News / Film opportunity
ANYONE interested in being part of a film featuring next January’s Lewick Up Helly Aa festival should hot foot it down to Lerwick’s Garrison Theatre tonight (Friday 13 September).
Producer Kathy Proctor and Downton Abbey director Phil John are holding a question and answer session with local folk about getting involved with their working project called…Up Helly Aa.
The film revolves around two young Shetland men who head for Glasgow with different plans, one to find his girlfriend and the other to find an audience for his music.
Shetland and Up Helly Aa were chosen as the backdrop because one of the co-writers, Raymond Friel, lived here as a child and took part in the Junior Up Helly Aa almost two decades ago.
Friel and co-writer Derek Boyle have already gained a reputation with their two films, 2004’s The Calcium Kid, a mockumentary starring Orlando Bloom as a boxing milkman, and 2007’s Botched, which won best movie at the New York horror awards.
Proctor said the project had already received development funding from Creative Scotland and Film Agency Wales – she is Welsh but lives in Scotland.
This perhaps gives the venture more chance of seeing the light of day than Jim Brown’s Between Weathers, which has seen more promises than action over the past few years.
Proctor said she and John received a warm reception from the Up Helly Aa committee on Thursday and were now looking forward to meeting local people seeking some kind of involvement.
“We are looking for people who want to get involved in any capacity,” she said. “This is not a casting session.
“We want to talk to people about the film and see how best we can involve people who would like to be involved.
“This is not a hit and run, we want people to feel part of the project.”
If it goes ahead the film crew will be in Shetland for next January’s fire festival before returning in July to film on the islands.
Friday’s session starts at 7.30pm.
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