NIFTC enjoys Wilderness

by Annika Pham

12/05/2005 - The Northern Ireland Film & Television Commission (NIFTC) based at the Irish Pavilion in Cannes, has backed Michael Basset’s new horror feature film Wilderness set to begin shooting on May 31st around Belfast and Northern Antrim.
The film starring Sean Pertwee (Dog Soldiers) and Alex Reid (The Honeymooners) is the director’s second feature film following the WW2 drama Deathwatch. Other Irish crew members include cinematographer Peter Robertson (Song For A Raggy Boy) and production designer Tom McCullagh (Myckebo & Me). Written by Dario Polini, it’s the story of six inmates from a youth detention center who are sent to a boot camp island to be taught a lesson. There, they meet a mysterious hunter who picks them off with ruthless efficiency.

The £2m film is produced by Ecosse Films, one of Britain’s leading film and television production companies whose film credits include John Madden’s Mrs Brown starring Judi Dench and Billy Connolly, and Gilliam Armstrong’s Charlotte Gray starring Cate Blanchett and Billy Crudup. AV Pictures International headed by Angad Paul and Vic Bateman will handle international sales and Momentum Pictures UK distribution in 2006.