Projects in categories: Fiction

Synopsis

Young Billy Reynolds (Charlie Creed-Miles) is hired by John Dyke (Tom Wilkinson) to dire for ex-con Jason Locke (Sean Bean). Locke's beautiful wife, Lisa (Alex Kingston), fuels his indignation that his old partners have got rich while he did time. Dyke also owes Locke a favour and agrees to a drug deal. Billy's ability to keep his mouth shut earns him a rewarding job with Locke's 'firm'. Nicole, his girlfriend, warns him about being sucked into the criminal underworld. Billy learns that Locke is having an affair with Suzy and he becomes party to the drug deal. The pills turn out a bad batch resulting in hospitalisation of Essex clubbers, and the death of Suzy at Locke's hands in Billy's house. Locke plots revenge on Dyke, but Dyke has plans of his own resulting in the bloody ambush of Locke and his gang in their Range Rover. With Locke dead, Dyke offers Billy a new job driving Lisa. Billy learns that Lisa is sleeping with Dyke and running Jason's 'firm'. To get at Dyke's money, Lisa seduces Billy. Dyke finds out and tries to kill Billy. Billy manages to escape to Lisa's arms. Lisa, however, silently slips into the night, with the money, leaving Billy to contend with the Police.

Synopsis

At Pearl's funeral her family eulogise her as perfect. But there was more to Pearl's life than this comforting image. Pearl is ready to answer back.

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A woman wakes up in a strange house with a strange man.

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From a short story by Sally Reeves. Twelve-year-old Susy's father is very ill. Susy is left to herself and slowly learns to cope with her grief.

Synopsis

From a short story by Sally Reeves. It is a difficult period for 12 year old Susy. Her father is very ill. The family house where she lives is filled with grief. Everybody is very busy trying to face the situation. Susy is left to herself. She never washes. She builds a magic room with her mother's furniture, and slowly she learns to cope with her grief.

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Fe explores the difference between reality and imagination and captures the moment when a little boy grows up.

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Jasper and Lola's calm and controlled existence is interrupted by an uninvited guest who threatens to turn their world upside down.

Synopsis

Although Atom Egoyan's first adaptation The Sweet Hereafter won the Cannes jury prize and scored two Academy Award nominations, the writer-director was initially uncertain about tackling another novel as the basis of his next film. But when Icon head of development Karen Glasser sent him William Trevor's Felicia's Journey he was won over. "I was struck by the brilliance of the writing, the characters' depth and how many of the themes resonated with me," says Egoyan. The story follows naive Irish teenager Felicia as she treks to Birmingham to find her lover Johnny, but instead encounters the sinister and faintly comic Mr Hilditch. Egoyan, who was born in Cairo and grew up in Canada, brought an outsider's viewpoint to the film's locations, small-town Ireland and the industrial sprawl of the English Midlands. "I felt a responsibility," he says, "that both locations be presented with honesty and accuracy." Egoyan also found working with British and Irish actors a fresh experience. He praised the calibre of the actors who include newcomer Elaine Cassidy as Felicia and Bob Hoskins as Hilditch. Felicia's Journey is firmly stamped with Egoyan's style and preoccupations. The film includes regular Egoyan collaborators such as DoP Paul Sarossy, editor Susan Shipson and composer Mychael Danna, while the director's muse Arsinee Khanjian plays Hilditch's extraordinary mother Gala. The film's structure jumps back and forward in time, incorporating video and film footage, in a way that will be familiar to Egoyan fans. Felicia's Journey was released in the UK in October last year to critical acclaim.

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A young Japanese man, who is living in self-inflicted isolation, meets an old man who is waiting for his death. They develop a silent friendship.

Synopsis

Based on Jonathan Coe's novel Dwarves Of Death, Five Seconds To Spare is the story of William (Max Beesley), a young aspiring musician who arrives in London in search of success and romance, only to find himself the sole witness to a bizarre murder. The film marks the feature film debut of award-winning commercials director Tom Connolly and is produced by Amanda Posey, who says she optioned the rights to the book in 1995, because of its "vividly cinematic premise". Coe wrote a number of drafts for Five Seconds To Spare before Connolly, also a screenwriter, came on board as director and re-wrote the final draft. "Tom had a very strong, coherent and complete vision of both what he wanted to do with the script to give it a visual vibrancy, and how that translated into shooting it as a director," says Posey. Despite his experience as a musician, Beesley, who hit the spotlight with his performance as the BBC's Tom Jones, was not at first an obvious choice for the part of William. "Max is magnetic and confident, in complete contrast to the character of William," says Posey. "But he worked because he counteracted any possibility of William seeming drippy." Music plays an integral part in the film, which boasts an original score by Ben Pope and even features a cameo by Radio One DJ John Peel. Five Seconds To Spare premiered at the Greenwich Film Festival in June.

Synopsis

Woven in with a constantly surprising and colourful thriller plot, Five Seconds to Spare is the witty and poignantly observed story of William, a young aspiring musician who pins his hopes in London, the dream city which will bring him rock 'n' roll success and true romance. Only trouble is, in reality, William's life is beset with frustration: his witless band seem intent upon turning his dark, heartfelt songs into commercial pop; the coolly desirable Madeleine hangs out of reach and even catching a bus on a Sunday seems a hopeless act of faith. Things could hardly get any worse, but they do - when he becomes the only witness to a bizarre murder.

Synopsis

Two inner-city policeman are on a stakeout, but how far are they willing to go to get their man?