The Works :: UK Distribution



		BRICK LANE (102 mins) ( 2007 ) Cert: Director: SARAH GAVRON Cast: TANNISHTHA CHATTERJEE, SATISH KAUSHIK, CHRISTOPHER SIMPSON Winner! Alfred Dunhill Award for UK Film Talent - London Film Festival 2007 Winner! Audience Award Winner - Dinard British Film Festival Winner! Best Screenplay Winner - Dinard British Film Festival BAFTA nomination - Carl Foreman Award for UK First Feature Official Selection Telluride Film Festival 2007 Official Selection Toronto Film Festival 2007 Official Selection San Sebastian 2007 SYNOPSIS Set against the changing backdrop of multicultural Britain, BRICK LANE is a truly contemporary story of love, cultural difference, and, ultimately, the strength of the human spirit. Adapted from the international bestselling novel by Monica Ali and directed by SARAH GAVRON (This Little Life: BAFTA TV for Best New Director.) UK Distributor: Optimum Releasing US Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics REVIEWS “Impressive, emotionally charged adaptation of Monica Ali’s acclaimed novel. Recommended.” Nick Funnell, Time Out “BRICK LANE adds another shrewd, poignant film to a growing genre of immigrant stories. Beautifully acted and written.” Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter “A remarkably sympathetic depiction of life in one London Bengali family. Humane, deeply considered, and surprising in its breadth of perception.” Paul Byrnes, Sydney Morning Herald See interview with Sarah Gavron on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDwTiel8rXw&feature=user

		CHOP SHOP (84 mins) ( 2007 ) Cert: Director: RAMIN BAHRANI Cast: ALEJANDRO POLANCO, ISAMAR GONZALES, ROB SOWULSKI, CARLOS ZAPATA, AHMAD RAZVI WINNER! Jury Prize, Riga 'Arsenals' Film Festival Directors' Fortnight, Cannes Film Festival Toronto Film Festival London Film Festival AFI Fest Berlin Film Festival SYNOPSIS From RAMIN BAHRANI, director of award-winning ‘Man Push Cart’, CHOP SHOP premiered in Directors' Fortnight at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival to great critical acclaim. The film follows the fortunes of Alejandro, a tough and ambitious Latino street orphan who lives and works in an auto-body repair shop in a sprawling junkyard on the outskirts of Queens, New York. REVIEWS "Unexpected, and inspired, and brave" Roger Eberts "A flawlessly observed piece of street realism…compelling." Screen International "This is American independent cinema at its best" The Daily Telegraph US Distributor: Koch Lorber Films

		FRENCH FILM (88 mins) ( 2008 ) Cert: Director: JACKIE OUDNEY Cast: HUGH BONNEVILLE, ANNE-MARIE DUFF, DOUGLAS HENSHALL, VICTORIA HAMILTON, ERIC CANTONA In Competition, Dinard Film Festival 2008 From the writer of 'Scenes of a Sexual Nature’, ASCHLIN DITTA, and directed by JACKIE OUDNEY in her feature length directorial debut. SYNOPSIS Journalist Jed Winter is preparing to interview the celebrated French auteur film-maker Thierry Grimandi, a self-appointed expert on the nature of love. Jed is quick to dismiss Grimandi's theories of love and romance as pretentious nonsense, irrelevant to real people in real life relationships.. But when his long-term girlfriend, Cheryl refuses to marry him and instead forces him into couple counselling, Jed begins to realise that his own emotions aren't as straightforward as he once believed. Even his best friend Marcus wants to talk less about football and more about love as the truth about his relationship with perfect girlfriend Sophie gradually emerges.. As one by one his loved ones reveal their dedication to l'amour, Jed starts to think that Grimandi might have the answers after all. But he's damned if he's going to admit it. An original romantic comedy about love - whatever your nationality. Writer: Aschlin Ditta (Scenes of a Sexual Nature, The Catherine Tate Show)

