Few enterprises have more in common than high stakes horse racing and film-making--both share International interest, glamour, big-stake pay-offs, "sure things" and long-odds surprises. The upcoming feature film Miss June tells the story of a group of Irish "open" prison convicts who create a syndicate to buy, train and race a thoroughbred horse. The film is being funded in part by member-sponsors, who will, like their on-screen counterparts, track Miss June's progress as she moves through production, into the festival marketplace, and performs at the box-office. As sponsors of actual frames of the film, they also share in the profits of the film.
Utilizing the technology of the internet to present this syndicate to the world, producers Sam Roch Perks and Glyn Carragher of Sunnyside Films Limited bring horse-lovers, racing fanatics, film goers, and those with a love of Irish heritage and culture together in a unique media adventure at makingmissjune.com.
The story of Miss June centers around Charlie Martin, a young man who finds himself in a low-security Irish prison. As his resourceful and charismatic ways gain him the tempered loyalty of his fellow inmates and the trust of the prison staff, Charlie utilizes the varied talents of his comrades to create a syndicate to raise money to purchase and train a horse for the world renowned Galway Races. While Charlie over-sees the training of their horse when out on week-end passes, he struggles to keep the men involved content, maintain his few and extremely tenuous freedoms, and court Niamh, the horse's beautiful original owner, who has stayed on as a part of the syndicate. The syndicate members being inmates in an open prison lends a bit of an edge to the situation, a great wealth of characters, some rather unique job skills, and keeps the comic tension at high stakes. As their horse, Miss June, readies for the race, she becomes a source of pride, freedom and even rehabilitation to the men.
Great attention was given to the protocols and opportunities Irish open prisons allow, the production team having been warmly received at one of the leading facilities in Ireland before scripting began.
Some of the finest trainers, jockeys, and breeders in Ireland were consulted as to the ways of the Irish racing scene, allowing for the type of humorous and astonishing plot twists that only the truth could allow.
Miss June is the brainchild of Sam Roch Perks, the co-founder of the Delaney's Irish Pub chain in the Far East and managing director of Celtic Concepts, who has started many Irish-themed businesses through-out the world. Producer Glyn Carragher is an animation and drama producer and owner of Hofnaflus Teo production company in County Galway, Ireland, with an extensive track record in television and film production. Screenwriter Jayne Girard Kennedy is an Irish-American filmmaker with independent and studio experience in film and television in Los Angeles and New York.
The average bet placed on a gambling website is currently $50, the entertainment value being extremely fleeting. Members of the Miss June Syndicate can join in for as little as $25, with the chance to follow the production on-line and attend special events, screenings, and parties on and off-set. Member-Sponsors may join at several levels, for $50, $200 and $500 dollars. These cyber-syndicate members will be sponsoring three, fourteen or thirty frames of film in the movie, will receive a credit if they choose and will share in profits of the film over the next several years. Those who choose to be part of the Premier Club join at $500; sponsor thirty frames of film and will have the added bonus of enjoying the Irish premiere of the film in 2002.
As cast and other key talents come aboard, locations are found, sets built, the project filmed and presented, members can follow the making of the film from start to finish, enjoy an on-line novelisation of the project, join chat rooms that reflect their interests, and track Miss June's performance at the box office around the world.
The project is currently in pre-production, as key talents are brought on board. Filming is scheduled to begin in March 2002. The present budget is $5 million. The film is intended to be rated for a wide, commercial audience, without explicit sex, violence, or language.
The characters of Miss June are diverse, the themes universal. In the spirit of successful regional comedies like Waking Ned Devine and The Full Monty, Miss June will utilise the wit of Ireland with a mind towards a global audience.
Like all comedies, Miss June is about the triumph of the unexpected, and the daring of the main character is reflected in Sunnyside Films bold approach to financing and marketing.
Through the website makingmissjune.com, the cyber-syndicate members of Sunnyside Films Limited will help set a new pace for the Internet, for independent filmmaking, and for film audiences, with Miss June the first out of the gate.
Inquires for television, radio, print and Internet media should be made to:
Sam Roch Perks or Glyn Carragher
info@makingmissjune.com
Office Address:
Sunnyside Films Limited
Baile na hAbhann
An Tulach
County Galway
Ireland
353 (0)91 593800
Office Address:
Dan Leahy
Sunnyside Films Limited
8 North Market @ Faneuil Hall
Boston, MA 02109
(617) 973-5010
