At Astor Productions, cinema is a passion. Although a large amount of the work we do is corporate, we still produce a consistent number of narrative films, both short and feature-length. Our team have an experienced background in filmmaking and love the opportunity to put our skills to the test! Recently, Astor has collaborated with True Love Films to create three stunning shorts, two from Hull director Jack Grewar and one from Astor’s own Ed Cotton.
Astor Managing Director Kris has a long history of narrative filmmaking, having directed short film The Fall and worked as Director of Photography on a huge number of projects including two new feature films and Jack Grewar’s ground-breaking feature Some Kind of Love.
Video Producer Ed has one feature under his belt as DoP, and has just completed his eighth short film, as part of Astor’s rapidly growing catalogue. With a number of exciting narrative projects coming up in the near future, Astor’s filmography is expanding faster than ever before.
Downtown
In December of 2019, Astor shot Jack Grewar’s first short since Some Kind of Love, titled Downtown. Stylistically beautiful, both visually and in terms of content, the film was a thrilling two-day shoot across some gorgeous black and white Hull locations. Following a struggling artist, as her life spirals out of control in an increasingly digital world, dreams infringe on reality and tempers rise. A fascinating picture of the pressures of modern society, the film is currently doing the rounds on the festival circuit, with a digital and physical release no doubt inevitable.
The Nightshift
The second of Astor’s recent three-film run is The Nightshift. The eighth film from the company’s video producer Ed, the story of a young nightshift worker hiding a deadly secret is a 1970s inspired neon fever dream. Violence and lust erupt when Lex Stephenson’s lead character Brewster connects with an unsuspecting girl he meets at work. A homage to the films of Dario Argento, Michele Soavi and many others, The Nightshift was a change of style for the team at Astor, which allowed for experimentation and plenty of fun to be had. Much like Downtown, The Nightshift is expected to release during the second half of 2020, in both digital and physical form.
Boxer
The final and most recent film shot by Astor, and Jack Grewar’s company True Love Films, is Harry Matthews story Boxer. A deep dive into sporting drama, Boxer combined the genuine experience of Matthews’ fighting career and Grewar’s penchant for violence and buckets of style. The story of a professional boxer who lands himself in hot water after accepting a dangerous job, Matthews himself portrays the sympathetic lead character. The result is an incredible concoction of stunning locations, heartfelt performances and a production value that really pushed the team to their limits. Boxer is shaping up to be the best of the bunch and will be released on pay per view with 20% of sales donated to NHS.
