Sentimental Value, My Father’s Shadow, Pillion, and Urchin will all premiere in the Official Selection next month
Four films backed by BBC Film will premiere in Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival next month:
- Sentimental Value, the sixth feature film from acclaimed filmmaker, Joachim Trier starring Renate Reinsve alongside Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas and Elle Fanning
- My Father’s Shadow, the debut feature directed by Akinola Davies Jr. from a script he co-wrote with Wale Davies and starring Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù
- Pillion, the debut feature of writer-director Harry Lighton, adapted from the Adam Mars-Jones novel “Box Hill” and starring Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling
- Urchin, the feature debut from writer, director and actor Harris Dickinson, starring Frank Dillane.
Eva Yates, Director of BBC Film says of the Cannes selections: “We have loved working with these four exceptional teams on four wonderful films – each tender, funny, subversive, and confronting in their individual way. It’s privilege to bring the work of these filmmakers to the BBC and we are delighted to see them all recognised in Cannes Official Selection.”
Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value – In Competition
Trier’s sixth feature film stars Renate Reinsve who previously collaborated with Trier for The Worst Person in the World, alongside Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, and Elle Fanning.
Sentimental Value follows actress Nora (Reinsve) and her sister Agnes (Lilleaas) as their eccentric and charismatic father, Gustav, suddenly reappears in their lives after a long absence. Once a renowned film director, Gustav now offers Nora the lead role in his new film, but working with her father is the last thing she wants.
The film is produced by Maria Ekerhovd for Mer Film and Andrea Berentsen Ottmar for Eye Eye Pictures in Norway. A Norwegian, French, German, Danish, and Swedish co-production, the co-producers are MK Productions, Nathanael Karmitz and Lumen Production, Juliette Schrameck for France; Komplizen Film, Jonas Dornbach and Janine Jackowski for Germany; Zentropa, Sisse Graum and Lizette Jonjic for Denmark and Sweden; Film I Väst, Kristina Åkeson; and BBC Film, Eva Yates for the UK and Ireland. Additional support comes from Arte Grand Accord, Oslo Filmfond, and Storyline. Mk2 Films are handling international sales and as previously announced, NEON is handling US distribution.
Sentimental Value is financed with partners including the Norwegian Film Institute, the Swedish Film Institute, The Danish Film Institute, Arte, Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg, FFA, and Eurimages.
Akinola Davies’ My Father’s Shadow – Un Certain Regard
Akinola Davies Jnr’s feature directorial debut stars Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù (His House, Gangs Of London) and is based on a script by Wale Davies and Akinola Davies Jnr, whose previous collaboration on BBC Film-backed short Lizard won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2021 and was nominated for a BAFTA.
The film tells the story of two kid brothers, Remi and Akin who get to spend a gift of a day with their estranged father Folarin. They go on a voyage into Lagos observing the colossal city for the first time and the hoops their father must deal with to provide. All this is happening in the backdrop of a huge 1993 presidential election result which calls into question his ability to get them home.
My Father’s Shadow is produced by Rachel Dargavel for Element Pictures and Funmbi Ogunbanwo for Fatherland Productions, who also serviced production on the ground. Executive Producers are Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe for Element Pictures, Eva Yates for BBC Film and Ama Amapadu for the BFI. Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Wale Davies and Akinola Davies Jnr also act as executive producers.
My Father’s Shadow was developed by BBC Film and was co-financed by BBC Film and the BFI (awarding National Lottery funding). The Match Factory is handling worldwide sales. MUBI pre-bought all rights in North America, UK, Ireland, and Turkey.
Harry Lighton’s Pillion – Un Certain Regard
Pillion is the debut feature of BAFTA-nominated writer/director Harry Lighton (Wren Boys).
The film stars Harry Melling (The Pale Blue Eye, The Queen’s Gambit) and Emmy and Golden Globe winner Alexander Skarsgård (Big Little Lies, Succession, The Northman).
Logline: A timid man is swept off his feet when an enigmatic, impossibly handsome biker takes him on as his submissive.
Pillion is an Element Pictures production financed by BBC Film, BFI (awarding National Lottery funding), Picturehouse Entertainment and September Film who will handle distribution in the UK and Benelux respectively. The screenplay was developed with BBC Film and is based on Adam Mars-Jones’ “Box Hill” which was the 2019 Fitzcarraldo Editions Nobel Prize winner.
Producers are Element Pictures’ Emma Norton, Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe together with Lee Groombridge. BBC Film’s Eva Yates, Louise Ortega for the BFI, Claire Binns for Picturehouse, September Film’s Pim Hermeling, Cornerstone’s Alison Thompson and Mark Gooder and Alexander Skarsgård are Executive Producers. A24 have USD rights.
Harris Dickinson’s Urchin – Un Certain Regard
The feature debut of writer, director and acclaimed actor, Harris Dickinson who also previously made his short 2003 with BBC Film.
Written by Dickinson, the story follows Mike, a rough sleeper in London, trapped in a cycle of self-destruction as he attempts to turn his life around. Raw and absurd, the film is a story about the strange patterns that keep pulling us back.
The film stars Frank Dillane (Harvest, The Walking Dead) as Mike, alongside Megan Northam, Amr Waked, Karyna Khymchuk and Shonagh Marie.
The film is produced by Archie Pearch for Devisio Pictures and Scott O’Donnell for Somesuch. Developed by BBC Film, Urchin is financed by BBC Film, BFI (awarding National Lottery funding) and Tricky Knot. Executive Producers are Eva Yates, Ama Ampadu, Alexandra Tynion and Olivia Tyson.
Charades are handling international sales, Gersh and UTA Independent Film Group are co-repping the film in the US.