Channel 4 increases Film4's budget to £10 million
Category: News ReleaseLondon - Channel 4 has today announced that it is increasing the annual budget of its film financing division, Film4, to £10 million.
The new budget, effective this year, represents a 20% increase on Film4's spend on film development and financing in 2009 and returns the company's investment capacity to the level it enjoyed prior to the economic downturn.
This injection of fresh investment into financing British feature films, follows the passing into law of the Digital Economy Act, which enshrines a commitment to film production into Channel 4's public service remit for the first time.
Speaking today at a pre-Cannes reception for Film4, Channel 4 Chief Executive, David Abraham, said, "Film4 embodies all that's great about Channel 4's place in our creative culture. For 28 years it has played a distinctive role in the British film industry and we are delighted that this has now been formally acknowledged in the update to Channel 4's remit contained in the Digital Economy Act. Under my watch investment in British film will continue to sit at the heart of Channel 4's public service mission."
Tessa Ross, Controller of Film4 and Channel 4 Drama, added: "Film has always been in the DNA of Channel 4, but this added protection, through the extended remit, comes at a time when this significant part of our British culture is in particular need of protection. To be able to commit an extra £2 million each year to filmmakers and to work that we care about gives us all great hope for the future."
In the run up to the Cannes Film Festival, Film4 is celebrating the presentation of two new features and one short film in official selection at this year's festival: Mike Leigh's Another Year is competing for the Palme d'Or and Hideo Nakata's Chatroom has been selected for the Prize Un Certain Regard. Scott Graham's short film, Native Son is in competition in the Critic's Week.
Another Year tells the story of a happily-married middle-aged couple who endure other people's problems and stars Jim Broadbent, Lesley Manville, Ruth Sheen, Peter Wight, Oliver Maltman and David Bradley. Chatroom is a contemporary tale of disenchanted youths who meet online and features Aaron Johnson, Imogen Poots, Matthew Beard, Hannah Murray, Daniel Kaluuya. Native Son, set in a border town in rural Scotland, tells the story of a troubled farm labourer struggling with loneliness.
This week also sees the UK release of Film4 backed Four Lions, Chris Morris's critically-acclaimed directorial debut. Morris joins a wealth of British filmmakers - from Stephen Frears to Kevin MacDonald; Ken Loach to Steve McQueen; Mike Leigh to Danny Boyle, who Film4 have supported over the past 28 years.
Film4 is backing a diverse slate of feature films in 2010 from both established and new directors. British comedians, Richard Ayoade (Submarine) and Joe Cornish (Attack The Block), make their extraordinary directing debuts and Film4 is also delighted to be working once again with Danny Boyle on his new film, 127 Hours, and with Kevin Macdonald, who is in post on the adaptation of the classic story, The Eagle Of The Ninth. Also completing post are Miranda July's visionary new film, The Future, which has just completed shooting in Los Angeles and Mark Romanek's exquisite adaptation of Ishiguro's award winning novel, Never Let Me Go.
Shooting is currently underway on Pawel Pawlikowski's The Woman In the Fifth, and Paddy Considine's feature debut Tyrannosaur.
Notes To Editors:
About Film4
Film4, headed by Tessa Ross, is Channel 4 's feature film division. The company develops and co-finances film productions and is known for working with the most innovative talent in the UK, whether new or established. Film4 is a founding partner of the Warp X digital studio.
Completed films and films in post production
* denotes selection in Cannes Film Festival 2010
*Another Year
Over four seasons, a happily-married middle-aged couple endure other people's problems, enjoy their son's newly-discovered partner, and cope with an unexpected family bereavement.
Producer: Thin Man Films
Writer/Director: Mike Leigh
Producer: Georgina Lowe
Cast: Jim Broadbent, Lesley Manville, Ruth Sheen, Peter Wight, Oliver Maltman, David Bradley
Sales: Focus Features International
Production Credit: Focus Features International, UK Film Council & Film4 present a Thin Man Films and a Simon Channing Williams production of a film by Mike Leigh
*Chatroom
When five teenagers meet online, innocent friendships are forged. But William isn't who he seems to be... Chatroom is a contemporary tale of disenchanted youths who meet online - what begins as harmless fun turns into a deadly game of cat and mouse that crosses over into the offline world.
