Writer's Avenue

Sheila Nortley is a film producer who is currently making waves in the UK film industry. After shooting her first short film back in 2003, Eddie’s Bar [directed by Ryan Samuda] she went on to produce several shorts and music videos. By 2006 whilst studying for her degree she launched a production company with director Nosa Nedion, which specialized in music video production, documentary and short films. After two years Sheila left this company to Nosa and Shola Amoo, after producing the neo-noir short film The Hydra which went on to win Best Film at the BFM awards in 2009. Since then Sheila has worked for AmeenDream Entertainment and several other production companies, whilst also freelancing. Known to actors and industry people, as being a natural introvert and generally quite quiet she hopes her work speaks for itself.

I've been a storyteller for as long as I can remember. So I just fell into it. I shot my first short film back in 2003 and from there I realised that this was the medium that I was really drawn to. And I just jumped in head first. Lord knows I’m not a talker, but if there’s something I want to do, I just do it. I’m confident and realistic about what I can do, and have a very firm belief in God, so what's written for me will come to pass. With that concept in mind, I really have nothing to lose. I was blessed to meet some really wonderful people along the way and get on board some great courses in order to, kind of, refine the art and learn the business.

Zion is about love, essentially.

Aml Ameen and Ashley Walters are amongst the cast. How did you get them on board, had you worked with them before?

I've worked with Aml quite a few times before on The Pick Up, Special Delivery, Drink, Drugs & KFC and The Code. He knew about Zion from the begininning so when I offered him a role he was happy to be on board and support my vision, as I've supported his visions previously. He's a dear friend who I value, and he is, without a doubt, the best actor I know. With Ashley, I just gave him a call, told him what I was doing and asked if he'd be interested in being involved. He liked the story and the message and the work ethic that had gone into it and he agreed. I hadn't worked with Ashley before this. There was a short film he starred in back in 2009 that I was set to produce, called Reparations of The Soul - but I didn't end up working on that.

Aml is really driven, really ambitious and his sense of humour is just like mine. He is someone who can really make me laugh til I cry. I remember one time we were all having dinner and he just came up with an unexpected comment about the headshape of one of the crew - just there and then – and just straight to him. I was in tears! Maybe because he’s an actor, he just knows when to say certain things and how to say them. I admire that quality. I've got some really fun memories with him. Ashley is also wonderful, I don’t know him as well but he was really down-to-earth and a pleasure to have on set. The whole crew really took to him and he's worked with a few members of the team since, which is nice. I was a big fan of So Solid when I was a teenager so it was nice to finally work with Asher D.

I wrote it and it was directed by Ryan Samuda, a fantastic director and a really good friend of mine.

Last summer, I went to the park to be inspired with a notepad and a head full of thoughts - and I sat on a park bench to write and this beautiful young man called Jacob and I ended up speaking. He was, I think sixteen, at the time, with the weight of the world on his shoulders. And we just started to talk. This conversation inspired the film. The characters formed and developed and changed and the story just unfolded on a night about six months later, when I returned home from the theatre feeling inspired. I then got my team together, Abi, Daniel, Gerald, Aisha, and Sigourney and we just got cracking. This initial meeting with them was around January time, when I sat down with them, showed them the script and said this is what I want to do, and by April we were shooting.

The whole process was beautiful. I loved watching the rehearsals and seeing all the actors really become their characters - seeing that happen was fascinating. Shomari Brown began the first rehearsal very shy and unsure of himself and by the end of the grueling shoot, a very confident and assertive young actor emerged. It was nice to have been a part of that and witness that. And Kyla! I have never seen an actress do what Kyla did with her character Yemani. She became Yemani, to the extent that the way she spoke changed and her demenour throughout rehearsals. Some of the rehearsal techniques and actor training they went through was very intense and emotional and she was really open. Kyla Frye is a star. I knew as soon as I wrote it that I wanted her to play the lead, and that no one else would be able to do what she did with Yemani. A talented actress and a really good friend. I couldnt have had a better team, a better crew and a better cast. I'm really grateful.

I've already achieved many. My main ambition was that I wanted to show Jacob that he is special and valuable. And if I have achieved that, then I give thanks to the almighty. And I want for people to develop their perspectives on youth crime and violence. There are a lot of killings every single day, and we need to think about how to address this. The film will circuit through film festivals etc but we are planning a circuit around schools and young offenders units in London too.

What makes this film different from other films with similar themes and topics?

