Drug Company Funds Hurricane Films 'Under The Mud'

'Under the Mud' was written by teenagers in Liverpool over two years and much of the cash to bring it to the big screen came from a social fund from Glaxo Smith Kline, the world’s largest drug manufacturer.
Made by Liverpool-based Hurricane Films, the project is also supported by the Liverpool Culture Company, the film depicts a hectic day in the life of a family from hell, or are they ‘one hell of a family’? Praised by acclaimed actor, director Kathy Burke, who called the script “a beautiful read”, and hailed by Liverpool writer Jimmy McGovern as “a great achievement”, Under the Mud will have a gala charity screening at the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on the 9 February 2007.
Liverpool City Council Leader, Cllr Warren Bradley, said: “This is a fine achievement and it’s great that Liverpool people are one of the first to get to see it at this special charity screening. It represents two years of work for the young people and they should rightly be proud.”
Under the Mud has already screened to great acclaim at the Seagate Foyle film festival in Ireland.
Shot in and around Speke and Garston, Liverpool - an area with high unemployment with one of the worst teenage pregnancy rates in Europe - the action takes place during a hectic twenty-four hours, and centres around the Potts household - second home to teenage slacker, Magic, who’s such a part of the furniture that his longing for the eccentric beauty Paula Potts goes completely un-noticed. To the love of his life he’s just her twin brother’s best mate.
With the family set on a course of self-destruction, aided by an old enemy of Dad’s - and Paula arguing with her imaginary friend about running off to Ibiza with the local slime-ball, Magic realises that he only has a few hours to save the family, get the girl and change all of their lives forever. The film stars Andrew Schofield, Kate Fitzgerald and James McMartin (star of recently-released 'Dead Men's Cards' ), as well as some of the film's young writers, most notably Lenny Wood in the lead role of 'Magic'.
For more information visit www.underthemud.com.
Tickets for the gala charity screening are available from Liverpool Philharmonic box office 0151 709 3789.
(DS/SP)