LONDON – Musician Ben Drew‘s movie directorial debut iLL MANORS is to be busked to buyers during the upcoming Marche du Film in Cannes by U.K. sales and production finance banner Bankside Films.
A crime thriller developed and produced via government-backed agency Film London’s Microwave low-budget cashpool, iLL MANORS is narratively linked by original music by Drew, aka Plan B.
Set in rundown East London’s Forest Gate, the movie is billed as semi-autobiographical by Drew and his backers and follows the lives of six disparate characters struggling to survive amid crime and violence.
iLL MANORS stars Riz Ahmed (Four Lions) and Natalie Press (My Summer of Love) with fresh faces including Ed Skrein and Anouska Mond.
Bankside Films is to whet buyers’ appetites with a private, invitation only screening of the film in Cannes for select buyers and press ahead of the U.K. theatrical release on June 6 via British indie label and backer Revolver Entertainment.
Film London Microwave is a partnership with BBC Films with support from British film and tv industry body Skillset.
The film is produced by Atif Ghani for London’s Aim Image with executive producers including Kris Thykier of PeaPie Films and Justin Marciano and Nick Taussig of Revolver Entertainment.
Film London Microwave is repped by head of production and talent development Maggie Ellis, Mia Bays, the org’s creative producer and its business affairs and finance producer Mike Kelly.
Bankside Films head of sales and marketing Stephen Kelliher said: “From the moment we saw the film, we knew that a brilliant new voice in British filmmaking had been discovered and we are excited about bringing the film to the world’s buyers in Cannes. This is by far the best directorial debut to come from the U.K. in years.”
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