New Irish feature film BLACK ICE
Independent Irish production companies Bandit Films and Still Films will release feature film Black Ice in Irish cinemas on September 20th 2013. The film screened at the Galway Film Fleadh in July and had its World Premiere at the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival in February. Directed by Johnny Gogan and starring Killian Scott and Jane McGrath, the film is a dramatic action thriller set against the backdrop of the local petrol-head scene in rural Ireland.
Set in rural Donegal, Black Ice follows Jimmy Devlin, played by ‘Love/Hate’ star Killian Scott, and his complicated relationship with girlfriend Alice Watters, played by newcomer Jane McGrath who has been receiving rave reviews for her feature film debut. The story, set in a clandestine road racing scene where Jimmy is considered “top dog” among the petrol heads, also follows his and Alice’s struggle to break into the legit professional rally scene, but there are other forces at work in this shadowy border world threatening to undermine their ambition. The world of cars, whether it be the modified car scene or the rally scene, is a big sub-culture in many countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas. There is a degree of mystery and secrecy around the world of cars, young people and speed.
Set in the period around the Irish economic crash of 2008 Black Ice was shot on locations in Sligo and Leitrim, a developing hot-bed of film-making now playing host to the new Ken Loach film. Gogan’s third feature after The Last Bus Home and Mapmaker, Black Ice is co-producer Still Films first fiction film foray having previously scored hits with documentaries Pyjama Girls and Seaview.
The title track for the film, performed by Sligo rapper Myster E and Sarah Crummy and written by Johnny Gogan and Myster E is now available as a single.
Johnny Gogan, director and producer, while expressing his gratitude to the film’s wonderful cast commented: “It’s very fitting that Black Ice was screened at the prestigious Galway Film Fleadh given that the film was produced under the auspices of Studio North West, a hugely vibrant and creative filmmaking community in the North-West of the country. Their involvement and that of the region’s car community was decisive in the successful realisation of a film with so much action and high production values. All of our cast and dedicated crew worked tirelessly on the project, so to see the final result on the big screen and to have the appreciation of an audience is really important.”
Producer Nicky Gogan also commented on the commitment of the cast and crew, noting that “The enthusiasm and energy of the crew has translated onto the screen, where the thrilling high-speed race sequences are brought to life very vividly. Along with the dynamic aspects of the film, there is at its heart a deeply affecting universal story of first love, with people trying to pick up the pieces and make a life for themselves after the economic crash. The film really does have something for everyone, and we think it’s a model of how films can be made in Ireland in the future.”
The film was produced by Bandit Films and Still Films, with the support of The Irish Film Board / Bord Scannán na hÉireann.