Producer: Ruby Films
Director: Hideo Nakata
Writer: Enda Walsh
Producers: Laura Hastings-Smith, Alison Owen, Paul Trijbits
Cast: Aaron Johnson, Imogen Poots, Matthew Beard, Hannah Murray, Daniel Kaluuya
Sales: WestEnd Films
Production Credit: Film4, UK Film Council and WestEnd Films present, in association with Molinare and Notting Hill Films, a Ruby Films production of a Hideo Nakata film
*Native Son (short film)
Set in a border town in rural Scotland, this short film tells the story of a troubled farm labourer struggling with loneliness and the need for human contact.
Writer/Director: Scott Graham
Producers: David Smith, Brocken Spectre
Four Lions
Where's the joke in terror? You're about to find out. Four Lions tells the compelling story of a bunch of British jihadis who push their abstract dreams of glory to breaking point. As the wheels fly off and their competing ideologies clash they stumble from misapprehension to cock up in a dangerous, hilarious but emotionally engaging and entirely plausible farce.
Producer: Warp Films
Director: Chris Morris
Writers: Chris Morris, Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain
Producers: Derrin Schlesinger, Mark Herbert
Cast: Riz Ahmed, Arsher Ali, Nigel Lindsay, Kayvan Novak, Adeel Akhtar
Sales: Wild Bunch
Production Credit: Film4 presents in association with Wild Bunch and Optimum Releasing, a Warp Films production of a Chris Morris film
Releasing in the UK via Optimum on May 7th.
NEDS
NEDS (non educated delinquents) is the story of a young man's journey from prize-winning schoolboy to knife-carrying teenager. Struggling against the low expectations of those around him, John McGill changes from victim to avenger, scholar to Ned, altar boy to glue sniffer. When he attempts to change back again, his new reality and recent past make conformity near impossible and violent.
Producer: blueLight
Writer/Director: Peter Mullan
Producers: Alain de la Mata, Marc Missonnier, Olivier Delbosc
Cast: Peter Mullan, Louise Goodall, Marianna Palka, Conor McCarron, Gregg Forrest
Sales: Wild Bunch
Production Credit: Film4, UK Film Council, Scottish Screen and Wild Bunch present, a blueLight /Fidelité Films/Studio Urania Production of a Peter Mullan film
The Eagle Of The Ninth
A Roman epic adventure set in the dangerous world of second-century Britain. Twenty years after the unexplained disappearance of the Ninth Legion, injured centurion Marcus Aquila and his British slave Esca cross Hadrian's Wall into the unexplored far north, determined to find the lost legion's golden emblem, the Eagle of the Ninth - or die in the attempt.
Producer: Toledo Productions
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Writer: Jeremy Brock
Based on Rosemary Sutcliff's novel ‘The Eagle of the Ninth'
Producer: Duncan Kenworthy
Cast: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong, Tahar Rahim
Sales: Focus Features International
Production Credit: Focus Features presents in association with Film4, a Duncan Kenworthy production, a Focus Features release
Never Let Me Go
Based on Kazuo Ishiguro's critically acclaimed novel of the same name, Never Let Me Go is a haunting, poignant love story following the lives of three children, Kathy, Tommy and Ruth who spend their childhood at Hailsham, a seemingly idyllic English boarding school. As the terrible truth of their fate is revealed to them, they must also confront the deep feelings of love, jealousy and betrayal that threaten to pull them apart.
Producer: DNA Films
Director: Mark Romanek
Writer: Alex Garland
Producers: Allon Reich, Andrew Macdonald
Cast: Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, Charlotte Rampling, Sally Hawkins, Andrea Riseborough and Domhnall Gleeson.
