Mark Bunyan 
Composer . Writer . Cabaret Performer
Film
Mark Bunyan: Very Nearly Almost Famous
How it came about
In 2011, Angie West and Jackie Nunns, two friends who were setting up a film company to make LGBTQI short films, asked me to be on a focus group about what their first film should be. The making of the resulting 3 minute film Child's Play was captured in the documentary Angie and Jackie which was a resounding success, and continues to be shown in a mass of film festivals around the world, from Santa Barbara via Calcutta to Sydney.
As a result, most of the focus group (myself not included – nor informed till after the decision) were asked to select the subject of the next film from a shortlist.
They chose the film about the singing trampolining magistrate – myself – to be a larger, eight minute film. Once shooting began, however, Angie and Jackie, realised that my involvement in the gay movement from the mid-1970s was in fact the real subject and the running time of Mark Bunyan: Very Nearly Almost Famous was upped to just over 15 minutes, expertly edited by Bonnie Rae Brickman.
Selected for Frameline37
It was almost immediately chosen as an official selection for Frameline37, the San Francisco International Film Festival where it – and the production team and myself -- was given a very warm welcome in a packed Castro Cinema in June 2013.
Screened at other film festivals
Since then it has been successfully screened at a mass of other film festivals, the full list so far being:
- Fringe! Queer Film and Arts Fest (UK) – April 2013
- Frameline 37 San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival (USA) – June 2013
- Wotever Film Festival (UK) – August 2013
- OUTrageous! Santa Barbara LGBTQ Film Festival (USA) – October 2013
- Outview Athens Queer Film Festival (Greece) – May 2014
- Rainbow Film Festival (UK) – October 2014 – Winner Audience Award
- Ludlow Fringe Festival (UK) – June 2015
- Omnibus LGBT Film Night (UK) – January 2016
You can see the film via Vimeo on demand
View Mark Bunyan: Very Nearly Almost Famous via Vimeo
Contribution for Looking at You Productions
Since then, I have written a song, sung by the wonderful Lorraine Chase, for Looking At You Productions’ first fiction film, Heavens to Betsy. This is currently doing the rounds of film festivals.
For more on Looking At You Productions:
visit www.lookingatyouproductions.com