Project Detail

Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?

Synopsis

An intriguing mixture of moody film noir and modern-day western, Where Have All The Cowboys Gone? is the third feature from Pilton Pictures after the controversial The Priest And The Pirate and romantic comedy Happy Ever After. Trading on genre cliches of cheating hearts, two-timing friends, avenging angels and the iconic influence of Clint Eastwood, it is laced with a dark humour that lends a distinctively Scottish flavour to some quintessential American ingredients.

'I think it's very European in the way it was shot, but quite American in the way it deals with narrative,' explains writer/producer/director Hugh Farrell. 'It is a kind of hybrid - a sort of haggis-noir western. I also think people will find it very funny and respond to the talent of first-time actress Sam Tonks.'

Devised, rehearsed and shot in a breathtaking eight weeks, the project brought together a dozen first-time actors to work on fleshing out a script, developing their characters and testing the storyline. Shot in 16 days, it made the low budget its aesthetic, seeking creative solutions to financial obstacles.

'People have embraced the Dogme school of film-makers as a breath of fresh air and a different response to the sometimes overwhelming industrial process of making films,' says Farrell. "We've found an energy and immediacy in that kind of highly condensed, pressurised way of working that we chose.'

Details

Year
2001
Type of project
Features
Running time
90 mins
Format
Digi Beta
Director
Hugh Farrell
Producer
Hugh Farrell
Editor
Herbie Wells
Screenwriter
Hugh Farrell
Director of Photography
Shug Dundee, Lorna Simpson, Simon May
Composer
Karl Mariner
Principal cast
Sam Tonks, Kris Thompson, Lesley Connoly, Jeremy Beard, Russel Jones

Categories

Production Status

Production Company

Pilton Pictures

Contact: Hugh Farrell
30 Ferry Road Avenue
Edinburgh EH4 4BA
UK

T 0131 343 1151

office@piltonvideo.freeserve.co.uk

Sales Company

Pilton Pictures

Contact: Hugh Farrell
30 Ferry Road Avenue
Edinburgh EH4 4BA
UK

T 0131 343 1151

office@piltonvideo.freeserve.co.uk

Page updates

This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.

See also

You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.

Frank and Percy Frank and Percy

Director: Sean Mathias

Year: 2026

When two older men cross paths whilst walking their dogs on Hampstead Heath, casual chat about the weather and bad hips slowly gives way to something deeper. As their friendship blossoms into an unexpected romance, they must decide whether to take a chance on love. With sharp humour and touching moments, FRANK AND PERCY is a heartfelt life affirming tale that proves it’s never too late to love again.

Fly Little Bird Fly Little Bird

Director: Johannes Boesiger

Year: 2026

Judith, an American singer-songwriter struggling with addiction, flees her Jewish relatives' West Bank settlement and finds refuge in Ramallah with Leena, a British-Indian journalist, and Rafiq, a Palestinian photographer. Judith falls in love with Rafiq and reconnects with music through local DJ Amira, but when her grandfather threatens military intervention, Leena escorts Judith to London. Rafiq doesn't follow. Although Judith performs again, her freedom and artistic expression prove fragile.

A man in a dark room illuminated by red light that is being held on the ground by another person Tales of the Underworld

Director: Darren S. Cook

Year: 2026

Told through the eyes of a journalist digging too deep - exposing a ruthless criminal empire where missing men, police informants, and shifting loyalties make survival a dangerous game.