More exciting news on the horizon for 2020: I’m collaborating with Danielle Sellwood of FindItFilm to make a full-length documentary film called The Maverick Generation, following five awesome British masters athletes aged between 48 and 84.
Danielle and her partner Nicola Waterworth make short films about female sportswomen and adventurers. She and I met through the Women’s Sport Trust some three years ago. Since then I must have pestered her enough about the all-round amazingness of masters athletes to make her want to learn more. Earlier in 2019 she made a short film about Sue Yeomans called Pole Vaulter. This has become our pilot film for our project. You can watch it on the link on the home page of the FindItFilm web-site.
Just as I was when I watched my first masters athletics event, Danielle was blown away when she met Sue and saw her train and compete. (I knew she would be!) She immediately wanted to make a full-length film that we could get out to screen, sharing it with a broader, film audience. And that’s how our #MaverickGeneration project was born.
Alongside my solo work as a photographer, I’m just loving working collaboratively with Danielle. It’s great having someone else to bounce ideas off, especially when both of us are so enthusiastic and fired up about this project. Danielle is a highly respected specialist in women’s sport plus she’s got a blue-chip reputation as a sports film-maker behind her as well as 30 years’ experience in the sports industry. On top of that, she’s a person of huge generosity and integrity plus, what’s more, we laugh a lot. In terms of how we work as a team, I’m definitely taking that as a positive sign!
As far as what we’re trying to achieve is concerned, we’re both of us appalled by the ageist stereotypes that are rampant in our society, where anyone who can be characterised as belonging to ‘the older generation’ is seen as immobile and disempowered, especially if they are women. So we’re determined to confront these notions with a quietly defiant film portraying the joyful determination, energy and fulfilment that you can’t help but see when you talk to and watch masters athletes train and compete.
We’re both excited to be following our five amazing women, representing different track and field disciplines, over the next few months. Hopefully by the end of 2020, we’ll be telling you where you can go to see a wonderful film that will spread the word about the achievements, joy and camaraderie of masters athletics. More generally we hope it will demonstrate that getting older can be a time of opportunity and growth, as well as just simply a lot more fun than most people think.
We’re looking for partners! So if anyone reading this is associated with a brand or association that might like to come on board with us, please do get in touch. Watch out too for our Kickstarter campaign on social media and lots more updates and news under the Instagram account and hashtag Maverick Generation. Danielle’s brilliant on Insta and social media generally but I’ll do my best to keep up with news on my Twitter and Facebook accounts too.
Fingers crossed we’re going to pull of something really nice!
2 Comments
Hello again Alex
Linda here who emailed you separately about a Rotary thing. Just reading your blog about the film, just wondering if this is something we could connect about. I’m acting director at square chapel arts centre in Halifax – http://www.squarechapel.co.uk – where besides theatre etc. we have a cinema and a diverse film programme all yer through. We run regular films and documentaries about sports and outdoor achievements – often with Q and A’s with the sportsperson themselves and/or directors and producers. We have built up a loyal audience for these types of events. Have a look through our website. I can send you further info about what’s we’ve had over the past couple of years if you wish. All the best, Linda
Thank you so much Linda. Will definitely follow up and speak to you again via email