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Captain Moonlite Electronic Press Kit
Captain Moonlite
The Legend Dies
Running time: 11:42:11
Picture: 4K
Language: English
Directed by: Cai Barnard-Dadds
Written by: Cai Barnard-Dadds and Liam Clements-Pope
Produced by: James Matthews
Cinematography by: Melvin Liew
Sound by: Luke Heptinstall
Edited by: Tom Osian Harvey
Short Biopic Film. 1879. Australian outback. Outlaw and legend Andrew George Scott (38) is revered by his gang for his daringly eccentric crimes, but the man behind the legend begins to break as the law catches up with them. Can Andrew admitting his feelings for fellow gang member James Nesbitt end his suffering? And at what cost?
Trailer
Synopsis
AUSTRALIA, 1879. Eccentric outlaw ANDREW SCOTT (38), aka ‘Captain Moonlite’, is a legendary figure whose stories are sold around the campfire. Hailed by those who know him best and scorned by those who fear his legend. His daring rise to criminal stardom is, however, undermined by his homosexuality, in a world where men’s silence is more dangerous than their speech.
Reality however, is a cruel thing, and knowing that the end is nigh, Scott, his closest companion, JAMES NESBITT (38) and their gang of foundlings reflect upon whether their deeds were really all that legendary while Scott mentally battles himself whether to profess his love for Nesbitt.
After the final, inevitable showdown with the Law and the sacrifice of NESBITT, SCOTT breaks his silence, professing his love for his best friend and tearing down the legend of Captain Moonlite.
Our Story
The ‘Captain Moonlite’ Crew was built around two things; a love of cowboy films and a need to tell George’s story. Cai pitched the film on the crew on these two principles.
He spoke at length to each about George’s life as a motormouth charismatic bushranger and then lead them into his later life showing what he sacrificed to be happy in his final moments. Being an avid fan of cowboys and bushrangers in history, Cai brought historical excerpts and trivia that proved George’s life had a wealth of stories to tell.
Each crew member added brought their own spin and skill to the film to craft ‘Captain Moonlite’ into a compassionate compression of George’s life from the start till the end.
Cast Bios
With a ballerina as a mother and a theatre technician for a father, Jonathan Lenzini has been on/near the stage since birth. He is most well-known for his work in his native country, New Zealand in ‘Pork Pie’ (2017) and ‘Catching the Black Widow’ (2017) as well as the TV show ‘Wilde Ride’ (2017). Since moving to the UK, he has worked on BBC Productions, acting in shorts in his spare time.
Ethan Meadowcroft-Taylor is a 22-year-old actor based in Somerset who recently graduated with a first-class honor in Acting. He is a fresh face to film but has been acting with Arthur Cotterell Theatre throughout his studies and is eager to explore this new medium.
Poppy is a recent graduate from Oxford School of Drama. Since graduating she’s starred in feature film ‘Six Minutes to Midnight’ (2020) as well as working with Soho Playhouse on ‘In a Cave a Voice’. The latter received rave reviews, and 5 stars from the Daily Mail; ‘Charlton creates an emotive, rich image of this character: powerful yet vulnerable’.
Catrin Simpson has proven time and time again that she can curate a versatile performance, whilst not professional train, she draws on her own life to create characters. She participated in theatre groups in Swansea, alongside her professional acting sister, Brenn Simpson. She’s currently studying at Aberystwyth university but returns to acting whenever she has free time.
Liam Clements-Pope is not an actor by trade, in fact he is the writer for Captain Moonlite but when a member of our cast had to drop out last minute, Liam stepped in as the silent Graham Bennet.
Famed for his roles across student films in the University of South Wales, Ean was in high demand for graduation films. The Moonlite team were very lucky to have secured him. With his bellowing voice and mastery of movement, Ean’s impact is colossal.
Liam is a theatrical actor by trade, having parts in a range of Shakespearean plays including Midsummer Night's Dream and Richard III. This is his first on-screen role.
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Our Supporting Cast Include
Chris Highwell as The Warden
Bamidele Ebor as The Lawman
Micaela Castanheira as The Old Lady in the bank
Crew Bios
Cai Barnard-Dadds – Director & Co-writer
It was director and co-writer Cai Barnard-Dadds who was the first in the crew to be inspired by Captain Moonlite’s story. Upon learning about it, he was adamant about respectfully adapting the story to film and saw this graduation film as his opportunity to do so. After writing, directing and winning awards for his independent feature anti-romance film Sinatra Blue, he was ready to use his experience with depicting relationships to tell the story of Captain Moonlite and James Nesbitt.
Liam Clements-Pope – Co-writer, Script Supervisor
Winner at the Wales International Film Festival and Quarterfinalist at PTS, Liam Clements-Pope joined the Moonlite crew to bring his screenwriting prowess as a co-writer. Aiding in the structure and pacing of the film, his strong suit as a writer, he worked with Cai to condense the history of Moonlite’s life into a 15-minute script. Liam continues to write and is always eager to get his next script adapted.
