FILM COUNCIL FUNDS FIRST PREMIERE PROJECTS

THE Film Council have announced the first three feature film projects to be backed by the £10 million a year Premiere Fund.
The fund, sourced from the Lottery, is investing £2,000,000 in ‘Gosford Park’, £1,200,000 in ‘Mike Bassett: England Manager’, and £850,000 in ‘Miranda’.
‘Gosford Park’ features some of the finest creative talents from both the UK and abroad. Robert Altman, Oscar nominated director of ‘The Player’, ‘Short Cuts’, ‘Nashville’ and ‘M.A.S.H’ has drawn together a stunning cast for this seductive murder-mystery set in the 1930s including Kristin Scott Thomas, Ryan Phillippe, Richard E Grant, Emily Watson, Helen Mirren, and Stephen Fry. ‘Gosford Park’ is written by first time British screenwriter Julian Fellowes, lensed by Andrew Dunn (‘The Madness Of King George’), edited by Tim Squyres (‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’), produced by Robert Altman, David Levy and Bob Balaban, the film is co-produced by Jane Frazer. The film is being produced and co-financed by London-based Capitol Films who will handle the worldwide sales of the film which is to be shot entirely in the UK.
‘Mike Bassett: England Manager’ is a ‘mockumentary’ that aims to do for football what ‘This Is Spinal Tap’ did for progressive rock. This stars Amanda Redman, and comedians Phil Jupitus and Robbie Gee. British director Steve Barron (‘Coneheads’, ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’), writers Rob Sprackling and John Smith and producer Neil Peplow (‘Shooting Fish’) lead the creative team. The film will shoot for eight weeks in UK, Hungary and Brazil. The Film Council has partnered with major independent UK distributor Entertainment Film Distributors and Hallmark Entertainment on this venture.
Marc Munden, the acclaimed director of ‘Vanity Fair’ and ‘The Secret World of Michael Fry’, will direct ‘Miranda’. This romantic comedy thriller stars Christina Ricci, John Hurt, and Kyle MacLachlan. ‘Miranda’ is produced by first-time producer Laurence Bowen's Feelgood Films and is written by first-time screenwriter Rob Young. Financing partners on the film are FilmFour, and German distributor and financier Senator Film. FilmFour will handle worldwide sales as well as the UK distribution, with Senator releasing in German speaking territories. (AMcE)