		GOOD DICK (86 mins) ( 2008 ) Cert: Director: MARIANNA PALKA Cast: MARIANNA PALKA JASON RITTER GOOD DICK (86 mins) ( 2008 ) Cert: Director: MARIANNA PALKA Cast: MARIANNA PALKA JASON RITTER WINNER! Skillset New Directors Award, Edinburgh Film Festival 2008 Official Selection, Sundance Film Festival 2008 SYNOPSIS An unusual fairy tale about a troubled, solitary young woman and the persistent video clerk who draws her out of her claustrophobic world. As they become closer, her sexual antipathy is countered by his unflinching optimism, until finally he breaks down her defences. Profoundly affected by his presence in her life, she finds the courage to face her past. Writer, director and lead Marianna Palka has an uncanny knack for understanding the complex give and take of human interaction and the sometimes painful motivations behind them. She has made a raw, joyously unpredictable feature debut touched with sly humour, tender hope and as much upfront honesty as its title implies. REVIEWS “A brilliant study of gender role-reversal. Optimistic and genuinely affecting, Palka’s modern fairytale of love, sex and faith is a must-see for hopeless romantics and hostile porn addicts alike.” ** Jenni Cruickshank, The Skinny “A delicate, offbeat love tale of love arthouse romantics everywhere. The performances are pitch perfect throughout. Palka has a surprisingly light touch, levening the more bleak moments with some rich, dark comedy. Ultimately, this is an exploration of unconditional love and redemption that deserves to be seen by a much wider audience.” **Amber Wilkinson, Eye For Film "One of the most fascinating on-screen movie couples in quite some time" Cinematical "Exceptionally funny. A dark, sweet and sophisticated confection that might find a surprisingly large audience." Salon.com “Good Dick turned out to be one of the best films of the [Edinburgh] festival. It's an extremely well-written romantic comedy that never plays down to the audience, and packs some serious messages subtly around its oddball but extremely endearing characters.” Rich Cline, Shadows on the Web “Good Dick” is produced by Jennifer Dubin, Cora Olson, Marianna Palka and Jason Ritter. A Morning Knight and Present Pictures presentation.

		GARBAGE WARRIOR (86 mins) ( 2007 ) Cert: Director: OLIVER HODGE Cast: WINNER! People's Choice Award, Vancouver International Film Festival BIFAS 2007 - 3 nominations HotDocs Film Festival Karlovy Vary Film Festival Silver Docs Film Festival Edinburgh Film Festival SYNOPSIS GARBAGE WARRIOR is a feature-length documentary film telling the epic story of maverick US architect Michael Reynolds and his fight to introduce radically sustainable housing. An extraordinary tale of triumph over bureaucracy, Garbage Warrior is above all an intimate portrait of an extraordinary individual and his dream of changing the world.

		I REALLY HATE MY JOB (89 mins) ( 2007 ) Cert: Director: OLIVER PARKER Cast: NEVE CAMPBELL, SHIRLEY HENDERSON, ALEXANDRA MARIA LARA, ANNA MAXWELL MARTIN, OANA PELLEA and DANNY HUSTON Seattle Film Festival 2007 SYNOPSIS I Really Hate My Job sizzles its way through one steamy night and the lives of five feisty waitresses, stuck in a second rate London restaurant with delusions of grandeur. Customers come and go, blithely unaware of the real concerns of these women; a rat or two in the kitchen, bitter arguments about life and art, as well as a coup d’état in the kitchen…all overshadowed by the anticipation of a booking by a famous Hollywood movie star. Oliver Parker's previous work includes: St Trinian's, Othello, The Importance of Being Earnest, An Ideal Husband.

		THE KILLING OF JOHN LENNON (114mins) ( 2007 ) Cert: Director: ANDREW PIDDINGTON Cast: JONAS BALL WINNER! Special Jury Prize, Tribeca Film Festival BAFTA nomination (for Carl Forman Award) Edinburgh Film Festival Rotterdam Film Festival SYNOPSIS The Killing of John Lennon is a chilling insight into the mind of Mark David Chapman, the 25 year old narcissist who gunned down John Lennon outside his Dakota apartment in New York in 1980. Meticulously researched and filmed on actual locations where events occurred, it is a gritty and imagistic examination of a celebrity stalker’s mind leading up to the kill and a look into his descent into madness and exorcism. US Distributor: IFC Films "Riveting" **** Total Film "An extraordinary performance by Jonas Ball" **** Empire "One of the most stunning portraits of a killer ever filmed" Bizarre "Truly chilling - a fantastic piece of cinema" Clash

