Projects matching: Gillies Mackinnon

Synopsis

The inhabitants of a Scottish island try to plunder 50,000 cases of whisky from a nearby stranded ship.
A remake of the beloved black and white original film directed by Alexander Mackendrick for Ealing Studios, which was based on the novel by Compton Mackenzie, which itself was based on the real events of 1941 when the S.S. Politician was shipwrecked in the Outer Hebrides leading to an hilarious battle as the wily islanders on nearby Eriskay tried to salvage the huge cargo of whisky on board, enraging the British authorities.
Edinburgh International Film Festival 2016 - World premiere

Synopsis

From multi-award-winning director Gillies Mackinnon this is the fascinating story of visionary Scottish engineer and developer of radar, Robert Watson-Watt (Eddie Izzard).
Edinburgh International Film Festival 2014 - World premiere

Synopsis

Two women: one in America and the other in Ireland. Both are at the emotional crossroads of their lives. In order to escape their tumultuous lives at home, they temporarily swap houses. Borrowing something from each other's lives, they embark on a journey of self discovery, and in turn, find their destinies are forever altered.
 
Adapted from the book by international bestselling novelist Maeve Binchy.

Synopsis

Set in London's East End, Pure is a story about innocence, seen through the eyes of 10 year old Paul. Following the death of his father, he takes on the role of caretaker to mother Mel and younger brother Lee. Paul's hunger for his mother's affection is as moving as her inability to respond as she seeks solace in drugs. With heroic optimism, Paul takes drastic steps to rescue Mel from her addiction. But only when she hits rock bottom is Mel able to summon the power to save herself and her family.

Synopsis

Commercial pilot, Denis Hopkins (Jonny Lee Miller), has everything to live for. His beautiful wife, Valerie, with their first born on the way, a fulfilling and lucrative job as a commercial pilot and an idyllic house by the sea. A vicious break-in, which results in the murder of his pregnant wife, expunges all that. Denis turns his back on what's left of his perfect lifestyle and vows to take revenge on Ricky Barnes, the man responsible for the death of Valerie.

He reinvents himself as a petty criminal, gets caught smashing up a police car and is duly sentenced. Having infiltrated the prison system, Denis goes about his revenge mission with studied, obsessive commitment. But to get to Barnes, Denis must reach Sullen Voe, the highest security prison in the land and to do that he must become a Category A escape risk. Through a series of daring though intentionally flawed escapes, his risk status rises as he is demoted down through the system. With the help of Ron (Gary Lewis), Denis breaks out of the formidable Ulathorn, in order to be caught and sent down to Sullen Voe. Now, only revenge will set the escapist free.

Fast paced and raw, The Escapist is an intelligent and highly charged thriller about an ordinary man pushed beyond his limits, and his instinctive fight to uphold the power of love.

Synopsis

Room to Rent is a bitter sweet comedy about Ali, a young Egyptian screen-writer determined to succeed in London. He loves the artistic and political freedom, the colours, the music and the individualism. But Britain isn't an easy place for a foreigner to break through. No-one takes his work seriously and he has to scrape an illegal living in 'Arab' London as a waiter and Arabic voice over artist. With his student visa about to expire and a highly unsatisfactory relationship with married Vivienne, a French woman who more or less pays him to have sex, life is not easy. On the same day his visa extension is refused, a strange old blind woman accosts him on a train, plus he has a fight with his landlord and his thrown out of his lodgings. His friend Ahmed, a street wise hustler, thinks Ali should scrape together £3000 and buy a passport by entering into a fake marriage with a British woman - supplied with Ahmed if he wants to stay. With little money, a student visa and no home, Ali sees no alternative.

However, a series of relationships in different London 'rooms to rent' soon have a major impact on his future . . .
 
 
It was when writer-director Khaled El Hagar was doing voiceover work for Gillies Mackinnon's Hideous Kinky that he realised its star, Said Taghmaoui, would be an ideal lead in the film he was developing with producer Ildiko Kemeny. Taghmaoui was enthusiastic. "It's not every day that a juicy lead role for an Arabic actor comes along," he says. With Taghmaoui's name attached Kemeny was able to find a French co-producer, Marina Gefter of Paris-based IMA. StudioCanal, already co-producing Kemeny's Hotel Splendide, also came on board as sales agent.

Inspired by El Hagar's own experiences living in London, the bittersweet comedy tells the story of Egyptian writer Ali, who is struggling to stay afloat in London as his visa runs out. His only hope of staying on is to find a British woman who is willing to marry him. The trouble is fake marriages cost money, something Ali is a little short of. Finding somewhere to live is also far from straightforward. Along the way he encounters photographer Mark (Rupert Graves), an unstable young woman Linda (Juliette Lewis), whom Ali falls in love with, and ageing faith healer Miss Stevenson (Anna Massey), who thinks he is the reincarnation of her Egyptian lover.

Room To Rent is El Hagar's first English-language film. His debut feature Little Dreams screened to critical acclaim at several international festivals, including Rotterdam and Birmingham.

Synopsis

The Last of The Blonde Bombshells tells the story of Elizabeth (Dame Judi Dench) who upon the death of her husband realises that the happiest days of her life were when she played tenor saxophone in an all-girls dance band, The Blond Bombshells, during the Second World War. To the horror of her children Elizabeth starts busking in Camden where she is spotted by Patrick (Sir Ian Holm), a dedicated Lothario who played drums in the band to dodge conscription. Encouraged by her granddaughter Joanna, Elizabeth sets about to reunite the band with a reluctant Patrick.





Travelling across the country they find their fellow band members in a range of locations from old folks homes to prisons and a variety of lifestyles from the predictable to the bizarre. The search is haunted by the past. Elizabeth learns that Patrick systematically seduced every member of the band except herself primarily because she was under the age of consent but more probably because he was threatened with castration. Despite the odds, Elizabeth and Patrick using a mixture of charm, cajolery and bribery, reassemble the band. At Joanna's school concert The Blonde Bombshells triumph and Elizabeth agrees to become the last and only rose on Patrick's drum.

Synopsis

Early 1970's - Morocco.


A moving and original account of what it was like to be a child of the hippie generation. Love, peace, no father but a tough older sister and a beautiful young Mum - the story of Julia's love affair with another culture, as experienced with the clear-eyed vulnerability of her five-year-old daughter Lucy and her older sister Bea. This is the story of an extraordinary year in the life of a family. Julia decides that she has had enough of London and takes off for Morocco with her two little girls.


Lucy and her sister Bea are let loose in Marrakech. From the tourists to the beggars and entertainers in the market, their curiosity is endless. Julia is loving but distracted by money worries and seeking spiritual fulfillment. And then Bilal comes into their lives. The children observe Julia's love affair with a wonderful, magical man, with whom they all share a temporary Paradise. But this degree of freedom has its price and the stresses of their way of life start to be more than the children can bear. Bilal, feckless, charming and irresponsible as he is, understands their need and makes a heroic sacrifice on their behalf to raise enough money for their tickets home. Finally, Julia has to make the hard choice between her lover and her children.
 
Based on the novel 'Hideous Kinky' by Esther Freud.