Man hopes to get 'Scouse visa' after making city his adopted home

A man came to Liverpool and made an award winning film with no crew and a tiny budget.

Kai Jolley is a 32 year-old actor, writer and producer based in Toxteth. Kai’s passion for the arts started when he was 11 after taking part in a school talent show back in his native Canada. Originally focusing on music, his focus shifted towards acting and producing.

Kai attended Toronto Film School, before moving to Liverpool because of a relationship. He was soon thriving in a range of roles, from performing to being an usher and working on technology behind the scenes.

It was these experiences which impressed him about the city’s arts scene. He said: “I really enjoyed just all the theatre that Liverpool had to offer in such a small, for lack of a better description, city.

“To have so many theatres that are doing so incredibly well, considering all things and having so many different kinds of arts and entertainment. It's really brilliant.”

The wealth of opportunities spurred Kai to pursue filmmaking. However, the process of doing so was far from straightforward.

Kai was forced to produce his short film at the height of the covid lockdown and his application for funding was rejected. Nevertheless, he pursued the project wholeheartedly.

He said: “I ended up just using the resources I had available to me at the time, which was literally just my phone and like a little zoom recorder. And because of the lockdown, I didn't really have any crew or anything, so it was literally just myself with my phone and my Zoom recorder, and possibly I think, some help from my partner at the time.”

The film was an innovative romantic comedy, entitled Coming Out. The short movie was filmed with no spoken words, instead following just one character with the story told through the exchange of notes and gifts.

Kai has made Toxteth his home (Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)

The film was about the LGBTQ+ community, and sought to challenge people’s perspectives on how love is often portrayed in film. After finishing production, he submitted it to various film festivals, where the film went on to win several awards including Best Rom-Com and Viewer’s Choice.

Coming Out became part of LCR Pride Foundation’s Film with Pride series too. Sharing his thoughts as the accolades came flying in, Kai said: “I felt really happy and excited that something that was really done on no budget was able to make such an impact on people's lives.

“And it seemed to like take off because it was available online. So people back in Canada and all around the world, different friends, and family I have were tuning in and seeing what was created, as well as people that I had no idea who they were. That was a really beautiful moment as well.”

Kai has now launched the Liverpool Film Initiative (LFI) which he runs along with other industry professionals, with the aim of uncovering and developing local talent. The LFI is supported by local charities and businesses from around the world.

The LFI was borne out of Kai’s frustrations at seeing so many talented artists struggling to break through. He said: “I find that finding those open doors is quite a difficult one. I've been around people that have this incredible talent, whether it be singing or acting or on the tech side of things, being really creative.

“And meanwhile they're juggling seven different jobs to try and survive and make ends meet. And I'm just like, why is this happening? It put a fire in me that I was just like, no, we need to do something about this, we need to try and showcase the talent we have.”

In the last month, Kai was contacted by a former client who the LFI worked with two years ago. The actor is now working on a Disney show and wanted to personally thank Kai and the LFI for being the “stepping stone” early on in her career.

Recent times haven’t been easy for Kai, but he is spurred on by his adopted city. Liverpool has a long history of welcoming visitors, and Kai is the latest in a long line who have journeyed across the Atlantic and made the city their home.

He said: “I think Liverpool is a very welcoming and open sort of society. It's always joked about how Liverpool is its own country, and compared to the rest of the UK and I can definitely see that in a lot of ways.”

He added: “To be honest, um, it's been quite difficult last year. My partner's been going through some health issues.

“We've been doing the best we can, and just enjoying life the best we can and still keeping busy with work and everything. We've had some really brilliant friends and family around that have been so supportive.

“I am going through the process of my Visa application and it's been a bit of a nightmare to be fair. All of the people that I tell about this, they're like, you know, we need to get a Scouse visa, that would be perfect. Then you would definitely stay!”

“I'm hoping I can stay, that's for sure. Liverpool, and the people in Liverpool, have just been, really brilliant, really welcoming.”

You can find out more about Kai via the LFI and his personal website.