After two sell out screenings at the Edinburgh International Film Festival and the hasty addition of a third, Fast Romance hit Cineworld cinemas across Scotland on the 1st July 2011. Due to popular demand, the film returned to Cineworld Glasgow for further special screenings in late July 2011 and sold out several times during the run. It's popularity was certainly not derived from a huge marketing spend, but simply through word of mouh. This was a film which avoided the "miserabilism" tag oftenattributed to Scottish cinema by the international press etc, and has been described as a breath of fresh air for our film industry.
Synopsis
Fast Romance tells the story of seven very different people who attend a speed date and end up getting more than they bargained for. Some want to be there, some need to be there and some would rather be anywhere else but there.
After another disastrous first date, NADINE CATALANO’s sisters’ put plan B into action and book her in with a local speed dating service. Nadine quickly enlists the help of her two best friends, FIONA BENTON, who desperately lacks the confidence to enter the dating scene, and LORNA KERR, who is a month from being married.
Across Glasgow, GORDON ‘GORDY’ BOYD, signs up for the speed date just because Nadine is going. Unfortunately for Gordy, his boss KENNY CAIRNS, is railroaded by his workmates into going along with him. ANDREW SPENCER, a police officer on a mission, has got to go while ELLIOT HENDRY signs up hoping to get inspiration for his “great” romantic novel.
When the seven paths cross, sparks don’t fly the way Gordy hoped - but each and every one of their lives are changed forever.
Gordy watches on while his ideal girl, Nadine, has a blossoming relationship with Elliot. His boss, Kenny, tries desperately to attract the attentions of Fiona without actually revealing his true identity. Lorna learns to ‘live a little’ thanks to Spence but as the two begin to fall for each other, and her fiancé returns to the scene, trouble is on the horizon.
Fast Romance will take you on the rollercoaster journey with each of the characters. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll gasp, but most of all, you’ll be amazed at how a life can be changed in just three minutes.
The Characters
GORDY has fallen for a certain someone. Thing is, that certain someone has no idea who he is.
NADINE is desperate for a man. Her family are desperate for her to get a man. She’s beautiful, funny and can even give you extra sprinkles on your latte, but will she ever find her perfect match?
KENNY is in his 40’s, divorced, estranged from his kids and living with his mum. His life isn’t looking too rosy, but pressured into accompanying Gordy to the speed date, could his life change forever?
FIONA is in a boring job, with nothing but a photocopier to keep her company and a workplace bully to make her life hell. She’s got to start somewhere – but is love closer than she thinks?
LORNA has it all. House, job, a good man she’s about to marry and a dream honeymoon in Dubai. After attending the speed date to keep Nadine company, her life takes an unexpected turn and she finally learns what it means to “live a little”.
ELLIOT has always seen himself as a free spirit but never thinks beyond today. Is Nadine his perfect match or just a “goddess that inspires his creativity”?
SPENCE, a police officer, attends the speed date for a very different reason. When his investigation leads him to Lorna, he discovers that love could be his undoing.
Script Development
Background to story, script and concept by Carter Ferguson
I’d been working mainly as a freelance fight director and as an actor for some years but had also been developing devised theatre work with Scottish Youth Theatre that had proved immensely popular with audiences. I figured that the same techniques I’d used when devising theatre would work equally well for film, so I work shopped an idea based on the theme “All about love” with a group of actor friends. We had some fun that week, chucked about some ideas, messed about with some characters and I moulded those concepts into a rough story. We’d found the subject of speed dating quite interesting so it was provisionally titled that.
That was in January of 2006 but it wasn’t until October of 2008 that I met the future writing team, James McCreadie and Debbie May, who were friends of fellow Ickleflix director Ross Gerry. James was looking for a project and I thought he had the get up and go to run with an idea and actually make it work. The decision to make a feature length romcom happened at that point as it was by then a fairly strong idea in my head. Fast Romance was set in modern day Glasgow where we are based, and although featuring quite a large cast didn’t have anything too expensive in its make up. It would appeal to a three quadrant audience and be a shift from the norm in terms of modern Scottish film making. Certainly a selling point for investors was that it didn’t have any drugs, suicides or murders in it.
We sought a more experienced producer to join us. Amanda Verlaque a producer whom James MacCreadie and I had worked with closely on River City had been looking for independent film projects and really liked the script. Amanda brought a wealth of production experience to the table and helped focus our efforts. Together we worked closely with the writers to get Fast Romance up and running.
About Ickleflix
Since early 2008 a small group of Scottish based film and television professionals have collaborated on a number of unique and entertaining projects. Ickleflix was born of this collaboration. Fast Romance is our first feature film.
Finance
The film was made by raising private finance and gaining sponsorship. We would like to thank all those that believed in us and supported us, without whose help Fast Romance would still be no more than an idea. The support from small businesses and individuals across Scotland and Ireland has been tremendous.
