Ireland names it’s Producer on the Move
Bórd Scannán na hÉireann/The Irish Film Board have named Michael Casey as their Producer on the Move for this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Michael Casey produced Irish film Freeze Frame, a conceptually original and visually distinctive contemporary thriller that stars Lee Evans, Sean McGinley, Ian McNeice, Colin Salmon and Rachel Stirling. Freeze Frame is the feature film debut of writer/director John Simpson and will get a theatrical release in cinemas across Ireland on 18 June 2004.Producers on the Move is an EU initiative in which each European country selects one upcoming producer with undertaking to introduce and help establish them in the international film industry. “We are delighted that Michael Casey will represent Ireland at Producer on the Move project at Cannes. It is an exciting venture and is a fantastic opportunity for Michael to meet some of the most influential business personnel within the international film industry”, said Moira Horgan, Head of Marketing, BSE/IFB. Paul Donovan (Grand Pictures), Tristan Orpen-Lynch (Subotica Entertainment Ltd), David McLoughlin (Distinguished Features) and Marina Hughes (Venus Productions) are Irish producers selected for Cannes festival in previous years.
Michael Casey established Green Park Films at the start of 1998 and in that year produced the short film Baby Doll, directed by Brian Kirk. He also began work on a substantial development slate based around the work of writer-director John Simpson and the filmmaking partnership of Daragh Carville (writer) and Brian Kirk (director). In 2000 Michael produced Mysterious Ways, a short film by John Simpson and the pair went on to co-found Parallel World Productions.
The first project from this new vehicle is Freeze Frame, a gripping thriller starring Lee Evans. Michael is also the UK co-producer for Treasure Entertainment on Valhalla, the feature debut from writer/director Pearse Elliott. Principal photography begins on May 17th with Robert Carlyle set to star. Later this year Michael is scheduled to go into production on Middletown, a powerful drama directed by Brian Kirk. Matthew Macfadyen, Rachael Stirling and Peter McDonald are attached. The film is being financed by the Irish Film Board and the Northern Ireland Film and Television Commission.
FREEZE FRAME opens at selected cinemas on 18 June. FREEZE FRAME is released by Eclipse Pictures in Ireland and Verve Pictures in UK and was co-financed by Bórd Scannán na hÉireann/ the Irish Film Board and Northern Ireland Film & Television Commission with Universal Pictures.