‘Jimmy’ Hall’ - Ken Loach’s Jim Gralton biopic filmed in Ireland - was almost stalled in post-production last week as supplies of old editing stock began to run out, but an unlikely saviour has presented itself in the form of Pixar.
The Oscar-winning animation studio, behind such computer generated classics as the ‘Toy Story’ films, ‘Up’, ‘Monsters Inc’ and ‘The Incredibles’, answered Loach’s call for old dry transfer numbering tape which he needed to complete the edit - as IFTN reported here.
Ken Loach was reported as saying: ‘We were delighted to know that Pixar is still in love with the same technology as us. We hope to get to meet them along the way. We’ve had a tinful of tape from a few other friends as well and we’re very grateful.’
According to Screen Daily, Pixar editor Steve Bloom was responsible for sending Loach the studio’s entire reserve of numbering tape which arrived in London yesterday morning - decorated with ‘Monsters Inc’ characters Mike and Sully handling rolls of old film.
The delivery was accompanied by the message, signed by nine Pixar editors, ‘To Ken Loach and crew. Good luck from the editors at Pixar!’
Principal photography on ‘Jimmy’s Hall’ took place in Sligo and Leitrim over August and September, and utilised a host of members of the local communities in supporting parts.
The film stars Barry Ward in the title role of Jimmy Gralton whose dance hall became a meeting point for his socialist political meetings in 1932 - which resulted in his eventual deportation from Ireland.
Other Irish cast members include Simone Kirby; Andrew Scott; Brían F. O’Byrne (Love/Hate’s Inspector Moynihan); and Jim Norton.
The screenplay for ‘Jimmy’s Hall’ was written by Paul Laverty whose previous Loach collaborations include ‘The Wind That Shakes the Barley’ and ‘Route Irish’.
‘Jimmy’s Hall’ is a Sixteen Films, Element Pictures, Why Not Productions and Wild Bunch production, supported by the Irish Film Board, BFI and Film4.
IFTN’s recent interview with producer Rebecca O’Brien of Sixteen Films can be found here.