		MAN ON WIRE (94 mins) ( 2008 ) Cert: Director: JAMES MARSH (The King, Wisconsin Death Trip) Cast: WINNER! World Cinema Jury Prize for Documentary / World Cinema Audience Award for Documentary, Sundance Film Festival 2008 WINNER! Audience Award, Edinburgh Film Festival 2008 WINNER! Best Documentary, Karlovy Vary 2008 WINNER! British Feature Film Documentary Prize, Britdoc 2008 Tribeca Film Festival 2008 Edinburgh Film Festival 2008 SYNOPSIS The dramatic retelling of Philippe Petit's daring, and illegal, scheme to walk the high-wire between New York's twin towers - the artistic crime of the 20th century. Watch the Sundance Channel's James Marsh and Philippe Petit interview: http://www.youtube.com/watchv=9vztE8eeYFE&feature=user REVIEWS “A magnificently eccentric film about imagination, risk-taking, and the unabated creative spirit.” Scott Foundas, Village Voice “Immensely, illogically, beautifully thrilling.” Ray Pride, New Chicago City “Extraordinary… Man on Wire plays like a gripping heist movie …truly heart-stopping.” Damon Wise, The Times “A highly entertaining and deeply moving film.” Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter “A heart-pounding thriller.” S. James Snyder, New York Sun High resolution files of the copyrighted photographs below are available for publication free of charge from Polaris Images (email: sales@PolarisImages.com) for use only in press articles reviewing and about the documentary film " Man on Wire " through to the end of December 2011. Other uses will be considered copyright violations. When published in print or used on the internet the following mandatory credit line must be printed: ©2008 Jean-Louis Blondeau / Polaris Images.

		THE MARKET: A Tale of Trade ('Pazar bir ticaret masali') ( 93 mins) ( 2008 ) Cert: Director: BEN HOPKINS (The Nine Lives of Thomas Katz, Simon Magus) Cast: TAYAN� AYAYDIN and GENCO ERKAL WINNER! Best Actor (Tayanc Ayaydin), Locarno Film Festival 2008 WINNER! Best Film, Ghent Film Festival 2008 WINNER! Best Film (Golden Orange), Antalya Film Festival 2008 Official Selection, London Film Festival 2008 SYNOPSIS Set in Turkey, a market trader sees an opportunity to make his fortune when he is offered a mission to cross the border to purchase medicine. This insightful comedy-drama captures the morally complex world of the black market. The film is a co-production first, between Khazakstan, Turkey, Germany and the UK. REVIEWS “Marvellously entertaining lead perf by Tayanc Ayaydin. The audience identification and sympathetic laughter generated by Ayaydin's charismatic performance could not be more accessibly universal. Thoroughly engaging "Market" should travel well.” Ronnie Scheib, Variety

		PARENTS (85 mins) ( 2007 ) Cert: Director: RAGNAR BRAGASON Cast: WINNER! 6 Icelandic Film Awards 2007 (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography) WINNER! Zerkalo Film Festival, Russia In Competition, San Sebastian Film Festival Karlovy Vary Film Festival SYNOPSIS Dark secrets are slowly revealed in suburban modern day Reykjavik when a desperate dentist, a successful businessman and a young mother running away from her past meet by chance. This, the second part of the twin films CHILDREN & PARENTS, focuses on Iceland’s middle classes. Second part of twin films CHILDREN & PARENTS, both directed by RAGNAR BRAGASON.

		RAIN ( 2008 ) Cert: Director: MARIA GOVAN Cast: RENEL NAOMI BROWN, NICKI MICHEAUX, IRMA P. HALL, CCH POUNDER Official Selection, Toronto Film Festival 2008 SYNOPSIS As one of the first indigenous feature films to come out of the Bahamas, Rain steers us away from the tourist’s perception of a postcard paradise, taking us “over the hill” and into the turbulent life of a young local girl determined to get to know the mother who abandoned her as a child. “Rain appears likely to find a major audience. Maria Govan's directorial debut announces the arrival of a filmmaker attuned to interpersonal drama. A patient, astutely poetic style. The film pulls you into Rain's offbeat plight, as she transcends the mundane quality of her current existence and forces the world to acknowledge her ambitions.” Eric Kohn, IndieWire

