EMC Productions’ has announced its debut feature TRAMP , which details the story of Grazyna ‘The Tramp’ Jarzynowska, a British-Polish MMA fighter whose meteoric rise is abruptly halted by an unexpected pregnancy.
Confronting the dual challenges of a male-dominated sport and the physical and emotional fallout of a failed abortion, the film explores the mental and physical struggles of pregnancy and motherhood, as well as Grazyna’s relentless drive to reclaim her place at the top.
The film marks the directorial debut of award-winning fiction director Philip James McGoldrick, a lifelong MMA fan. McGoldrick’s script was also inspired by his partner and co-producer Marina Elderton.
”It’s a personal story, shaped by my experience witnessing Marina’s extraordinary strength during a difficult pregnancy,” says McGoldrick. “During the final days of filming, Marina went into labour and the real footage of our son’s birth is incorporated into the film.”
British-Polish actress Izabella Malewska, who has TV credits including Holby City, and Cold Feet, stars, alongside Alessandro Babalola, best known for Top Boy and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, and Michal Wlodarczyk, who appeared in The Londoners, opposite professional athletes including Muay Thai champion Ruqsana Begum and three-time kickboxing champion Ruth Nelson. The film also features supporting roles by Tomos Eames and Piotr Baumann.
“I like to work with a combination of non-actors and actors,” says McGoldrick. “The rawness of non-actors complements the professionalism of actors, and together, they balance each other out. It all contributes to the authenticity.”
TRAMP shot for 30 days across London, including filming during intervals at the MMA Fightstar Championships at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in south London.
“Ruqsana and Ruth were amazing for the fight scenes. It was important to have as many real fighters as we could, filming backstage at the events,” says Elderton. “At times TRAMP feels like a documentary, which is what we wanted.”
The team used two camera units with the film’s cast jumping into the Octagon during intervals between bouts to capture footage.
“They had about 15 minutes to do it effectively live with an audience, which was great because it gave us an electric energy to capture,” explains Elderton.
McGoldrick and Elderton met at the UK’s National Film and Television School (NFTS) in 2016, where McGoldrick studied directing fiction and Elderton trained in composition. TRAMP marks McGoldrick’s anticipated feature debut after several years of writing and directing shorts, including Born Of Violence which premiered at the Cannes Lions Saatchi New Creators Showcase, and Siemiany, which was in the running for the Crystal Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2009.
Meanwhile, Elderton has composed original scores for films such as the Bafta-nominated Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché (Sky Arts) and the BFI/BBC-backed thriller Zero.
The duo founded EMC Productions after developing a slate of fiction films, VR projects and music videos together.
TRAMP was produced in association with Bin Zhang, an arts educator and recipient of the Golden Rhinoceros Award for achievements in sustainability in China. Associate producers Jia Lang and Jiawei Li, who worked as the film’s colourist and editor, are also facilitating its distribution in China.
Sports dramas have seen remarkable success in the region, as seen by the Chinese film Yolo, which has achieved impressive box office results.
“It was also completed thanks to the incredible generosity of our cast and crew,” Elderton says, citing cinematographer Tristan Chenais (whose credits include Idris Elba’s short film Dust To Dreams) assistant director George Graham, and star Izabella Malewska, who “sacrificed a great deal of their own resources and time to help get the film made”.
McGoldrick and Elderton are now in discussions with sales agents, distributors and festival reps as they prepare for major festival submissions. The duo are building a dedicated grassroots fan base by launching a newsletter offering exclusive updates, rewards and behind-the-scenes insights- ensuring the film reaches the market with a ready-made audience.
Contact: EMC Productions
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