25-year-old Rufus Wilson grew up in Derby, United Kingdom. He’s always had a strong passion for the creative arts but, struggling with severe dyslexia, he didn’t get the grades needed to attend university. Despite this he’s never stopped being creative. Rufus started working as a saw operator in a factory which unexpectedly is how his love for filmmaking started; he proposed that he could start making adverts for the company which he did and which he did very well. Always striving for more exciting and challenging projects, Rufus became a freelance director and DP specialising in music videos, and this is where he’s had his most success. Rufus is currently building the foundations for his future in film with his debut documentary short entitled ‘Escape’. ‘Escape’ is now at the film festival stage with plans to release it to the public as soon as possible.
Director Statement
I decided to make this documentary after a long conversation with a friend I had gone to school with, Alastair Brown, a classically-trained artist and the protagonist for the documentary. He was telling me about how fast the art world has become and how he felt that his art form, oil painting, was becoming overlooked because of the length of time it takes to paint a piece. Coincidentally, we had already arranged a trip to his grandparents’ house on the Isle of Mull where he had spent a lot of time as a child. Alastair told me he planned on doing a landscape painting whilst we were there, and how he thought the slower pace of Mull would put him more in tune with the pace of his medium. He thought we would all benefit from the lack of signal and internet access. It was at this point I asked if I could make a documentary about this subject and his trip to Mull.
This film means a lot to me because, as a creative, I feel the importance of freeing yourself from social media and other distractions. I personally find that when life starts getting too much, I have to reconnect with nature, whether that’s by riding my bike in the woods, surfing in the sea, or going on a long walk in the countryside. These things really help me to put life into perspective, especially when it’s all too easy to start comparing yourself with others and fall into spirals of self-doubt. My hope is that this film will show the viewer the importance of taking time out to avoid burn-out, and come back stronger.
Under 5 minute & Smartphone festival 