Irish feature films ‘My Name is Emily’ and ‘Sing Street’ wrapped filming this week. The two Irish Film Board supported dramas will now enter post-production.
‘My Name is Emily’ is produced by Newgrange Films and Kennedy Films. It is written and directed by Simon Fitzmaurice (‘The Sound of People’) and stars Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood in the ‘Harry Potter’ films), Michael Smiley (‘Kill List’, ‘A Field in England’) and George Webster (‘City of Dreamers’).
The film is a romance and a road movie about a teenage girl called Emily (Lynch) who leaves a foster home with a friend (Webster) to find her father (Smiley), who is locked up in a psychiatric institution.
‘My Name Is Emily’ is being distributed by Eclipse in Ireland and has already secured TV slots in Sweden. The film received funding from the Irish Film Board, BAI, TV3 and the Irish tax incentive program. Co-production funding is also coming from Sweden and Norway via Garagefilm International and Paradox.
Director/writer Fitzmaurice has Motor Neuron Disease, which he was diagnosed with in 2008. He wrote the script by using his eyes and iris recognition software. He says: “Making this film is the realization of a serious amount of work and love from my wonderful producers. We are surrounded by the most committed group of cast and crew it has been my pleasure to work with. For me, it has been worth every effort just to be here on set in the calm at the centre of the hurricane.”
Producer Lesley McKimm of Newgrange Pictures told IFTN: “The shoot went really well, we had a lovely cast and crew. Simon our director was with us all day every day which was just fantastic.”
Producer Kathryn Kennedy of Kennedy Films continued: “Simon surprised us by being on set all day and night working around the clock - he even stayed out partying with us at the wrap party too! I'm so happy for him that he has achieved this after so many years of hard work. We're in the edit now and about to view our first rough cut, very exciting times!”
The post-production for ‘My Name is Emily’ will take place in Windmill Lane with sound work being completed at Chimney Pot in Sweden.
Another feature film that will now enter post-production is ‘Sing Street’, which was shot in locations in and around Dublin. Directed by ‘Once’ director John Carney and financed by Merced Media Finance, Bord Scannán na hÉireann / Irish Film Board and the Irish Tax incentive , the film stars newcomer Ferdia Walsh-Peelo alongside Lucy Boynton, Aidan Gillen, Maria Doyle Kennedy and Jack Reynor.
Set in 1980s recession-ridden Dublin, Set in 1980’s Dublin, Sing Street tells the story of fourteen year old Cosmo who is forced by the recession out of his comfortable private school and into survival mode at the inner city public school. He turns to music, forming a ragtag band, shooting scrappy music videos, and finding refuge and love with the beautiful Raphina.
Irish Producer, Martina Niland told IFTN: “We had such a wonderful and memorable time filming ‘Sing Street’ over the past number of weeks and had the pleasure of working with such a fantastic cast and crew. We are excited to now begin the post production phase of the process with Screen Scene post facility here in Dublin.”