Interview With Independent Film Producer Patricia Anne Isgate

Let’s kick off with Patricia Anne Isgate – an independent film producer and owner of the UK based production company Southern Rising Productions and co-owner of Southern Belle Pictures. Her film Latin Quarter has been creating quite a stir with it’s eclectic cast and subject matter. Latin Quarter starts filming in the UK this spring.

Tell us about your latest exciting project, Latin Quarter:

“The film is based on the memoirs of Pablo Picasso’s lover Fernande Oliver. The story follows Picasso and his friend Carlos Casagemas during their early years in Paris and Carlos’s tragic end which was the catalyst that splintered Picasso’s mind and gave birth to cubism. We’ll be shooting on location in the UK in March. We hope to stay as close to the heritage as possible and will be taking a grassroots approach to the production to create an intimate atmosphere for the actors.”

And you have some high profile names working on the film?

“Indeed! We have some amazing actors involved with fantastic films under their belt – Q’orianka Kilcher (The New World), Avan Jogia (Victorious), Oliver Phelps (the Harry Potter films), Golden Globe winner Amanda Donohoe (The Madness of King George), John Ratzenberger (the Toy Story films), Kevin Sorbo (Meet the Spartans), Dean Cain (Out of Time), and Oscar winner Martin Landau (Ed Wood). They are all very passionate about the project. Writer Gary Van Haas (The Ikon) has painted and intriguing look into to the world and mind of Pablo Picasso.”

Will you be using any new filming techniques in the field?

“We’ll be building upon a traditional approach to develop new and inventive ways of telling the story. I find that the ‘tried and tested’ methods tend to be the most effective way to communicate with the audience. However, we’re always looking to push the boundaries of tradition in order to establish new standard.”

“We’ll most definitely be experimenting with movement and light to create the feel of an early 1900s Paris. We want the audience to feel as though they have moved back in time with the story as opposed to observe it from a 3rd person perspective.”

Has the project helped to raise your profile as a film producer?

“A lead producer Latin Quarter has been a challenge and a wonderful opportunity for me. There has been a great deal of excitement that comes from being associated with this project. I think everyone involved will benefit from the experience.”

What is next on the horizon for you?

“I hope to start production on One More Day later next year. One More Day is a daring indie thriller that will be shot in the UK. Then there is the project that I have been championing for years with my producing partner Tammi Sutton called My Prisoner an incredible true story, set during WWII, written by the little boy who lived it and grew up to tell the tale 60 years later. We hope to film that project next summer.

Will you be taking the film to the festival circuit?

I will most certainly apply to the festivals. To be in competition with the film would be great it’s like a rite of passage for an indie film. Without the festival circuit, the indie scene will be lost. It’s where artists congregate and gain inspiration from their colleges. If we don’t support and involve ourselves with festivals, the underground independent movement will fade away and the industry as a whole will become stagnant. Festivals are so valuable to the independent community. I can’t wait.”