14 Mar
Seeking collaborative brands and organisations to shape the Underdog Crew's "Ladies Day" LGBTQIA+ comedy feature film project
Hi, My name is DB Morgan and I am the founder of The Underdog Crew CIC – AKA Underdog Crew Studios – a not-for-profit community enterprise working with some of the most marginalised and at-risk young people in the wider Colchester city region. Our USP is utilising the power of professional filmmaking to instil positivity, emotional wellbeing and empowerment. We are immensely are proud to have changed, and in several cases saved, the lives of many awesome teenagers who have been written off by society and their peers.
With multiple international awards for our first two feature films and the recent festival successes of our ongoing ‘Anglian Community Trust’ funded teen drama series, ‘The Slip’, The Underdog Crew eagerly await the release of the team’s second feature film. ‘Morris Men’. Recently awarded BEST THRILLER FEATURE at the Amsterdam International Film Festival, Morris Men will soon be available on major Video-On-Demand networks including Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.
So, what big screen challenge is next for DB and the Crew?
Introducing Ladies Day…
Ladies Day is the film I’ve always wanted to make. Having written, produced and directed my first three feature films the love and incredible stress of the process has resulted in fantastic knock on effects, including now having the privilege of running the Underdog Crew youth empowerment project as my full time commitment. The flipside was an imminent near death experience on June 9th 2023, when a stress ulcer burst and almost poisoned me to death! A three-hour late night operation (as my innards were quickly dissolving) and a week’s recovery in hospital and I was good to go again.
Being able to work alongside some of the most misunderstood and marginalised young adults from our region and see them flourish and grow through their involvement in filmmaking projects is a joy to behold. Our current ongoing teen mental health drama series, ‘The Slip’, is winning awards and we are about to embark on filming the next two episodes as we also begin taking it into secondary schools for special mental health assemblies. We’ve unearthed some amazing young actors from our region who were cast aside as ‘useless’, within a school system where they were utterly misunderstood.
From neuro diversity, extreme bullying – many through trans or homophobic abuse – young carers and several other amazing young kids who have experienced the worst possible start in life, to know that we are changing, and in many cases, saving the lives of these kids is the most rewarding thing I could think of doing. As someone who suffered unbearable and sustained childhood trauma myself, this is more than a job. It’s my calling.
So, after winning many international film festival awards to date and eagerly awaiting our third feature film, Morris Men, to be released on Apple TV, Amazon Prime etc… in the next few weeks, it’s time to look forward to the next Underdog Crew feature film adventure.
What better project to bring the kids into than a comedy movie based around the notion of tolerance and understanding of those considered outside the ‘norm’. A film that challenges outdated, and highly damaging, views on homosexuality and transphobia, whilst celebrating the vibrant world of drag culture, all wrapped up in a rip roaring heist movie set within the horse racing universe.
Alongside continuing their intensive boots-on-the-ground filmmaking training our teenage film crew interns will meet a wide range of empowered and extremely talented new people. They will continue to learn fantastic new skills, especially in extensive special effects makeup, whilst experiencing equine stunt work, combat stunts and exciting fight choreography throughout the production experience.
As I always say… Robbery’s a breeze. Doing it in heels, now that’s the tricky bit.
Let’s do this!
- Listing ID: 4224
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