Since Kirsty Bell founded Goldfinch Entertainment in 2016, the company has funded more than 200 film and television projects over the past five years, including the famous “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”, “Le Mans: Racing Is Everything” by Amazon and “Killers Anonymous” with Gary Oldman and Jessica Alba. She has also started an online art gallery as well as a physical gallery in her hometown of Newcastle, England.
It was during the first week of the pandemic lockdown that Bell made his first feature film, “A Bird Flew In”. MSR Media Intl. manages the worldwide rights of the film at the EFM.
You have proven to be a talented and multi-faceted producer, artist and now filmmaker with your directorial debut, “A Bird Flew In”. Tell us what prompted you to immerse yourself in cinema.
It wasn’t on my radar. When the first lockdown hit the world changed for all of us and like many people I felt very lonely. Each has had their own challenges to overcome; my husband was stuck in Australia. It gave me a lot to think about and evaluate. I imagined everyone’s situation and designed different scenarios, thinking about the people I saw on TV or Zoom and wondered about their own situation. I started to create a story of thumbnails in my head, which eventually caught on on paper. And with all the external distractions of the usual work and life routine, I felt I needed an outlet. When the characters started to crystallize in my head, I really felt compelled to channel my energy and frustrations into telling their stories.
What is “A bird flew” about? What aspect of filmmaking surprised you?
The film is about people having to look at themselves, inside and out, without the noise and distraction they would have experienced before COVID in their normal lives. We were left quite simply and quite firmly to reflect on ourselves in the past year. It was like holding a giant mirror in front of our lives. Relationships and their lifespan condensed and shrunk to a fraction of a month – amplified and amplified. It’s like when a wild bird flies into a house and finds itself trapped and despite its best efforts, with only a view of the outside world to pin its hope of escape.
The realization was a new journey. I remember walking around the set the first day feeling a mixture of emotions – I was desperate to tell this story and at the same time I was so nervous. I remember going around the set with my producer Ben and he said, ‘Everything will be fine, most of the work has already been done in your mind, you just need to calmly transfer that to the cast and crew. This little tip stuck with me and really made the process much more cathartic than I ever imagined. I felt it was a real privilege to be able to tell this story.
What kind of films has Goldfinch chosen to invest in and why?
We are proud to be a multi-faceted company and production house. Our film finance arm is well versed – however, we’ve seen an exciting development lately within the company that allows us to create films like ‘A Bird Flew In’ and other stories that we value. have to be told.
Are you developing another film to make? If so, what is it?
I’ve carried an idea with me my entire adult life – based on a true story my dad once told me. When he saw “A bird flew in”, he asked me if I was going to direct his story. I haven’t said yes yet, but it ticks a number of boxes – it’s something very real and based on truth and history – and as a producer I’ve always encouraged directors to work with material to which they feel personally attached and therefore relate to. So time will tell.
