Article written by writer-director Christopher Bevan
About The Film
Chokehold is a short film set in the world of professional wrestling, but it’s about more than just the fights in the ring. Struggling with life at home, a teenage boy, Lucas, runs away to find his estranged father, Cash, a semi-retired wrestler, in an attempt to escape a cycle of abuse and find a safe haven. The man Lucas finds is not the role model he imagined, and both father and son are forced to confront their past.
The Spark
The journey from idea to the screen for Chokehold has taken close to ten years. A short documentary about independent wrestling led to the idea of making a film set in this world, but without the personal stakes, it was a challenge to crack the story and make it mean something to me on a deeper level.
After many years, I felt able to bring in some of my own experiences, and landing on the title of the film gave it a new purpose. The title Chokehold has a dual meaning. As a grappling move, a chokehold or sleeper hold would involve a wrestler attempting to force their opponent to submit by closing off air and forcing them to either tap out or pass out. I felt this was an apt description for a child growing up in challenging circumstances which they had no control over. Escaping from a chokehold is an act of strength and desperation, and this story became my recognition of that struggle.
From Script to Screen
Working with our wonderful producer Catriona Kelly, Chokehold was developed into a short script which was submitted to the BFI NETWORK Short Film Fund, and we were over the moon to be selected for funding in late 2024. Pre-production began to ramp up in early 2025, with casting taking place for the key roles of Lucas and Cash. Finding a young actor to take on an emotionally charged role dealing with difficult subject matter was one of our biggest challenges, but with support from The Television Workshop we landed on Eddie Coates, who successfully auditioned for the role and makes his screen debut in our film. The role of Cash was a complex one, requiring an actor who had the physicality and experience to wrestle a match in the film, but also carry the weight of a guiltridden father who has hidden behind his in-ring persona for so long. Through auditions, we were fortunate to cast retired professional wrestler and actor Philip Bedwell to bring Cash to
life.
Collaborating once again with Director of Photography Karl Poyzer allowed us to bring the grungy and worn yet colourful world of Cash and Lucas to the screen. It was important to me that we visually capture the contrast between the emotional personal battles of our characters
and the vibrant world of wrestling.
A film set in the world of independent wrestling needs to have authenticity, and bringing this to the screen was another significant challenge. We partnered with Pursuit Pro Wrestling (PPW) based in Sheffield to shoot all of our in-ring action and backstage scenes, culminating in a live show with a real audience for the final bout between Cash and long-time nemesis Anarchy, played by Mike ‘Wild Boar’ Hitchman. Outside of the wrestling sequences, we filmed in Derbyshire for key scenes including the difficult heart-to-heart conversation between Cash and his son, and Lucas’ frantic escape from home with Eddie performing alongside actors Lis Hipkiss and Ross Marshall as mum Frankie and step-dad Ian respectively.
A dedicated cast and crew made all of this possible, and throughout pre-production, four intensive days of shooting and post-production, every single person involved with Chokehold has given their all. The highlight of the shoot was undoubtedly the live wrestling match, as
Cash and Anarchy clashed in front of a lively PPW crowd. It really felt like the culmination of our hard work, and there was a buzz on set despite the pressure to capture everything we needed.
Recognition at Worcester Film Festival
Worcester Film Festival has grown from strength to strength, and it’s a testament to everyone involved that it’s become nationally and internationally recognised. As Midlands-based filmmakers, it’s fantastic to be selected for this year’s festival and contribute to the regional
filmmaking scene. The team and I are pleased to have this opportunity to share our work as part of such an impressive line-up.
Follow the Journey
You can follow Chokehold on Instagram @chokehold_shortfilm to find out more about the film, go behind the scenes and see how our festival journey continues.
About The Author
