THE CHARLATANS | CREATOR, WRITER & PRODUCER
COMING SOON
THE CHARLATANS | 6x30 TV SERIES
Directed by Ashley Walters
Written and created by Najan Ward
SYNOPSIS
Five devious friends flee Manchester Uni when their illegal pool party ends in mayhem. Escaping to an unlikely friend in London, the gang embark on a quest to con, swindle and deceive their way into the glitzy entertainment industry. Fuelled by sex, money and fame, there is absolutely no line these charlatans won’t cross. Breaking and entering exclusive events, counterfeiting documents and hacking security networks becomes standard behaviour for the gang, but they’re in way over their heads when their backstabbing goes too far. Rivals end up in hospital, cars are burned to the ground, and their own relationships are thrown into jeopardy. To top it all off, they unwittingly find themselves in the middle of an international drugs trade. Will London be the worst mistake these charlatans have ever made or the life-changing break that turns their lives around?
BENEATH THE TRUTH | DIRECTOR & PRODUCER
COMING SOON
BENEATH THE TRUTH | SHORT-FILM
Produced and directed by Najan Ward
Written by Laura Russell
SYNOPSIS
It’s 1975 and we’re set against the backdrop of working-class East-Ham London. A Sergeant Major's love-smitten daughter is marrying a young wayward soldier with a dark secret. It’s one-hour before the wedding reception begins, and cracks begin to appear in what seemed like a carefully and well-planned party. A resentful bridesmaid has discovered the groom's secret and just before the ceremony, she decides to let the truth slip to the bride. Things get out of hand and blood is spilled on the dancefloor before the night is over. When the scheming father of the bride arrives on the scene, stern and formidable, he takes charge of the situation and sees to it that his plans do not go awry...
ILLEGAL ACTIVITY | WRITER & PRODUCER
"The team and I decided to create an opportunity for a group of young film-makers allowing a concept or a script that they pitch, to be produced into a film. Upon first hearing I loved a concept submitted by Sebastian Thiel for a 90 second video entitled ‘Illegal Activity’. We took the project on and from the original concept, made it into a 15 minute short film that went on to win the Google Screen Nation Award for ‘Best Short Film’ and was screened at the BAFTA, Warner Bros HQ and Google HQ." NAJAN WARD
SYNOPSIS
ILLEGAL ACTIVITY is an action-packed drama set in a rough housing estate in London, yet nothing on the block is quite how it seems. We follow Winston a street level dealer and his crew for one day, witnessing the devastating effect their trade has on the block. Society is crumbling, families unravel and desperation causes internal conflict. The need to satisfy this addiction spirals out of control. Police are closing in and are determined to infiltrate the hierarchy in an attempt to put a stop to this Illegal Activity.
BEHIND THE FILM
BEHIND THE SCENES DAY 1
BAFTA SCREENING - COMPLEX ELITE TV
TRAILER
BEHIND THE SCENES DAY 2
BAFTA SCREENING - MnMP TV
THE CODE | PRODUCER & SCRIPT EDITOR
"This short-film is a great example of what can be achieved in a small amount of time. Aml Ameen and I decided on making a film on Friday morning and by lunch time Aml had submitted a script with the next 6 hours spent re-editing it, ready to spend the evening casting by calling in our talented actor friends. We then shot over the next two days on the weekend completing the short-film that is also a teaser from Aml Ameen’s full-feature script THE CODE." NAJAN WARD
SPECIAL DELIVERY | PRODUCER
"SPECIAL DELIVERY was the second film that I had produced and it was a great opportunity to grow as I had never considered making a silent film before. The very talented Kamara Bacchus had written a really strong script which our director, Geoff Searle, loved from the first read. The whole process had to move quite quickly from acquiring all the locations and production crew to shooting all on one day as Aml Ameen was leaving for Los Angeles in the same week." NAJAN WARD
THE PICK UP | WRITER, PRODUCER & ACTOR
"THE PICK UP was my and Aml Ameen’s first attempt at producing a film. The short film is actually an extract from the script I had written for the full-feature film DISORGANISED CRIME. Along with Aml the extract was reworked to make it a little softer as a stand alone project." NAJAN WARD
SYNOPSIS
THE PICK UP is set in a trendy London nightclub and follows two 20 something socialites Jay (Najan Ward) and Adrian (Aml Ameen) on their quest to win the attention and possible one night-stand bed posts of feisty university club queens Roxanne (Elizabeth Kostantino) and Hannah (Amy Connery). The adventure turns sour when the boys' squeaky- clean mate David (Sam Underwood) sticks his nose in. With fast-paced club action and slick dialogue set to the backdrop of popular House music, THE PICK UP is set to capture the magic of nightlife in London; The greatest city in the world...