Described as "Boyhood meets the black Billy Eliott" - STEP BY STEP is an inspiring and powerfully story of London's black and ethnic community living in the heart of the Portobello Road, North Kensington and neighbouring Grenfell. Executive Producer Paul Duane said "Ciarin Scott has spent 14 years documenting Mark Elie's ballet school in Notting Hill. Now she's turning that footage into a documentary which I am privileged to be executive producing. Her last film, In A House That Ceased To Be, was a superb, haunting & endlessly re-watchable film about stunted & broken childhoods. This film will be the opposite - an inspiring, epic story of children given opportunities they would otherwise be denied."
Brought up in a children's home, Mark Elie was saved by ballet as a child. His passion for dance led him to open The Portobello Dance School in 1994 where he gave mainly black children from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to experience dance and in particular classical ballet.
Speaking last night Peter Herbert, Chair of the Black Lawyers Society, pledged his support to the film describing Mark "as an
UNSUNG hero".
Now Atlantic Film Alliance has set up an Indiegogo campaign to
help digitize and edit 14 years of footage and complete this hugely inspiring film - for both national and international theatrical and festival release to reach audiences that want - and very much need- to see positive and powerful stories of hope and dreams manifesting in the neighbourhood so tragically affected by Grenfell.
Mark has devoted his life to black British dance, inspiring generation after generation to become role models. The film chronicles the work of Mark with his students, notably three unforgettable students, all of whom have gone on to have professional dance careers notably with Ballet Rambert and West End musical Dream Girls.
"Step by Step" is Produced and Directed by multi-award winning Ciarin Scott - best known for her film "In A House That Ceased To Be" the critically acclaimed, award winning feature documentary follows the Irish humanitarian and children's rights activist Christina Noble, whose unwavering commitment and selfless efforts have seen her better the lives of countless children since 1989.
The film was awarded the 2015 Irish Film & Television Academy George Morrison Feature Documentary Award. It is distributed throughout Ireland and the UK by Element Pictures. Ciarin is working along side Executive producer Paul Duane has been making films, both drama, and documentary, for over twenty years. In January 2014 he was the only director with two films on Variety's infamous and always accurate annual 10 Directors To Watch list.
Paul Duane, Executive Producer, has been making films, both drama, and documentary, for over twenty years. In January 2014 he was the only director with two films on Variety's infamous and always accurate annual 10 Directors To Watch list. He said "The kind of film that we are trying to make - non-exploitative, positive and humane - is not generally in favour in mainstream television at the moment, and we don't want to water down the story or to create fake 'conflict' in the cheap pursuit of ratings. So we are crowd-funding so that we can make this film for theatrical and festival release and get it to the audience that wants to see positive and powerful stories of human decency."
To visit the Campaign Please go to
Indiegogo Page
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/step-by-step-film-by-atlantic-film-alliance-dance/x/17322265#/
Website: Atlanticfa.com
Twitter: @atlanticfa
Instagram: @afasbs Atlantic Film Alliance
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