Honeytrap begins London shoot

Urban drama Honeytrap, directed by former Screen Star of Tomorrow Rebecca Johnson, has begun its four-week shoot in London.

It has been pre-sold to Anchor Bay for the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

Set in Brixton and inspired by true events, the film is seen from a teenage girl’s point-of-view. It tells the story of 15-year-old Layla, who gets sucked into gang activity and sets up the boy who’s in love with her to be killed. Jessica Sula (Skins) stars as Layla alongside Lucien Leon Laviscount (Waterloo Road), Ntonga Mwanza (Leave to Remain) and Naomi Ryan (Doctor Who). 

Johnson, is collaborating with fellow Screen Star of Tomorrow and director of photography Annemarie Lean-Vercoe.

“Girls like Layla rarely take centre stage and it’s time their story was told” said Johnson, who has been making short films on Stockwell Park Estate for the past seven years, including the award-winning Top Girl.

The production process include a training and mentoring programme for young people in Lambeth.

Sarah Sulick of Bright Pictures is producing the microbudget film, which was developed with the BFI/UKFC and has been financed through a combination of crowdfunding via IndieGoGo; grant funding from the Walcot Foundation and Trusthouse Charitable Foundation; and the Anchor Bay pre-sale.

Finite Films are cashflowing the UK Film Tax Relief and Creativity Media are providing post-production services plus an equity contribution.

Executive Producers are Esther Douglas of Fiesta Productions; Roger Goldby of Bright Pictures; Amy Ricker of Finite Films; Patrick Fischer of Creativity Media and Will Wood of Multitude Media.

Walking Dead star Laurie Holden boarded the project as an executive producer through the film’s crowdfunding platform.