		SOMERS TOWN (71 mins) ( 2008 ) Cert: Director: Shane Meadows (This is England, Dead Man's Shoes, A Room For Romeo Brass) Cast: Thomas Turgoose, Piotr Jagiello, Ireneusz Czop, Elisa Lasowski, Perry Benson, Kate Dickie WINNER! Best Actors: Thomas Turgoose & Piotr Jagiello, Tribeca Film Festival 2008 WINNER! Michael Powell Award, Best New British Feature, Edinburgh Film Festival 2008 Official Selection, Berlin Film Festival 2008 Edinburgh Film Festival 2008 See more stills from the film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sSsZDx-96w Read more about the area that SOMERS TOWN was filmed in: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somers_Town,_London SYNOPSIS Tommo, just turned sixteen and released from social care, runs away to London to escape a lonely, difficult life in the Midlands. Marek, a Polish immigrant, lives with his father, who drinks with his friends most evenings after working on a construction site. Marek is a keen photographer, quiet and sensitive - he is not comfortable in his father’s world. Both struggle to make sense of their new worlds and a chance meeting in Somers Town, London, leads the two to form an unexpected partnership. Shot in black and white in contemporary central London, Somers Town shows that in alienating urban environments and fractured family relationships, redemption is found through friendship. REVIEWS “Mike Leigh take note - THIS is how you make an upbeat film. Refreshingly honest and natural performances, director Shane Meadows continues his impressive record with another great film, which is without doubt one of the best of the year. Everything in Somers Town feels utterly believable. The film radiates sunshine, and is genuinely and pleasingly uplifting. A strong contender for film of the year. This rewarding and joyous piece of cinema garners a score of 5 out of a possible 5 nodules of filmy goodness.” *** Drew Tavendale, The OneLiner.com “Charming, witty and uplifting... Meadows delivers another winner” Anna Smith, New! “Hilarious, heartwarming British film-making... Superb” Robbie Collin, News of the World “Somers Town demonstrates why Shane Meadows is the best director working in Britain. Lovely and surprising. Such a sweet, witty, and compassionate film that it's impossible to feel short-changed by its modest ambitions.” **Alistair Harkness, The Scotsman “Winsome coming-of-age buddy movie… as in This is England, the observation of adolescent swagger and insecurity is spot-on.” Lee Marshall, Screen International “Warm and spacious and just about perfect. I had a perma-grin from beginning to end.” Aaron Hillis, Premiere.com “A wonderful thing to watch” Meghan Keane, The New York Sun “Small but perfectly formed. Salty-tongued humor, excellent semi-improvised perfs and thematic exploration of father figures and sons, … completely of a piece with the director’s previous work.” Leslie Felperin, Variety

		SUMMER (80 mins) ( 2008 ) Cert: Director: KENNY GLENAAN (Yasmin, Gas Attack) Cast: ROBERT CARLYLE, STEVE EVETS, RACHAEL BLAKE WINNER! Scottish BAFTAs for Best Film and Best Director 2008 WINNER! Best Film (Alice in the City), Rome Film Festival 2008 WINNER! Best Performance (Robert Carlyle), Edinburgh Film Festival 2008 The Edinburgh jury, headed by actor Danny Huston, called SUMMER, "A flawless performance in a great, uncompromising film that touches the heart". SYNOPSIS Shaun has had twelve years to reflect on an intense summer of love, sex and loyalty, but his best friend’s imminent death forces him on a journey to confront his past. A witty, poignant story about loyalty, friendship and love. REVIEWS “Robert Carlyle's best performance since Trainspotting. Full of humour and filled with genuinely believable characters, Summer is rewarding viewing. One of the top films from this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival. Beautiful photography. Watching Summer is a rewarding experience.” ** Drew Tavendale, The Oneliner “Flecked with warmth and humour, and skirting sentimentality, Summer features a wonderfully delicate performance from Robert Carlyle.”** Sheila Johnston, The Daily Telegraph “Moving and expertly-constructed” Allan Hunter, Screen International “ Beautifully shot and well acted” Andrew Pulver, The Guardian “A powerful study of loyalty, loss and social exclusion” David Parkinson, Empire “Melancholic, wrenching, with the blackest and sharpest of humour just when you need it most. Above all, it's a heartfelt piece that attempts to be tender and true. Carlyle is outstanding - funny, crumpled, a study in grace under life's fire.” Alison Rowat, The Herald “Summer is another film that’s powered by a brilliant central performance, this time from Robert Carlyle. He is heartbreaking as Shaun. Summer is never morose or glum; it looks beautiful and the music often gives it a dreamlike quality. It’s arguably Carlyle’s best performance ever, and provokes such compassion and emotion that it left me feeling quite drained. Highly recommended.” Paul Gallagher, Future Movies

