Making Waves Film Festival has grown over the last few years from a festival screening films in unusual venues to its latest creation producing Portsmouth’s first live cinema experience – The Staggeringly Good Commitments.
The 2024 festival culminated with the event staged in a working brewery and taproom at the Staggeringly Good Brewery. Set around the screening of the hit 90’s musical The Commitments, the experience invited audiences to step back into the 1990’s, into the fictional world of “Pompeytown” and mingle with familiar characters from the film as they prepared for a high-profile music competition offering a record deal that would transform their lives.
Eight budding members of the public signed up for the live auditions to win a chance to sing with band on stage and a free recording session at Portsmouth’s Casemates Studios. All eight were superb but there could only be one winner.
In between the live auditions, Pompeytown’s residents Lisa, Paul, Julie, Dave, Lee and Ceri could be overheard by the expectant audience in the taproom. Apparently, Pompey music promoter Paul was putting together a soul band like no other, “Pompey style”, although they didn’t have a name yet ! Tensions were brewing between the female backing singers and the male egos. Could the power of soul save the day ?
As the band did a final sound check upstairs and auditions progressed, lead character Lisa became more determined to secure her place in the band. The audience followed her upstairs and settled down to watch Alan Parker’s hit film screened on a big screen. In the lively setting of a warehouse, the audience laughed, cheered and sang along with The Commitments.
One audience member remarked how the film had brough her and her husband together, and they were now sharing the experience with their parents and children altogether for the first time. Other audience members driven by the idea of an immersive cinema experience were happily watching the film for the first time. Some complete fans of the film were dressed as the backing signers and sang their way through. Most of the audience were committed wearing double denim and Doc Marten’s.
As the film credits rolled, the audience became expectant to discover which of the audition entrants would be singing with the live band. They didn’t have long to wait. The two finalists rose to the occasion and local man John won the prize after a stunning live performance of “Mustang Sally”, worthy of comparison with Andrew Strong.
The seven piece band, Soul Suspects then got the house jumping and grooving to a range of soul classics and the good times did indeed roll.
The Staggeringly Good Commitments was supported by funding from BFI Film Audience Network, and supported by Film Hub Southwest with sponsorship from Casemates Studios.
A great event indeed. Love it!