Irish feature film 'My Name is Emily' is expected to go into production in spring 2014 with a projected release date in 2015, it has been announced.
Written and directed by the multiple award-winning Simon Fitzmaurice, 'My Name is Emily' is described as the redemptive tale of a 16 year old who escapes her foster home and, teaming up with her schoolmate Arden, travels cross country to rescue her father from a psychiatric ward.
The Wicklow resident, who was diagnosed with motor-neuron disease in 2008, has won multiple awards for his short film 'The Sound of People', including wins at Belfast Film Festival, Foyle Film Festival and Huesca Film Festival, as well as an Honourable Mention at the Oberhausen International Short Film Festival.
Initially manifesting as a pain in his foot while screening 'The Sound of People' at the Sundance Film Festival in 2008, Mr. Fitzmaurice's motor-neuron disease has advanced over the past five years to the point that he now lives on a ventilator.
Far from dulling his ambitions, however, his condition seems to have served only to focus his drive- initially typed, the script for 'My Name is Emily' was completed using the iris-recognition technology that allows Fitzmaurice to write.
Set to be a co-production between Newgrange Pictures and Kennedy Films, 'My Name is Emily' is currently in the process of seeking funding that will allow Mr. Fitzmaurice to realize his vision. Open until December 7th, the project's Indiegogo campaign has already received endorsement from international filmmakers such as Alan Rickman and Jim Sheridan.
Says 'What Richard Did' director Lenny Abrahamson: "My admiration for him as a man is not the reason I will be supporting his film [...] I'll be supporting it because SImon Fitzmaurice is a truly unique and gifted filmmaker and 'My Name Is Emily' is an extraordinary script."
Supported by the Irish Film Board, pre-production on 'My Name is Emily' is expected to last 12 weeks with a projected shooting schedule of 8 weeks. Other crew members attached to the project including IFTA-winning DOP Ivan McCullough, who was worked with Mr. Fitzmaurice his previous short films.
For more information on 'My Name is Emily' or to track production, visit www.mynameisemilythefilm.com
