Carey Fitzgerald’s Silver Mountain Distribution, the sales and marketing arm of Irish Silver Mountain Productions, has launched Patricia Kelly’s debut feature film Verdigris to the worldwide market.
Produced by Paul FitzSimons (The Gift) of Prelude Content and MnáMná Films’ Patricia Kelly, who also wrote and directed Verdigris, the story is loosely based on true facts and deals with the much-discussed subject of coercive control.
Kelly wanted to show how abusive a relationship can be even though there are never any bruises or physical violence. Kelly has previously written and directed a number of shorts including Cost You Nothing, Ronya, When Possible, Take a U-Turn, and more recently Very Slightly Included.
Read our interview with director Patricia Kelly and producer Paul Fitzsimons.
The film, winner of the Best Independent Film Award at the prestigious 2023 Galway Film Fleadh, follows the story of middle-class, middle-aged woman played by Geraldine McAlinden (Sucking Diesel) who, trapped in an abusive marriage, takes on a secret part-time job and forms an unlikely friendship with a young sex worker played by Maya O’Shea (Made in Dublin) who was also nominated for the Bingham Ray New Talent Award in Galway.
The cast also includes Michael James Ford (Becoming Jane), Killian Filan (Normal People), Kyle Hixon (The Last Duel) and Andrew Kingston (Black Eyes). Verdigris will be enjoying its North American premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival and will be screening at the Kerry International Film Festival in October with further festivals to be announced soon.
“We’re excited to partner with Silver Mountain Distribution to bring Verdigris to a global audience. The film had such a strong debut at the Galway Film Fleadh, where it was incredibly well received and picked up its first major award,” said director Patricia Kelly.
“Verdigris’ themes of sisterhood, classism, coercive control and sex workers’ rights are really resonating with audiences and we hope it has a long, vibrant life entertaining and challenging viewers for decades.”
Silver Mountain’s Creative Director, Dominique Murphy - de Neef said: “Paul and Patricia have made a multi-layered, charming film mixing ironic humour with a number of current, real-life issues. The portrayal of the bond between a seemingly invisible older woman and a young sex worker is both remarkable and inspiring, as it revolves around the exchange of life wisdom for street smarts. Both women suffer abuse in their own way, Marian being a victim of coercive control and Jewel subjected to neglect. The film’s underlying themes of abuse and sex worker’s rights are directly in line with Silver Mountain’s ethos of working with stories of the underrepresented. We are looking forward to working with Paul and Patricia on this remarkable film.”
Producer Paul FitzSimons added: “Verdigris is a powerful film with a moving and relatable story, and we're thrilled to be working with Silver Mountain, who recognise the film's quality and its potential to appeal to audiences on a global scale. We're very much looking forward to working with them to bring the film to the market.”
Silver Mountain will be launching the film to worldwide markets with immediate effect.
