Holby City actress Phoebe Thomas takes the lead role in Vicky Jewson's film Lady Godiva

Indomitable Vicky Jewson, 22, amazed everyone by raising £1.4m to make her first feature film Lady Godiva. She tells GILL OLIVER just how she managed it . . .

There's an old saying in the movie business no one knows anything', meaning that it's an incredibly fickle industry where the rules seem to change all the time.

Even top directors and producers find it difficult to raise the necessary finance to make a feature film and put it up there on the big screen.

The fact that an ordinary young woman from Oxfordshire has written, directed and managed to get together £1.4m to do just that is nothing short of spectacular.

But on meeting Vicky Jewson, 22, it immediately becomes apparent how she did it and, furthermore, that there is nothing ordinary about her at all.

She is one of those rare people who manages to exude confidence, without being in any way arrogant, and is instantly likeable.

Add in boundless energy and determination and it's no surprise that she is already making her own highly individual mark in the British film industry.

Vicky's film Lady Godiva, which bursts onto the cinema screen in Oxford this month, is a contemporary love story based on the legend of the woman who rode naked through the streets.

Film director Vicky Jewson

Filming took place in and around Oxford last summer, and features familiar landmarks including Magdalen Bridge, University Parks, Jericho, Kirtlington Polo Ground and the Said Business School. Vicky said she was in her element during the seven weeks she was directing on location.

"Being on set was the best because there was an amazing team atmosphere. I had to organise 100 people and, since I am a bit of a control freak, I enjoyed that," she explained.

Her fascination with film and stories started when she was still at primary school in Abingdon.

She loved using a video camera around the family Continued on page 29 home in Boar's Hill - where Continued on page 29 she still lives with parents Helen and Peter.

With her sister Libby, 19, she used to make short films featuring her teddy bears and other toys and then sit her parents down to watch.

By 15 she was running a drama club with a group of friends and setting up a film club at Wychwood School in Oxford where she was a pupil.

Having been born at the Radcliffe hospital, she jokingly describes herself as "an Oxford bumpkin" and is immensely proud of her home city.

"It's got character, history and yet it's cosmopolitan. I hope to stay here and make more films because there is plenty of local talent," she said.

On the subject of local talent, actor Matt Chambers who plays the male lead and has been in the TV series Holby City and Doctors, lives in Chesterton near Bicester.

The star of the film is Holby City and Teachers actress Phoebe Thomas who was required to ride a white horse over Magdalen Bridge while shooting the famous nude scene.

The Lady Godiva film came was born when, after completing her A' levels, Vicky was inspired to write the first draft in three weeks.

She chose the theme because she thought it was a fascinating legend and admits to being a romantic, although she politely declined to say if there is a Mr Right in her own life.

Once the script was finished, she began the hard slog of finding a way to turn her dream into the reality of an actual feature film.

One of her biggest setbacks was when she and her executive producer Rupert Whitaker hired a cinema in London to launch the film to the industry.

"I thought, naively, that someone from a major studio would walk in, love it and write us a cheque on the spot," she said ruefully.

"We did get everyone from the major companies there which is an achievement in itself but we also got a lot of no's' and that was dispiriting," she added.

Eventually, she came to the conclusion that if the film was going to be made in the near future, the only way was to raise the finance herself.

Against all odds, she managed to secure seven private investors who between them provided the £1.4 million she needed.

"Everyone in the film industry told me I wouldn't be able to raise the money but they were wrong," she remembered.

"I think my youth actually helped and in my case, ignorance was bliss," she laughed.

She certainly looks much younger than her age, witnessed by the fact that she was asked for ID when she tried to buy petrol recently.

It may be this freshness and lack of cynicism that has enabled her to make some high-powered contacts and glean valuable advice.

She numbers game show host Nicholas Parsons, who lives in Burford, among her patrons and established a friendship with BBC news presenter Sophie Raworth when the two met her at the Woman of the Future Awards in 2006.

Vicky left there as the winner that year and was invited back the following one to present an award.

But the glamour of award ceremonies and meeting top movers and shakers in the film industry hasn't turned her head in the slightest.

"All that is very superficial and I don't get swept up in that kind of thing," she said.

"Of course it's lovely meeting new people and having those experiences but it's not real life," she added.

When asked what her friends and family think about her success she looked embarrassed.

"I don't call it a success yet. If everybody goes and sees the film and supports it and we sell enough DVDs, I can at least get my investors' money back and then I will say it has been a success," she explained.

"At the moment, I feel a sense of accomplishment for finishing the film but I still have a long way to go.

"I'm not Stanley Kubrick and I haven't created an incredible Oscar winning film. I have just made something that I think people will enjoy," she smiled.

From page 27 home in Boar's Hill - where she still lives with parents Helen and Peter.

With her sister Libby, 19, she used to make short films featuring her teddy bears and toys and then sit her parents down to watch. By 15 she was running a drama club with a group of friends and setting up a film club at Wychwood School in Oxford, where she was a pupil.

Having been born at the John Radcliffe hospital, she jokingly describes herself as "an Oxford bumpkin" and is immensely proud of her home city. She said: "It's got character, history and yet it's cosmopolitan. I hope to stay here and make more films, because there is plenty of local talent."

On the subject of local talent, actor Matt Chambers who plays the male lead and has been in the TV series Holby City and Doctors, lives in Chesterton, near Bicester.

The star of the film is Holby City actress Phoebe Thomas who was required to ride naked on a white horse over Magdalen Bridge in a scene from the film.

After completing her A-levels, Vicky wrote the first draft for Lady Godiva in just three weeks.

She chose the theme because she found the legend fascinating, and admits to being a romantic.

Once the script was finished, she began the hard slog of finding a way to turn her dream into the reality of an actual feature film.

One of her biggest setbacks was when she and her executive producer Rupert Whitaker hired a cinema in London to launch the film to the industry.

"I thought, naively, that someone from a major studio would walk in, love it and write us a cheque on the spot," she said ruefully.

"We did get everyone from the major companies there, which is an achievement in itself, but we also got a lot of no's, and that was dispiriting."

Eventually, she came to the conclusion that if the film was going to be made in the near future, the only way was to raise the finance herself. Against all odds, she managed to secure seven private investors, who between them provided the £1.4m she needed.

"Everyone in the film industry told me I wouldn't be able to raise the money, but they were wrong," she said. "I think my youth actually helped and, in my case, ignorance was bliss!"

It may be this freshness and lack of cynicism that has enabled her to make some high-powered contacts and glean valuable advice.

She numbers game show host Nicholas Parsons, who lives in Burford, among her patrons, and established a friendship with BBC news presenter Sophie Raworth when the two met at the Woman of the Future Awards in 2006, which Vicky won.

But the glamour of award ceremonies and meeting top movers and shakers in the film industry hasn't turned her head in the slightest.

"All that is very superficial and I don't get swept up in that kind of thing," she said. "Of course, it's lovely meeting new people, but it's not real life."

When asked what her friends and family thought of her success she said: "I don't call it a success yet. If everybody goes and sees the film and supports it and we sell enough DVDs, I can at least get my investors' money back and then I will say it has been a success. At the moment, I feel a sense of accomplishment for finishing the film, but I still have a long way to go.

"I'm not Stanley Kubrick and I haven't created an incredible Oscar-winning film. I have just made something that I think people will enjoy."

The glamour of award ceremonies and meeting top movers and shakers in the film industry hasn't turned her head in the slightest

11:53am Monday 28th January 2008

Film director Vicky Jewson is making her mark in the British film industry

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