Stuntman-turned-filmmaker showcases city in new film

A Birmingham stuntman-turned-filmmaker said he wants to show the city in a new light in his new action film, Lotus.

Philip Ray Tommy, who has worked as a stunt performer on major productions including Spider-Man, Jurassic World Rebirth and Gladiator 2, wrote and directed the Birmingham-made film.

It features Birmingham landmarks including the Council House, St Martin's Church, Selfridges and the Rotunda, which is shown being destroyed in a visual-effects sequence.

"The city is beautiful when it looks through the right lens. Our biggest aim was to show it in a different way, [one] that it's not normally seen in, and to show some kind of real polish to the place, " he said.

Tommy added that making the film had allowed him to create opportunities for himself rather than wait for work to come his way.

"Make your own thing, call on your friends and see what happens," he said.

Lotus follows a former Special Forces operative who is forced back into action when a criminal gang and two corrupt detectives put innocent lives at risk. Outnumbered and hunted, he must fight back before the city is plunged into chaos.

"To my knowledge, Lotus is the first action feature film set and made in Birmingham. I've worked on plenty of films around the world but only ever had one filming job take place in Brum," he said.

His career as a stunt performer had seen him work alongside actors including Idris Elba, Tom Holland, Mark Ruffalo and Sadie Sink.

He said his experiences on major film sets had also changed his perceptions of some of Hollywood's biggest stars.

"They're all just really, really nice.

"Even the directors, everyone from the top down is just amazing, there was no toxicity," he added.

Lotus was selected for the Forward Film and TV Festival, which takes place in Digbeth until 4 October.

A public screening will take place at 15:00 on Saturday at the Mockingbird Cinema in the Custard Factory on Gibb Street

"It's all one thing to me to have it in my head, but once it becomes tangible and for people to enjoy it, it's like a whole other ball game," he said.

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