Interview with Andy Cassels
Andy Cassels: I guess I started when I was at University about 1998. I was studying for a Psychology degree at the time. A friend told me about an upcoming film production which he was to be an extra. The film was called Regeneration. It was a First World War film and they were looking for extras to play the corpses of dead soldiers on the battlefield. From that, I started getting acting work on low-budget Scottish films for a few years. In 2005, I decided to set up my own company and direct my own films.
IFQ: Tell us about the films you are in Cannes with.
AC: I’m here with two short films – Séance Fiction and Mixed Messages. Séance Fiction is a supernatural thriller set in the Highlands of Scotland. It was completed in 2009 and screened at the Glasgow Film Theatre. It was a fantastic experience to make as the cast and crew were all very close. There was a great atmosphere onset throughout the shoot. We shot the majority of the film in Fort William, which is a town about 3 hours from Glasgow in the Scottish Highlands. We were lucky in that the script was set in a holiday park and we managed to find the perfect location on the banks of Loch Linnhe. They were very helpful in permitting us to stay for about 10 days to shoot the bulk of the film.
Mixed Messages is a romantic comedy (of sorts) which was filmed in Glasgow between Christmas and New Year 2009. The project came together very quickly and was again an enjoyable shoot despite some heavy snowfall. We were lucky in filming the exteriors on the first day of the shoot before the snow began to fall for the remaining 2 days. I’ve been very lucky with my films to have been given the opportunity to work with such a talented cast and crew over the last few years and count them now as close friends.
IFQ: Have you been to Cannes Film Festival before?
AC: I’ve never been before – but I’m so excited to be getting the opportunity to go this year. The Cannes Film Festival is the biggest and best in the world. The biggest film festival I’ve been to so far would be Edinburgh, which I have visited for a few years now, but I’m thrilled to be getting the chance to attend Cannes. Just the vibe around the festival is truly inspiring and motivational. I hope that I get the opportunity to come back in following years.
IFQ: Any future projects planned?
AC: I will be shooting a short film called End of the Line during the summer in Scotland. I am also developing a couple of feature film scripts with production companies across the United Kingdom. Both are scripts which I have written and aim to direct in the near future. Making the transition into feature films would be my main goal for the next couple of years.