're not ready to, but just knowing that you have mates that would listen if you do want to speak is really helpful. For me, I met some of my best friends at Exeter School and that's definitely helped me.

Some of the first films Owain made were with some of his school friends as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

“We all came up with the idea (usually a spoof horror in the style of The Blair Witch Project), then we'd film it whilst doing our expeditions, and I'd be in charge of editing the film; even though it was just a bit of fun, it got me interested in film, even if at a very basic level.

“I have some great memories of doing theatre with the Chrupeks - Stephanie and Andrzej – and had a lot of fun doing the school plays.

“I also learnt a lot when studying Theatre at GCSE and A Level; these studies are part of what pushed me to create my first short film, and gave me a really strong basis in the arts, especially when it comes to devising and leading a project.

For more information on how you can support Owain, please take a look at:

https://secure.livetree.com/#!/item/livetree/6089.