Irvine filmmakers' hip-hop video is a hit in Angola

Jul 30 2010 by Eric McGowan, Irvine Herald

TWO Irvine filmmakers are riding high in the Angolan TV music charts – with a hip-hop video they shot in Kilwinning.

Greg Andrew and Robb Wallace, of Hingway Films, achieved the unlikely feat after hooking up with Glasgow-based Angolan rappers Levis and Swiss.

They shot a low-budget video for the duo’s track Showa Skank on location at James Watt College and weeks later were told it was being shown on the Angolan version of MTV.

Greg, 30, explained: “Levis and Swiss are students from Angola who knew Robb through college and after the video was done they sent it to a few television stations back home.

“We’d shot the video on a shoe-string budget so we were quite surprised when we heard it had been picked up by the Angolan equivalent of MTV.

“It does feel a bit weird for two guys from Irvine to have a hit with a hip-hop video in Angola but we’re not complaining. We’re enjoying telling everyone we’re big in Angola!”

Greg and Robb are also enjoying success on the film festival front with two of Hingway’s short films set to be screened this weekend.

Comedies The Hitman and Him, filmed on location in Irvine starring Kilwinning actor Steven MacLeish, and The Morning After the Night Before, shot in Glasgow, feature at the Deep Fried Film Festival in Coatbridge this Saturday and Sunday.

Greg added: “It’s great exposure for us as the festival has international appeal and recently featured on Radio Scotland.”

For more information on Hingway Films visit www.myspace.com/hingwayfilms