Sales: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Production Credit: A Fox Searchlight Pictures, DNA Films and Film4 presentation
Submarine
Submarine is a coming of age comedy set in Swansea following 15 year old Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts) through the impending break-up of his parents' marriage and his first relationship: "I have been waiting too long for the film of my life. My name is Oliver Tate. This film will capture my particular idiosyncrasies, for example, the way I seduce my classmate Jordana Bevan using only my mind. Also, since my parents' marriage is being threatened by a man who runs courses on Mental and Physical Wellbeing, the film will probably feature some elaborate set-pieces of me taking him down. There will be helicopter shots. There will be slow-mo, but also transcendent moments, like when I cure my father's depression. Knowing me as I do, I will be surprised if this film runs to less than three hours. Note to the press: appropriate adjectives to describe this film include "breath-taking" and "irresistible" as well as the phrase: "a monumental achievement"."
Producer: Warp Films
Writer/Director: Richard Ayoade
Based on Joe Dunthorne's novel, ‘Submarine'
Producers: Andy Stebbing, Mark Herbert, Mary Burke
Cast: Noah Taylor, Paddy Considine, Craig Roberts, Yasmin Paige, Sally Hawkins
Sales: Protagonist Pictures
Production Credit: Film4 and UK Film Council present, in association with The Wales Creative IP Fund and The Film Agency for Wales, in association with Optimum Releasing and Protagonist Pictures, a Warp Films production in association with Red Hour Films, of a Richard Ayoade film.
For more information visit: www.film4.com/productions
London - Channel 4 has today announced that it is increasing the annual budget of its film financing division, Film4, to £10 million.
The new budget, effective this year, represents a 20% increase on Film4's spend on film development and financing in 2009 and returns the company's investment capacity to the level it enjoyed prior to the economic downturn.
This injection of fresh investment into financing British feature films, follows the passing into law of the Digital Economy Act, which enshrines a commitment to film production into Channel 4's public service remit for the first time.
Speaking today at a pre-Cannes reception for Film4, Channel 4 Chief Executive, David Abraham, said, "Film4 embodies all that's great about Channel 4's place in our creative culture. For 28 years it has played a distinctive role in the British film industry and we are delighted that this has now been formally acknowledged in the update to Channel 4's remit contained in the Digital Economy Act. Under my watch investment in British film will continue to sit at the heart of Channel 4's public service mission."
Tessa Ross, Controller of Film4 and Channel 4 Drama, added: "Film has always been in the DNA of Channel 4, but this added protection, through the extended remit, comes at a time when this significant part of our British culture is in particular need of protection. To be able to commit an extra £2 million each year to filmmakers and to work that we care about gives us all great hope for the future."
In the run up to the Cannes Film Festival, Film4 is celebrating the presentation of two new features and one short film in official selection at this year's festival: Mike Leigh's Another Year is competing for the Palme d'Or and Hideo Nakata's Chatroom has been selected for the Prize Un Certain Regard. Scott Graham's short film, Native Son is in competition in the Critic's Week.
Another Year tells the story of a happily-married middle-aged couple who endure other people's problems and stars Jim Broadbent, Lesley Manville, Ruth Sheen, Peter Wight, Oliver Maltman and David Bradley. Chatroom is a contemporary tale of disenchanted youths who meet online and features Aaron Johnson, Imogen Poots, Matthew Beard, Hannah Murray, Daniel Kaluuya. Native Son, set in a border town in rural Scotland, tells the story of a troubled farm labourer struggling with loneliness.
This week also sees the UK release of Film4 backed Four Lions, Chris Morris's critically-acclaimed directorial debut. Morris joins a wealth of British filmmakers - from Stephen Frears to Kevin MacDonald; Ken Loach to Steve McQueen; Mike Leigh to Danny Boyle, who Film4 have supported over the past 28 years.
Film4 is backing a diverse slate of feature films in 2010 from both established and new directors. British comedians, Richard Ayoade (Submarine) and Joe Cornish (Attack The Block), make their extraordinary directing debuts and Film4 is also delighted to be working once again with Danny Boyle on his new film, 127 Hours, and with Kevin Macdonald, who is in post on the adaptation of the classic story, The Eagle Of The Ninth. Also completing post are Miranda July's visionary new film, The Future, which has just completed shooting in Los Angeles and Mark Romanek's exquisite adaptation of Ishiguro's award winning novel, Never Let Me Go.