Its different because films about our young people are usually made for some kind of commercial gain. And they are called ‘Urban’ under this banner of mainstream, commercial packaging. This is not a hood film, or an urban film. This film was written from the perspective of Yemani, a young woman, heavily pregnant who happens to meet a young man whose already caught up in a cycle of trouble. The maternal instinct she has for her unborn child is key to her relationship to the young man and so the story is based on love, and not superficial love and romance because real life is not a fairytale.

You were a co producer on Drink Drugs and KFC, can you tell me about that?
I produced this film with Aml Ameen, Kamara Bacchus and Najan Ward and it was hectic. Drink Drugs and KFC was written by Aml Ameen years ago and he felt now was the time to do it. So we just went ahead and shot it. Again, really, really fantastic cast. They all really got on so well that the chemistry on screen was perfect. It was very tiring. The film was shot in two days and as you know its nearly half an hour long. But we held a private screening in April at BAFTA and it was very well received. Its lighthearted, funny and entertaining, a much needed breath of fresh air in urban cinema. It will be made into a full length feature, God willing.

I've worked on quite a few shorts. Eddie's Bar, The Hydra [Best Film, BFM Awards 09], Victim [Portabello Film Festival, Cannes Short Film Corner], DDK, The Pick Up, Special Delivery, Zion and also feature film David is Dying by Stephen Lloyd Jackon, which will make its UK premiere at the British Urban Film Festival in September.David is Dying is a beautiful film and working with Stephen and producer Andy, was such an honour. Stephen is a wonderful visionary and a very complex thinker, and Andy was an absolutely phenomenal producer. I learnt so much during that shoot, on so many different levels. I'd say it was a monumental point in my journey in film.

I'd like to work with anyone, really, either someone who has something different or beautiful to say or someone who wants to say something thats been said many times before but in a different or beautiful way. In terms of anyone famous, I couldn't care much less whether this person already has a name or not. This is because, God knows, there are many people who are famous and have no talent and many people who are not famous and have loads of talent. And I made an affirmative decision that I love film as an art and not necessarily as an industry, thus talent will always supercede fame when it comes to certain choices in my personal career. Currently, despite my ambition to take a break from film, lots of opportunities are coming up. I'm currently speaking with Ashley Chin about a production and we've had a couple of meetings about it. He is a fantastic writer and a very lovely person. I'd also love to write something with Arinze Kene. I fell in love with Little Baby Jesus. He was the first person to read my script and we met up and went through it together. Again, another beautiful person that its been my pleasure to have met.

I'd also love to work with many of the people I've worked with before again, like my co-producer and fantastic writer, Najan Ward - he is a very talented individual and has blessing to me since we met.

What achievements are you proud of?
I'm proud of Zion. Thats my biggest achievement so far and I really give thanks for being able to make it.

Have you ever tried your hand at directing or acting?
Directing I've never tried and acting I would never try. I was a narrator in our year 8 rendition of Great Expectations. I had about two lines. And I delivered them pretty badly. I prefer to write than to speak. I really admire the talent and skill that goes into acting, and again really admire the lead cast Kyla Frye, Shomari Brown, Vanessa Vanderpuye and Michael Raphael Davies who brought the characters to life.

A lot of actors travel to the US, is that something you would like to do?
Not really. I have a lot to do over here both in terms of career and personal. And if I was to move, it'd probably be to Africa.

What is your top five films of all time and why?
This changes all the time. Off the top of my head, I'd say Once Upon a Time in America is currently one of my favourite films because I love coming of age films where you are able to see how stories progress over long periods of time, and the influence this has on the mise-en-scene of the film and the wardrobe and the styling. It was beautifully shot and very well casted. Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind is one of my favourites simply because of where I saw it, and when and with whom. Sometimes, the context of where you see the film effects how you perceive it and how it makes you feel. Malcolm X is a classic, and a beautiful depiction of a wonderful man. I like Sin City, Lock Stock, Sleepers. That’s a difficult question.

Who do you admire in the entertainment industry?
Overall, people like Sade and Lauryn Hill who stayed true to their art and kept their integrity, in an ultimately superficial industry.

Did you always know you wanted to work in film?
Yeah, I always knew I wanted to work in media – not necessarily film but as soon as I understood the power and influence it has, I became fascinated with media. I have a degree in Communications & Media so that influenced me a lot.

Would you ever work in theatre?
I love theatre, so that’s definitely something I’d consider going into.

Lastly what has been your most enjoyable experience to date?
Sandra, everything. Regarding film making, I’d say absolutely everything about making these films and just the way everything has panned out has been wonderful.