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Claire’s big screen debut is no fake

THE PRODUCER: Claire Bee is looking forward to the national release of her first film. Picture: JOHN WESTHROP
THE PRODUCER: Claire Bee is looking forward to the national release of her first film. Picture: JOHN WESTHROP

A FILM lover from Medway will see her dreams become a reality when her first film is given a national release.

Claire Bee, 25, has spent nearly two years working on the film Fakers and on Friday the film makes its big screen premier.

The former Rainham School for Girls pupil studied at the renowned Ravensbourne College before being headhunted by the film's director Richard Janes to help produce a low budget crime caper.

The film, which stars Holby City's Art Malik, is set in the eccentric London art world in which a small time crook finds himself caught up with a super-smooth, yet brutal, crime-lord Foster Wright and has four days to find £50,000.

Claire said: "Richard and I had studied at Ravensbourne together and after leaving university I was working in a Kodak shop in London. Richard walked in to the shop, said he had found a script he loved, had raised some money and would we be interested in working on it?"

After agreeing to come onboard Claire and her business partner, fellow producer Todd Kleparski, 27, went about raising money from grants and investors to get shooting underway in 2003, but after being stung by a bogus investor Claire thought the project would never get finished.

She said: "The production company believed in us though and started the completion of the film said they would start the completion of the film because they knew we would raise the money. Everyone took a risk but thankfully it has paid off."

Whilst working on the film, Claire was dealing with her own personal tragedy; her mum Adrienne died of cancer and never got to see her daughter's completed film.

She said: "It was like a huge personal struggle. It was the lowest part of my life because of my mum dying but I have made my film and met the man of my dreams. It was a real rollercoaster of high and low emotions."

Claire's friends and family will be able to see the film when it is shown at UGC in Medway Valley Leisure Park in Cuxton.

Claire said: "It was really important to me the film was released in Rochester. I didn't think in my wildest dreams we would get it here, but I screamed when I saw Rochester was on the list of cinemas which would be showing it."

With the film out of the way the friends are now reading eight scripts to decide upon their next project.

She said: "I never thought I would be at this point until I was at least 40, but I'm thrilled with how it's turned out. It just shows you should believe in yourself and have faith and your dreams can come true.”

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