James Matthews - Producer
In his 3rd time producing a film at USW, James Matthews took on the challenge of making a film set in Australia, in South Wales (not New South Wales, that would’ve been less of a challenge). Previously having produced a film shot on Llantwit Major beach, he was prepared to face the adverse location of Jepson’s Pond, just outside Merthyr Tydfil, in the dead of night. James is interested in using his experience to do location work in the industry.
Melvin Liew - Cinematographer
Taking an opportunity from his university in Malaysia, Melvin transferred to the University of South Wales for his 3rd year. He made his mark as a cinematographer with the 2022 short, ‘Thank You’, utilizing a warm colour palette & creative camera rigs. Cai sought him out after seeing a cut of ‘Thank You’, to pitch the idea to him. Melvin brings high-contrast black-and-white imagery for the flashback sequences and a gritty, naturalistic look for scenes in the film’s present day.
Osian Harvey - Editor
Osian has served as editor on multiple films during their time at USW. They chose to work on Captain Moonlite, as this story is very important to Osian, being a member of the LGBTQIA+ Community. With the film being set over different points in Moonlite’s life, Osian had to weave these scenes together so that the film flows seamlessly. Importance was also placed on how long to hold certain shots, to achieve the desired emotional impact.
Luke Heptinstall – Sound Designer
Avowed Western fan Luke Heptinstall leapt at the opportunity to make a Western graduate film. He is well-practised, taking on the role of sound recordist 5 times before throughout his time at USW. He was more than ready to bring 1880s Australia alive through a busy soundscape; the ring of gunfire and the call of kookaburras. Luke hopes to continue working with sound by doing location recording within the industry.
Additional Credits
Phoebe Parker - Set Designer
Ben Livingstone - Assistant Director
Mark Taylor - Composer
Lee Eu Junn - Grip
Alicia Chong - Lighting Assistant
Kirsty Dunlop - Prop Maker
Mackenzie Curtlin-Ross - Set Designer
Alexander Griffiths - Assistant Director
Ben Pratt - Boom Operator
Loke Guan Yew - Lighting Assistant
Caitlin Thomas - Make-up Artist
Melvin Liew - Colourist
Molly Jeffery - Set Designer
Abbey Chapman - 3rd Assistant Director
Camera Assistant - Bemmie Tang
Timothy Leong - Lighting Assistant
Ashley Moore - Make-up Artist
Promotional Stills
Production Stills
Frequently Asked Questions
How did you come up with this idea?
“When I was doing my paper round in my teens, I had a lot of downtime to listen to podcasts and I’ve always loved history. I remember hearing his story on the Australian comedy podcast ‘Shut Up A Second’ and it’s been stuck in my mind since then.” - Cai Barnard-Dadds (Director)
“I’d heard about this cowboy film Cai had talked about and I just kept it in the back of my mind and luckily before our graduation film groups were settled, he came and asked me to write it with him.” - Liam Clements-Pope (Co-writer)
What was the most complicated issues to overcome?
“For me it was definitely coordinating the night shoot. Organising how and when the actors and crew got to Jepson’s Pond, with the right kit, how we would carry and transport it all. It really all came together.” - James Matthews (Producer)
“It was a lot of sourcing sounds to make a soundscape for an alien world [Australia], we couldn’t just use the sounds of Wales. Putting them into the mix and making them sound like part of our world was even harder” - Luke Heptinstall (Sound Designer & Mixer)
Why did you think this was an important story to tell?
“These stories have been told for over 100 years, but have never really had a queer perspective. Every queer cowboy film is a drama but it’s not true to life, it fits us [queer people] into history rather than showing our place in it.” - Osian Harvey (Editor)
“It’s our chance to tell the last great western.” - Phoebe Parker (Set Designer)
Do you have permission to make a film about Captain Moonlite?
“Yes, his life rights are freely available as he had no children, aside from his found family. Only two other films have been made about him, both lost to history. It’s sad, but our hope that this film can inspire others to tell his story” - Cai Barnard-Dadds (Director)
What would you do differently if you had a higher budget?
“There’s so much we had to leave out to fit our time limit, I’d love a shot at a feature film to dig deeper into his history with Nesbitt and all his ‘kids’.” - Cai Barnard-Dadds (Director)
“Depends how much higher we’re talking. If we had another shot at it with a Hollywood-level budget, I’d definitely want to shoot in Australia. If we had a slightly higher budget, I’d like to have got some proper cowboy boots for the characters” - James Matthews (Producer)
If you’re interested further about our production, check out the links to our additional interview:
https://www.trillmag.com/entertainment/tv-film/captain-moonlite-meet-the-crew-making-a-queer-cowboy-film-on-a-student-budget/
Contact Details
Cai Barnard-Dadds (Director): barnarddadds@gmail.com
James Matthews (Producer): jamesmatthews359@gmail.com
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