You may know bubbly scenester Mitch Marion from his many, many hosting jobs around gay London. But what you may not know is that he’s also a filmmaker! With his film G O’Clock now officially being distributed by Peccadillo, we took a look at the process of making it over the last 1.5 years.
10/01/2015
Fuck it. It’s my last year of uni and it’s time to pitch for our final projects. 40 people are pitching and only 10 dramas will get chosen but I’m going to pitch a film about chemsex. I’m probably partying too much and maybe if I express my fears creatively I’ll be able to conquer them. Plus, no one has shown how gay men are really partying in London on screen yet so if I move fast I could be the first drama out the gate, which would help me get into festivals. I have this idea about a paramedic who also takes drugs and goes to chillouts, there’s an inherent paradox there that I think could work…
03/02/2015
So the moment my pitch got chosen the pressure of actually writing a film about an LGBT socio-political topic nearly broke me. How the fuck am I actually going to do this? The gays are gonna rip me to shreds! My first attempt was terrible. Just a story of a paramedic who lets the chillout scene destroy him. We’ve all seen that film. Boring. But also I don’t want to demonise drugs like that. I do think, that when educated on safe usage, people can incorporate partying into a healthy and balanced lifestyle. It’s just easier said than done. That’s what I want to make the film about. Drugs are fun! And sex on drugs can be even more fun! But know your limits. Experimenting with any drug is always going to be dangerous.
31/03/2015
Holy shit, what a shoot! There was literally a cyclone while we shot in Burgess Park, two ambulances broke down, there were porn stars making out with my friends and somehow we managed to shoot everything on schedule and run that set tighter than RuPaul’s tuck! BAM! I think we might have made something that’s really going to work!
17/06/2015
Graduation day! G O’Clock has earned me a First Class Distinction and I couldn’t be happier. The edit came together so well and the music we are using is just perfect, I hope we get the rights! The artist in question is still being elusive but I have a good feeling. Casting Leon Lopez has proven to be a blessing too; he doesn’t just give an amazing performance, he’s connected me with Peccadillo Pictures who distributed his feature film Soft Lad. They might be keen to distribute G O’Clock as part of Boys On Film 14. Imagine!
26/01/2016
We’ve been officially selected to screen at the BFI Flare Film Festival! It’s been a long 6 months of sweat and tears. We didn’t get the rights to the music we used in the montage sequence so we had to completely re-edit. Getting studio time and the team back together was tough but we finally did it and the new beat, “Look At Me” by DSPC, is sick. When I was making the film, my dream was to get into BFI Flare. To have reached that goal feels indescribable.
24/04/2016
I’m in Miami, bitch! G O’Clock was screened today before the documentary Chemsex at the MiFo Film Festival, and during the post-screening Q&A someone tried to make the argument that PrEP only encourages gay men into a life of chemsex. I find this line of thinking incredibly dangerous. We have a real opportunity here to halt the spread of HIV in our community and you’re making that argument? I don’t think anyone would ever think “Oh, I’m on PrEP now so let’s try crystal meth! Why not?” Take several seats.
10/05/2016
I just dropped off the contract for G O’Clock to be distributed by Peccadillo Pictures. We’re going to be on the Boys On Film 15 Compilation as well as touring screens around the UK in their film festival PoutFest. I can’t believe how well received this little film has been. Working on the film, as well as talking on numerous chemsex panels and open Q&A’s, has really helped me gain control of my party habits so I want to spread that feeling as far as I can. If you feel like the party is getting too much, or that you aren’t making the best decisions while high, then don’t be afraid to ask for help. Or channel your energy into something creative… it worked for me!
• G’OCLOCK is part of BOYS ON FILM 15 TIME & TIED and will be touring as part of POUTfest 2016 with the DVD release in August.