Shooting is currently underway on Pawel Pawlikowski's The Woman In the Fifth, and Paddy Considine's feature debut Tyrannosaur.
Notes To Editors:
About Film4
Film4, headed by Tessa Ross, is Channel 4 's feature film division. The company develops and co-finances film productions and is known for working with the most innovative talent in the UK, whether new or established. Film4 is a founding partner of the Warp X digital studio.
Completed films and films in post production
* denotes selection in Cannes Film Festival 2010
*Another Year
Over four seasons, a happily-married middle-aged couple endure other people's problems, enjoy their son's newly-discovered partner, and cope with an unexpected family bereavement.
Producer: Thin Man Films
Writer/Director: Mike Leigh
Producer: Georgina Lowe
Cast: Jim Broadbent, Lesley Manville, Ruth Sheen, Peter Wight, Oliver Maltman, David Bradley
Sales: Focus Features International
Production Credit: Focus Features International, UK Film Council & Film4 present a Thin Man Films and a Simon Channing Williams production of a film by Mike Leigh
*Chatroom
When five teenagers meet online, innocent friendships are forged. But William isn't who he seems to be... Chatroom is a contemporary tale of disenchanted youths who meet online - what begins as harmless fun turns into a deadly game of cat and mouse that crosses over into the offline world.
Producer: Ruby Films
Director: Hideo Nakata
Writer: Enda Walsh
Producers: Laura Hastings-Smith, Alison Owen, Paul Trijbits
Cast: Aaron Johnson, Imogen Poots, Matthew Beard, Hannah Murray, Daniel Kaluuya
Sales: WestEnd Films
Production Credit: Film4, UK Film Council and WestEnd Films present, in association with Molinare and Notting Hill Films, a Ruby Films production of a Hideo Nakata film
*Native Son (short film)
Set in a border town in rural Scotland, this short film tells the story of a troubled farm labourer struggling with loneliness and the need for human contact.
Writer/Director: Scott Graham
Producers: David Smith, Brocken Spectre
Four Lions
Where's the joke in terror? You're about to find out. Four Lions tells the compelling story of a bunch of British jihadis who push their abstract dreams of glory to breaking point. As the wheels fly off and their competing ideologies clash they stumble from misapprehension to cock up in a dangerous, hilarious but emotionally engaging and entirely plausible farce.
Producer: Warp Films
Director: Chris Morris
Writers: Chris Morris, Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain
Producers: Derrin Schlesinger, Mark Herbert
Cast: Riz Ahmed, Arsher Ali, Nigel Lindsay, Kayvan Novak, Adeel Akhtar
Sales: Wild Bunch
Production Credit: Film4 presents in association with Wild Bunch and Optimum Releasing, a Warp Films production of a Chris Morris film
Releasing in the UK via Optimum on May 7th.
NEDS
NEDS (non educated delinquents) is the story of a young man's journey from prize-winning schoolboy to knife-carrying teenager. Struggling against the low expectations of those around him, John McGill changes from victim to avenger, scholar to Ned, altar boy to glue sniffer. When he attempts to change back again, his new reality and recent past make conformity near impossible and violent.
Producer: blueLight
Writer/Director: Peter Mullan
Producers: Alain de la Mata, Marc Missonnier, Olivier Delbosc
Cast: Peter Mullan, Louise Goodall, Marianna Palka, Conor McCarron, Gregg Forrest
Sales: Wild Bunch
Production Credit: Film4, UK Film Council, Scottish Screen and Wild Bunch present, a blueLight /Fidelité Films/Studio Urania Production of a Peter Mullan film
The Eagle Of The Ninth
A Roman epic adventure set in the dangerous world of second-century Britain. Twenty years after the unexplained disappearance of the Ninth Legion, injured centurion Marcus Aquila and his British slave Esca cross Hadrian's Wall into the unexplored far north, determined to find the lost legion's golden emblem, the Eagle of the Ninth - or die in the attempt.
