Ian Hart Drama To Premiere At Edinburgh Film Festival

Liverpudlian actor Ian Hart has returned to his native Merseyside for his first leading film role since working in the US.
A Boy Called Dad, the debut production by north-west film house Made Up North, is a dark comedy drama about a 14-year-old child-father. It features Hart as the boy's absentee father Joe, and has been selected for a prestigious slot at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in June.
When Joe lets son Robbie down after a promising reunion, the boy snatches his own baby and goes on the run. After a long pursuit, both dads are forced to face up to the past, and what fatherhood really means.
Hart played John Lennon in the films Backbeat and The Hours and Times, and starred in Ken Loach's Land and Freedom and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
He has recently appeared alongside Friends star Courtney Cox in the US drama serial Dirt, as paparazzo sidekick to her 'celeb glossy' editor.
The film is written by Julie Rutterford (Hustle, Ashes to Ashes) and is the debut feature by director Brian Percival (Clocking Off, Ruby in the Smoke). The pair's short film About a Girl won them the Best Short Film BAFTA and joint first prize at Edinburgh in 2001.
Hart said: "What interested me most about the film were the writer and director. Their honest, straightforward approach to film-making and their ability to adapt to the changes the process forces upon us - all without ever losing sight of the story they wanted to tell."
"The set was the calmest and happiest I can ever remember."
Newcomer Kyle Ward has been nominated for Ediburgh's esteemed Trailblzaer showcase of its ten hottest new talents, for his naturalistic performance as Robbie in the film.
Steve Evets, star of new Ken Loach feature Looking for Eric, and Coronation Street's Sacha Parkinson are also among the cast.
The world premiere of A Boy Called Dad has been scheduled for a high-profile slot on the second evening of the festival (June 18 at 8:15pm), following that of Sam Mendes' new feature Away We Go on the opening night.
Made Up North, which is based in Derbyshire, Salford and Liverpool, has had both of its first two films accepted by the festival. The short film Curtains, produced by Warp Films in association with MUN and written and directed by Dan Jemmett and the Mighty Boosh's Julian Barratt, will be screened on June 27.
The company was founded by Michael Knowles in late 2004, who was joined by Stacey Murray in 2006. The pair raised the £1 million they needed to start shooting A Boy Called Dad in September 2008.
Managing Director Stacey Murray said: "As a Scot, I'm delighted that A Boy Called Dad will have its world premiere on home turf!
"Made Up North's mission is to make high quality, commercial British films from outside London, and this news has really spurred us on to the next stage. We hope that it will encourage further investment in films made in the region, especially now that cinema attendance figures are rising and more traditional investment options are in decline."
Creative Director Michael Knowles said: "This is a very exciting time for us. I'm really proud of what we've achieved so far - particularly in such challenging economic times, but this is really only the beginning. We can't wait to see how audiences and the industry react to the finished products."
Made Up North already has a new film, Waving at Trains, starring Pete Postlethwaite, in post-production, and a further three feature films in development.
A Boy Called Dad was co-financed by regional screen agency EM Media through the European Regional Development Fund. The agency also developed the project and financed the placement of trainees with Lottery finance through the UK Film Council.
Additional finance came from Northwest Vision and Media, Film Agency Wales and Made Up North's private equity partners in the north-west.
The company expects it to be on national release in cinemas by the end of the year.
(KMcA/BMcc)