The Escapist in Irish Cinemas This Weekend
Filmed on location in Dublin and produced by Irish company Parallel Films, THE ESCAPIST will be released in cinemas nationwide this weekend.THE ESCAPIST is the feature film debut of writer/director Rupert Wyatt, and boasts an ensemble of exciting British and Irish talent with internationally recognised names - Brian Cox (The Bourne Supremacy, Adaptation), Joe Fiennes (Running with Scissors, Shakespeare in Love), Liam Cunningham (The Wind that Shakes the Barley, Dog Soldiers), Seu Jorge (City of God, The Life Aquatic), Dominic Cooper (The History Boys, Starter for 10), Stephen Macintosh (The Mother, Lock Stock) and Damian Lewis (Band of Brothers, Keane).
The film tells the story of Frank Perry (Cox) is a lifer, thirteen years into his sentence and institutionalised. His estranged daughter is in hospital and close to death. Desperate to make his peace with her, Frank develops a plan to escape. But he can't break out alone and enlists an ensemble of escapists.
It shot for five weeks last year at various Dublin locations including Kilmainham Gaol and Connolly train station.
THE ESCAPIST was produced by Parallel Films (Ireland) and Picture Farm (UK) with finance from the UK Film Council, Board Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board and with the support of investment incentives for the Irish film industry provided by the Government of Ireland, with Goalpost Film handling international sales and Vertigo Films taking UK distribution. It had its world premiere at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.
Irish Film Board Chief Executive Simon Perry commented "THE ESCAPIST is a wonderfully original project which shows that Irish/UK co-production is alive and well".