Producer: Toledo Productions
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Writer: Jeremy Brock
Based on Rosemary Sutcliff's novel ‘The Eagle of the Ninth'
Producer: Duncan Kenworthy
Cast: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong, Tahar Rahim
Sales: Focus Features International
Production Credit: Focus Features presents in association with Film4, a Duncan Kenworthy production, a Focus Features release
Never Let Me Go
Based on Kazuo Ishiguro's critically acclaimed novel of the same name, Never Let Me Go is a haunting, poignant love story following the lives of three children, Kathy, Tommy and Ruth who spend their childhood at Hailsham, a seemingly idyllic English boarding school. As the terrible truth of their fate is revealed to them, they must also confront the deep feelings of love, jealousy and betrayal that threaten to pull them apart.
Producer: DNA Films
Director: Mark Romanek
Writer: Alex Garland
Producers: Allon Reich, Andrew Macdonald
Cast: Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, Charlotte Rampling, Sally Hawkins, Andrea Riseborough and Domhnall Gleeson.
Sales: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Production Credit: A Fox Searchlight Pictures, DNA Films and Film4 presentation
Submarine
Submarine is a coming of age comedy set in Swansea following 15 year old Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts) through the impending break-up of his parents' marriage and his first relationship: "I have been waiting too long for the film of my life. My name is Oliver Tate. This film will capture my particular idiosyncrasies, for example, the way I seduce my classmate Jordana Bevan using only my mind. Also, since my parents' marriage is being threatened by a man who runs courses on Mental and Physical Wellbeing, the film will probably feature some elaborate set-pieces of me taking him down. There will be helicopter shots. There will be slow-mo, but also transcendent moments, like when I cure my father's depression. Knowing me as I do, I will be surprised if this film runs to less than three hours. Note to the press: appropriate adjectives to describe this film include "breath-taking" and "irresistible" as well as the phrase: "a monumental achievement"."
Producer: Warp Films
Writer/Director: Richard Ayoade
Based on Joe Dunthorne's novel, ‘Submarine'
Producers: Andy Stebbing, Mark Herbert, Mary Burke
Cast: Noah Taylor, Paddy Considine, Craig Roberts, Yasmin Paige, Sally Hawkins
Sales: Protagonist Pictures
Production Credit: Film4 and UK Film Council present, in association with The Wales Creative IP Fund and The Film Agency for Wales, in association with Optimum Releasing and Protagonist Pictures, a Warp Films production in association with Red Hour Films, of a Richard Ayoade film.
For more information visit: www.film4.com/productions
London - Channel 4 has today announced that it is increasing the annual budget of its film financing division, Film4, to £10 million.
The new budget, effective this year, represents a 20% increase on Film4's spend on film development and financing in 2009 and returns the company's investment capacity to the level it enjoyed prior to the economic downturn.
This injection of fresh investment into financing British feature films, follows the passing into law of the Digital Economy Act, which enshrines a commitment to film production into Channel 4's public service remit for the first time.
Speaking today at a pre-Cannes reception for Film4, Channel 4 Chief Executive, David Abraham, said, "Film4 embodies all that's great about Channel 4's place in our creative culture. For 28 years it has played a distinctive role in the British film industry and we are delighted that this has now been formally acknowledged in the update to Channel 4's remit contained in the Digital Economy Act. Under my watch investment in British film will continue to sit at the heart of Channel 4's public service mission."
Tessa Ross, Controller of Film4 and Channel 4 Drama, added: "Film has always been in the DNA of Channel 4, but this added protection, through the extended remit, comes at a time when this significant part of our British culture is in particular need of protection. To be able to commit an extra £2 million each year to filmmakers and to work that we care about gives us all great hope for the future."