		THIS IS ENGLAND (98 mins) ( 2006 ) Cert: Director: SHANE MEADOWS Cast: THOMAS TURGOOSE, STEPHEN GRAHAM, JO HARTLEY, JOE GILGUN, ANDREW SHIM, VICKY McCLURE Director: SHANE MEADOWS Cast: THOMAS TURGOOSE, STEPHEN GRAHAM, JO HARTLEY, JOE GILGUN, ANDREW SHIM, VICKY McCLURE WINNER! BAFTA, Best British Film WINNER! BIFA, Best British Film & Best Newcomer (Thomas Turgoose) WINNER! Special Jury Prize, Rome Film Festival Special Presentation, Toronto Film Festival Berlin Film Festival Tribeca Film Festival SYNOPSIS The story of SHAUN, a 12-year-old kid growing up without a father in the north of England. Set during the summer holidays of 1983, the film charts his rites of passage from a scruffy misfit grieving the loss of his father into a shaven-headed thug whose anger and pain are embraced by the local skinhead fraternity. UK Distributor: Optimum Films US Distributor: IFC Films “An electric, stunning and powerful movie, crammed with extraordinary performances. This is the best British film of the year. You’ll be floored.” ***Total Film “Loved it. Honest, harrowing and at times downright hilarious. […] This is the best of British… UNMISSABLE.” *Johnny Vaughn, The Sun “The best film of recent years, full stop. Raw and remarkable. Newcomer Turgoose is the acting find of the year. A brilliant piece of film-making.” *Glamour magazine *Daily Express *heat *Total Film *Now *Mississauga News ***Nuts

		UNSPOKEN ( 2008 ) Cert: Director: FIEN TROCH (Someone Else's Happiness) Cast: EMMANUELLE DEVOS, BRUNO TODESCHINI Official Selection, Toronto Film Festival 2008 In Competition, San Sebastian Film Festival 2008 SYNOPSIS UNSPOKEN tells the story of parents, Lukas (Bruno Todeschini) and Grace (Emmanuelle Devos), whose 14 year old daughter, Lisa, has been missing for five years. No clear reason, no goodbye; she simply disappeared without trace. During those years, the couple seem to have returned to some kind of normality... Until a series of strange and unsettling incidents bring Lisa’s presence sharply back into their lives. “A titillating filmmaking style. Dizzyingly beautiful” Anthony Kaufman, IndieWire

BRICK LANE (102 mins) ( 2007 ) Cert:

CHOP SHOP (84 mins) ( 2007 ) Cert:

FRENCH FILM (88 mins) ( 2008 ) Cert:

GOOD DICK (86 mins) ( 2008 ) Cert:

GARBAGE WARRIOR (86 mins) ( 2007 ) Cert:

I REALLY HATE MY JOB (89 mins) ( 2007 ) Cert:

THE KILLING OF JOHN LENNON (114mins) ( 2007 ) Cert:

MAN ON WIRE (94 mins) ( 2008 ) Cert:

THE MARKET: A Tale of Trade ('Pazar bir ticaret masali') ( 93 mins) ( 2008 ) Cert:

PARENTS (85 mins) ( 2007 ) Cert:

RAIN ( 2008 ) Cert:

SOMERS TOWN (71 mins) ( 2008 ) Cert:

SUMMER (80 mins) ( 2008 ) Cert:

THIS IS ENGLAND (98 mins) ( 2006 ) Cert:

UNSPOKEN ( 2008 ) Cert: