Introduction:
OFF TRACK is a dark comedy about a man who accidentally joins his own search party. Based on true stories of genuine idiots, our hero Maz takes a journey through modern technology and viral frenzy as we explore alienation in the modern world.
Inspiration:
This film was inspired by real cases of people joining their own search parties, but we took it further, asking: what if the searchers didn’t really want to find the person after all? Motivated by the dark impulses behind “viral” searches like those for Nicola Bulley and Jay Slater, we reflect the real harm done by some supposed do-gooders. However, it’s a comedy, so it’s gotta be weird! Take Maz, for instance: his name stands for Maslow, the psychologist who invented the ‘hierarchy of needs’. Maz’s journey is one where he constantly fails to meet his most basic needs. He’s also a bit inspired by the pathetic hero of Dante’s Inferno – cause why not…
The Process:
We shot over 3 semi-continuous days at a scout camp in Crawley in September 2024. This was a self-funded production, so our budget was really tight and the days were a squeeze! For a film that’s all Day-Exterior, there are a couple of fun stories – first, all our recces were in glorious sun, but driving into Day 1 of photography there was a torrential storm. I remember heading to set in the kit van, watching literal lightning strikes ahead. We sheltered in the scout hut, and luckily the rain died down in time to shoot. An eerie calm hung in the air, and we only had one small bit of rain during the rest of the shoot. Secondly, and more of an Easter egg – we shot a couple of pickups in January, where the woods were fully covered in snow. We brushed off the branches for our shots – see if you can tell which ones!
What It Means to Be a Finalist:
Being selected is really special for me because I went to Sixth Form in Worcester, so it’s lovely to bring this film home. It’s also so important to me to show Off Track in front of audiences (good-looking ones) to gauge reactions and connect with people, so a huge thanks to anyone watching and to the programmers. I hope this will be an exciting moment at the beginning of my career, and it’s definitely an important milestone in the life cycle of ‘Off Track’.
Where to Watch / Follow:
After the festival run, I’m aiming for Off Track to be hosted on a curated video platform online, so please chuck a follow to @peterfkehoe on Instagram for updates and to hear about the exciting new comedy I’ve just shot, ‘The Tools’.
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