In the run up to the Cannes Film Festival, Film4 is celebrating the presentation of two new features and one short film in official selection at this year's festival: Mike Leigh's Another Year is competing for the Palme d'Or and Hideo Nakata's Chatroom has been selected for the Prize Un Certain Regard. Scott Graham's short film, Native Son is in competition in the Critic's Week.
Another Year tells the story of a happily-married middle-aged couple who endure other people's problems and stars Jim Broadbent, Lesley Manville, Ruth Sheen, Peter Wight, Oliver Maltman and David Bradley. Chatroom is a contemporary tale of disenchanted youths who meet online and features Aaron Johnson, Imogen Poots, Matthew Beard, Hannah Murray, Daniel Kaluuya. Native Son, set in a border town in rural Scotland, tells the story of a troubled farm labourer struggling with loneliness.
This week also sees the UK release of Film4 backed Four Lions, Chris Morris's critically-acclaimed directorial debut. Morris joins a wealth of British filmmakers - from Stephen Frears to Kevin MacDonald; Ken Loach to Steve McQueen; Mike Leigh to Danny Boyle, who Film4 have supported over the past 28 years.
Film4 is backing a diverse slate of feature films in 2010 from both established and new directors. British comedians, Richard Ayoade (Submarine) and Joe Cornish (Attack The Block), make their extraordinary directing debuts and Film4 is also delighted to be working once again with Danny Boyle on his new film, 127 Hours, and with Kevin Macdonald, who is in post on the adaptation of the classic story, The Eagle Of The Ninth. Also completing post are Miranda July's visionary new film, The Future, which has just completed shooting in Los Angeles and Mark Romanek's exquisite adaptation of Ishiguro's award winning novel, Never Let Me Go.
Shooting is currently underway on Pawel Pawlikowski's The Woman In the Fifth, and Paddy Considine's feature debut Tyrannosaur.
Notes To Editors:
About Film4
Film4, headed by Tessa Ross, is Channel 4 's feature film division. The company develops and co-finances film productions and is known for working with the most innovative talent in the UK, whether new or established. Film4 is a founding partner of the Warp X digital studio.
Completed films and films in post production
* denotes selection in Cannes Film Festival 2010
*Another Year
Over four seasons, a happily-married middle-aged couple endure other people's problems, enjoy their son's newly-discovered partner, and cope with an unexpected family bereavement.
Producer: Thin Man Films
Writer/Director: Mike Leigh
Producer: Georgina Lowe
Cast: Jim Broadbent, Lesley Manville, Ruth Sheen, Peter Wight, Oliver Maltman, David Bradley
Sales: Focus Features International
Production Credit: Focus Features International, UK Film Council & Film4 present a Thin Man Films and a Simon Channing Williams production of a film by Mike Leigh
*Chatroom
When five teenagers meet online, innocent friendships are forged. But William isn't who he seems to be... Chatroom is a contemporary tale of disenchanted youths who meet online - what begins as harmless fun turns into a deadly game of cat and mouse that crosses over into the offline world.
Producer: Ruby Films
Director: Hideo Nakata
Writer: Enda Walsh
Producers: Laura Hastings-Smith, Alison Owen, Paul Trijbits
Cast: Aaron Johnson, Imogen Poots, Matthew Beard, Hannah Murray, Daniel Kaluuya
Sales: WestEnd Films
Production Credit: Film4, UK Film Council and WestEnd Films present, in association with Molinare and Notting Hill Films, a Ruby Films production of a Hideo Nakata film
*Native Son (short film)
Set in a border town in rural Scotland, this short film tells the story of a troubled farm labourer struggling with loneliness and the need for human contact.
Writer/Director: Scott Graham
Producers: David Smith, Brocken Spectre
Four Lions
Where's the joke in terror? You're about to find out. Four Lions tells the compelling story of a bunch of British jihadis who push their abstract dreams of glory to breaking point. As the wheels fly off and their competing ideologies clash they stumble from misapprehension to cock up in a dangerous, hilarious but emotionally engaging and entirely plausible farce.
