Digital photo by Imogen Jones

If you see a titchy girl with flaming red hair and a guy with a quiff steaming though The Lanes faster than you can snort a free line of charlie, then writer /director Ivan Fabrega will have raised the £6000 needed to make his first film - 'A Weekend in Brighton.'

A short, fast-moving comedy, the film romps through the rich plethora of Brighton society: from new-age traveller beach parties to old-age pensioners tea dances; plus a cast of shopping lovers, gay clubbers, caners, faces, freaks and fly girls. A mixture of fact and fiction, Ivan's film is a snappy tale about a pole dancing Northern lass, (played by local actress Clea Smith), who hooks up with a couple of guys, relieves a drug dealer of his merchandise and spends a lipstick smudging 24 hours on the run.

On the rich seam of Brighton talent, he says: 'It's great because there is just so much skill and talent here. But its really frustrating too, because there is no money to get films done. Everyone ends up going to London in the end. It's a shame.' 'The film', says Ivan, 'is a kind of "Lock Stock" film. I really like a lot of the recent British films, but some of them are a bit like an advert. I want to make something more gritty and real.

'Brighton is one of the poorest places in Britain, but you wouldn't think it,' says 34 year old Ivan, an ex-performance artist and stiltwalker. 'You come to Brighton and you see all the shops, and all the beautiful crusties hanging out on the beach, but underneath there's a much more seedy side to things.' Ivan isn't the first to feature Brighton's underclass and he doffs his cap in respect to Brighton Rock. 'Of course it inspired me. Brighton Rock captured the vibrancy and underlying themes of pre-war Brighton, as Quadrophenia did for the 1960's. We hope to catch a glimpse of what the underbelly of Brighton in 2000 AD.'

Ivan's ISDN line to that underbelly comes in the form of a real-life local small-time drug dealer cum clubber. I've got this mate who is really gobby,' he says. 'He's a total face and has got a thousand stories about things going on. I'm going to have him in the film, just as himself, ranting on.' Ivan's scored the crew, and he's sorted the cast but the funds for this cool Britflick, still elude his grasp. A fundraising night at The Enigma, a mini cash injection from a local philanthropist raver and (gasp) a small grant from SE Arts, still leaves him three and a half grand short.

He says: 'I feel optimistic. We've got the support of people like The Cinematheque, and The Duke of Yorks cinema. I've got a helpful contact in the council and I'm writing to Skint Records, and The Levellers. But as they say, all donations gratefully received.' Anybody feel generous?

Imogen Jones

For more information, contact Ivan at planetplastic@hotmail.com