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Between The Eyes Film & Television Production Company

Between The Eyes is a new film and television company in Soho, set up by two young impresarios, director Jonathan Hopkins and producer Rory Aitken.

Having worked together on Goodbye, Mr. Snuggles, a short film written by Hopkins, starring James Fox and Robert Hardy, the dynamic duo decided it was time to take the plunge and set up their own enterprise. Both had other freelance projects to pursue (Hopkins was due to start work on Casino Royale) but soon realised it was time to take a risk. Goodbye, Mr. Snuggles has since won the Rushes Soho Shorts Festival, the Tiscali Short Film Award at Raindance Film Festival and was selected for this year's Sundance Film Festival out of tens of thousands of entries.

The company now employs a team of seven: four directors, two producers and a video rep. While music videos have boosted their show reels, the big excitement is that Between the Eyes is now working on its first feature film. "You make your reputation with short films," says Hopkins, "but this is the dream."

The film was commissioned by Film London after Between The Eyes won their Microwave Award, a new scheme introduced by Film London and the BBC (known as the Pop Idol of the film world). As well as providing funding for the film, the scheme also provides advice from script doctors on a weekly basis, resulting in free advice from high-end professionals.

Written and directed by Between The Eyes' Rani Creevy, Shady is set in London and focuses on the life of a prolific Muslim crack cocaine dealer. Having grown up on a council estate himself, Creevy's character is based on somebody he once knew, an intelligent and charismatic guy from a good family who ended up in jail.

Another director bringing kudos to the company is Mat Whitecross, aged only 28, he has mentored under Michael Winterbottom and won Best Director at the Cape Town Film Festival and Best British Documentary at the British Independent Film Awards for his film, The Road to Guantanamo.

With such white-hot talent in a young and growing company, Between The Eyes is set to go from strength to strength, continuing to scoop all the big awards. So watch this space... perhaps an Oscar will be next.

— Lucinda Baring

Between The Eyes