Producer: Warp Films
Director: Chris Morris
Writers: Chris Morris, Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain
Producers: Derrin Schlesinger, Mark Herbert
Cast: Riz Ahmed, Arsher Ali, Nigel Lindsay, Kayvan Novak, Adeel Akhtar
Sales: Wild Bunch
Production Credit: Film4 presents in association with Wild Bunch and Optimum Releasing, a Warp Films production of a Chris Morris film
Releasing in the UK via Optimum on May 7th.
NEDS
NEDS (non educated delinquents) is the story of a young man's journey from prize-winning schoolboy to knife-carrying teenager. Struggling against the low expectations of those around him, John McGill changes from victim to avenger, scholar to Ned, altar boy to glue sniffer. When he attempts to change back again, his new reality and recent past make conformity near impossible and violent.
Producer: blueLight
Writer/Director: Peter Mullan
Producers: Alain de la Mata, Marc Missonnier, Olivier Delbosc
Cast: Peter Mullan, Louise Goodall, Marianna Palka, Conor McCarron, Gregg Forrest
Sales: Wild Bunch
Production Credit: Film4, UK Film Council, Scottish Screen and Wild Bunch present, a blueLight /Fidelité Films/Studio Urania Production of a Peter Mullan film
The Eagle Of The Ninth
A Roman epic adventure set in the dangerous world of second-century Britain. Twenty years after the unexplained disappearance of the Ninth Legion, injured centurion Marcus Aquila and his British slave Esca cross Hadrian's Wall into the unexplored far north, determined to find the lost legion's golden emblem, the Eagle of the Ninth - or die in the attempt.
Producer: Toledo Productions
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Writer: Jeremy Brock
Based on Rosemary Sutcliff's novel ‘The Eagle of the Ninth'
Producer: Duncan Kenworthy
Cast: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong, Tahar Rahim
Sales: Focus Features International
Production Credit: Focus Features presents in association with Film4, a Duncan Kenworthy production, a Focus Features release
Never Let Me Go
Based on Kazuo Ishiguro's critically acclaimed novel of the same name, Never Let Me Go is a haunting, poignant love story following the lives of three children, Kathy, Tommy and Ruth who spend their childhood at Hailsham, a seemingly idyllic English boarding school. As the terrible truth of their fate is revealed to them, they must also confront the deep feelings of love, jealousy and betrayal that threaten to pull them apart.
Producer: DNA Films
Director: Mark Romanek
Writer: Alex Garland
Producers: Allon Reich, Andrew Macdonald
Cast: Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, Charlotte Rampling, Sally Hawkins, Andrea Riseborough and Domhnall Gleeson.
Sales: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Production Credit: A Fox Searchlight Pictures, DNA Films and Film4 presentation
Submarine
Submarine is a coming of age comedy set in Swansea following 15 year old Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts) through the impending break-up of his parents' marriage and his first relationship: "I have been waiting too long for the film of my life. My name is Oliver Tate. This film will capture my particular idiosyncrasies, for example, the way I seduce my classmate Jordana Bevan using only my mind. Also, since my parents' marriage is being threatened by a man who runs courses on Mental and Physical Wellbeing, the film will probably feature some elaborate set-pieces of me taking him down. There will be helicopter shots. There will be slow-mo, but also transcendent moments, like when I cure my father's depression. Knowing me as I do, I will be surprised if this film runs to less than three hours. Note to the press: appropriate adjectives to describe this film include "breath-taking" and "irresistible" as well as the phrase: "a monumental achievement"."
Producer: Warp Films
Writer/Director: Richard Ayoade
Based on Joe Dunthorne's novel, ‘Submarine'
Producers: Andy Stebbing, Mark Herbert, Mary Burke
Cast: Noah Taylor, Paddy Considine, Craig Roberts, Yasmin Paige, Sally Hawkins
Sales: Protagonist Pictures
Production Credit: Film4 and UK Film Council present, in association with The Wales Creative IP Fund and The Film Agency for Wales, in association with Optimum Releasing and Protagonist Pictures, a Warp Films production in association with Red Hour Films, of a Richard Ayoade film.
For more information visit: www.film4.com/productions