Manx film vehicle takes off.

CinemaNX/Isle of Man Film is at the Cannes Film Festival currently with the first two films shot under the new banner.
And theres news that a film shortly to be shot here will have its sets entirely constructed on island for the first time.

The two films are "Bunch of Amateurs" with Burt Reynolds and "Me and Orson Welles" which had the girls swooning over Zak Ephron you'll recall.

In addition , deal terms have been agreed on three more projects.

NX, Isle of Man Film’s investment vehicle, will back Xavier Mariscal and Fernando Treuba’s "Chico & Rita", a Spanish language animated feature film being produced in Spain, Hungary and the Isle of Man. Chico & Rita producers Martin Pope and Michael Rose have also secured NX backing for Wild Target, a hit-man caper to star Bill Nighy and Helena Bonham Carter.
Wild Target will shoot on location here and in the UK later in the year.

This after, in DTI Minister David Cretneys word "last year’s downturn in production". "I’m delighted to see that our film industry is gathering momentum once more and that NX and Isle of Man Film’s strenuous efforts to secure film activity for the Island are once again paying off.

First up on the Island though , however, will be Heartless, directed by Philip Ridley (The Passion of Darkly Noon) and starring Jim Sturgess, Clémence Poésy, (In Bruges) and the wonderful Timothy Spall.

Heartless starts shooting in the UK early next month and arrives on the Island towards the end of June for three weeks. For the first time, all of the required sets will be constructed on the Island, generating employment opportunities for a number of our local craftsmen.