Focus on Heath 2004 was an event organized by the North Staffs Combined Healthcare Trust on Tuesday 5th October. The evening was designed to raise awareness of mental health issues in the North Staffordshire region by screening the controversial David Cronenberg film 'Spider' starring Ralph Fiennes and conducting an open discussion after the showing. 'Quondam' was invited to be screened before 'Spider' as a B-movie by the organizers because of the short films association with the Healthcare Trust. 'Quondam' was shot in November 2003 in Bucknall Hospital in Staffordshire, UK.

'It was definitely a shock,' says the director of 'Quondam' Andrew Davidson, 'A nice one though. I was really happy to have the film screened for them.'

Davidson attended the screening with the film's star, Darren McAree. 'I think the notion of the audience being made up of medical practitioners and public who were there to see 'Spider' was appealing to both Darren and I. We would really be seeing the film with an audience who knew nothing about us or the film, and that was a first.'

Once Davidson and McAree arrived at the venue they were introduced to the people in charge, including Christopher Hulse who had been instrumental in the production team originally securing Bucknall Hospital as a shooting location. 'It was nice to meet Chris,' says Andrew, 'To meet the man behind the emails. He was very complimentary about the film, he stated that before watching the film he had reservations because of preconceptions of low budget film-making but that the film really surprised him. Which is great to hear, it's what we work toward.'

Shortly before the screening started Andrew was asked to say a few words to introduce his film, though he had nothing prepared before hard he stood in front of some eighty members of the audience and made a brief speech. 'I had no idea what I was going to say, and now I have no idea what I said. At the time I heard chuckling so I assumed it was going well, but it was only when I sat down and Darren said it was good that I relaxed.'

Following the discussion after 'Spider' Andrew had the chance to speak to some of the audience, in particular he spoke to a psychiatrist who commended the film's visual interpretation of a man's dying moments. 'That was fantastic. Having someone who has studied their whole life to know these things tell me we'd got it right was a joy.'

The second 'Quondam' screening was held on Thursday 7th October as part of the Stafford Film Festival.

In October 2003 Andrew Davidson, composer Steven Coltart and Darren McAree presented 'Autumn Heart' at the first Stafford Film Festival, pre-production on 'Quondam' was just gaining momentum and that event un-official marked the transition from one film to the other. The same was true for this years festival. 'Oh certainly,' agrees the director, 'It not that I'm not going to continue pushing Quondam, but it does mark the change to concentrating much more on The Musicals. I think everyone feels it.'

The 'Quondam' presentation proceeded Staffordshire University's JVC sponsored student film awards, a prize that 'Autumn Heart' won in 2003. As a result of the successful premiere of 'Quondam' in March 2004, the film-makers were invited to screen their follow up film. 'It was very much a "where are they now" type affair. We were there sort of saying "this is what we've done since we won last year" and hopefully inspiring the present students.'

One current second year student at the university and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Paul Richards spent some time speaking with Andrew Davidson after the event about the creation of the film. 'It was nice being able to speak to people directly about the film who are interested in it from a production stand point.'