Digital Departures Judges Comments

THE following three filmmaking teams have each been awarded £250,000 to make their Digital Departures feature film:

OF TIME AND THE CITY
GENRE: Documentary

WRITER/DIRECTOR: Terence Davies of Essex (originally from Liverpool).
PRODUCERS: Solon Papadopoulos and Roy Boulter, both of Liverpool.

Digital Departures judge Steve Jenkins, Head of Films at BBC Programme Acquisitions, says:

“Terence Davies' poetic documentary project offered a great opportunity to fund a new film by one of the UK's few world-class directors. Films like Distant Voices, Still Lives and The Long Day Closes had the city, culture and people of Liverpool at their very heart. The idea of the film-maker revisiting the past, both his own and Liverpool's, but within the context of how the city has changed over the last half-century, seemed absolutely tailor-made for the Digital Departures scheme.”

STARSTRUCK
GENRE: Drama.

WRITER: Leigh Campbell of Liverpool.
DIRECTOR: Lindy Heymann of London.
PRODUCER: Andy Stebbing of London.
CO PRODUCER: Stephen Cheers of Liverpool.

Digital Departures judge Andrew Eaton, Deputy Chairman of the UK Film Council, says:
“Starstruck is such a contemporary film, which will attract a very different audience to the other Digital Departures features. It covers controversial subjects involving teenagers, celebrities and football, which will be brilliantly portrayed by the wonderful pairing of Leigh Campbell and Lindy Heymann. Vision and Media have been following and assisting Leigh’s development as a writer for several years, and we’re confident Starstruck will be a fitting testament to her undoubted talent.”

SALVAGE
GENRE: Horror.

WRITER: Colin O’Donnell of Liverpool / Belfast.
DIRECTOR: Lawrence Gough of Cheshire.
PRODUCER: Julie Lau of Liverpool.
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Alan Pattison of Manchester.

Digital Departures judge Fiona Gasper, Executive Director for Capital of Culture, says:
“We were particularly attracted by the Salvage team’s seemingly endless enthusiasm for their story, together with the creativity and vision of this young, dynamic new talent. Just as importantly, the film isn’t stereotypically Liverpool, but an all-round, exciting feature which I’m sure will have international appeal.”