Liverpool Film Office is supporting two new productions, including A Town in Nova Scotia, starring Bill Nighy.
This is the first feature film that the LCR Production Fund has backed – the fund was set up in 2019 to increase the number, range and scale of productions in the region.
A Town in Nova Scotia is directed by Babak Jalali (Fremont) and co-written with Carolina Cavalli (Amanda).
Bill Nighy plays Leon, a widowed man living in a block of council flats in Liverpool. Makram Khoury (The West Wing, A Syrian Bride) plays his close friend Saleh. The two leads are joined by a cast of local professional and non-professional actors recruited from across the city region.
READ MORE – Bill Nighy spotted filming on the Wirral as major indie shoot gets underway
It’s being produced by up-and-coming Liverpool-based producer Jennifer Monks for The Fold and Naïma Abed and Émilie Georges for Paradise City.
The film is also receiving funding from BBC Films, the British Film Institute and private investors Desmar and Hoopsa.
The second production is 6-part courtroom thriller, Saviour, which is set to air on ITV later this year.
Written by Liverpool-born criminal barrister, novelist and first-time TV drama writer Imran Mahmood, Saviour is produced by Nisha Parti’s independent production company, Parti Productions, in partnership with Drama Republic (Riot Women, One Day).
The story is about Ben’s (Archie Fisher) journey through the criminal justice system after a case of assumed identity turns deadly, the show will also star Anjili Mohindra (The Lazarus Project, The Red King) as Indy, a criminal barrister with secrets of her own. Shaun Parkes (The Suspect, Human Traffic) co-stars as Detective Inspector Jon Creasy and Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones, Peaky Blinders) plays Eddie, Ben’s father and a fellow police officer.
READ MORE – “Liverpool is the star” as BBC drama This City Is Ours boosts economy
“The Liverpool City Region has always been a place where powerful stories are told – and increasingly, it’s where they’re made too. That’s why the LCR Production Fund was set up: to attract the very best projects to our area and support local talent,” said Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region.
“We’re growing a truly world-class film and TV sector, creating skilled jobs for local people, and showcasing our region on an international stage. It’s fantastic to see the Fund backing its first feature film as well as continuing to develop relationships with some of the UK’s top TV drama producers.
I’m proud that our region continues to be a place where creativity, talent and ambition can thrive.”
The LCR Production Fund is delivered by Liverpool Film Office and supported by Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
