An independent feature film shot and set in Darlington, and starring Toyah Willcox, will be premiered in Darlington this weekend.

Give Them Wings was directed by Sean Cronin and is based on the life of a Darlington FC fan, Paul Hodgson, who became disabled following childhood meningitis.

Paul was diagnosed with childhood meningitis at ten months old and his parents were told he would never move or speak. The film, set in 1989, tells the story of Paul’s journey to self-acceptance.

‘GIVE THEM WINGS’ is set to premiere at Darlington’s Vue Cinema on July 16 to honour the writer’s hometown

The film stars Daniel Watson (Paul), music legend Toyah Willcox (Alice), Bill Fellows (Norman) and Jacob Anderson (Ian) and focuses on 1989, which was a significant period in Paul’s life.

GIVE THEM WINGS a feature film written by Darlington based Paul Hodgson, will premiere at the Vue Cinema in Paul’s home town Darlington where the movie was set and shot on Saturday 16th July. The event will be hosted by Paul ‘Goffy’ Gough.

It also has its London Leicester Square premiere on Thursday the 28th of July.

Both premieres will be run in partnership with Meningitis Now, raising money and awareness for the charity.

GIVE THEM WINGS is released on all major platforms on the 1st of August 2022 in the UK, with US and worldwide dates to follow.

The film, directed by Sean Cronin, celebrates the life of disabled Darlington F C. fan Paul Hodgson. The film is an adaptation of the 2000 autobiography FLIPPER’S SIDE.

Paul was diagnosed with childhood meningitis aged just ten months old and his parents were told he would never move or speak. Paul, now 57 years old, has survived to become an award-winning novelist, film producer, and screenwriter. GIVE THEM WINGS is Paul’s incredible journey to acceptance.

The film, set in a much less tolerant 1989, tells the story of Paul’s heart-breaking journey to acceptance and follows in the footsteps of ‘My Left Foot’, ‘Billy Elliot’ and the beautiful French film ‘Untouchable’.

Sean Cronin said, GIVE THEM WINGS is a hugely important film that tackles discrimination of the disabled and turns it on its head, a film that teaches mankind that we must accept people for ‘who they are’ and not what they ‘appear to be’.

Ian Carter, Producer on the film and lifelong friend of Paul added “The determination shown by Paul to get this film over the line is encapsulated in the film; it is an emotional rollercoaster with timely injections of humour”.

Paul adds, “These premieres are the culmination of twenty years work and it will be great to have several of the cast and investors (without whom getting to this stage wouldn’t have been possible) there to enjoy this very special moment”.

Here are a few kind words from Nigel Daly after he watched the film. Nigel is currently the president of Screen International North America and was the chairman of BAFTA LA for ten years; here’s what he said:

“Well bloody done, what a great job!  Beautifully shot, totally immersed in the world from a design perspective but what smacks you between the eyes are the performances. Incredible. Toyah is sublime, the son exquisite and their painful relationship with the father is heart-wrenching. You should feel very proud… You are up there with the best. Mike Leigh, Ken Loach, eat your hearts out”

About Bulldog Film Distribution

Bulldog Film Distribution is a fully independent film distributor releasing films across all platforms in the UK & Ireland since 2014. The company’s catalogue features a wide range of high-quality films including ETERNAL BEAUTY, MARGIN CALL, NIGHT TRAIN TO LISBON, SUPPORT THE GIRLS, POSSUM and THE SURVIVALIST. Most recently Bulldog released Haider Rashid’s Directors Fortnight premiere EUROPA, a thriller inspired by the devastating true stories of migrants on the Balkan Route, and ALL I CAN SAY – an archive of ’90s culture and a philosophical study of fame via the intimate video-diary of Shannon Hoon, late singer of alt-rock band Blind Melon.

About Meningitis Now

Meningitis Now is the founder of the meningitis movement and the only charity dedicated to fighting meningitis in the UK. With over 35 years’ experience we are working towards a future where no one in the UK loses their life to meningitis and everyone affected gets the support they need to rebuild their lives. Meningitis Now is fighting to defeat meningitis in the UK within a generation.

Concluding, Paul states, “I would like to thank our UK Distributor Bulldog and our Sales Agent Michael Cowan from Phoenix International for helping us get over the line. Their help and experience has been truly invaluable”.

PRESS RELEASE: Phoenix closes Worldwide deal on Maestro Lech Majewski’s film Brigitte Bardot Forever, leading into Cannes 2022

Phoenix Worldwide has picked up world sales excluding Poland and Italy to award winning director Lech Majewski’s film Brigitte Bardot Forever which Phoenix will introduce to international buyers in Cannes as well as festival programmers.

The film is produced by Lech Majewski in conjunction with co-producers Mike Downey (Ireland), and executive produced by Malgorzata Domin and Dominika Mandla.  Angelus Silesius produce with Domino Film exec producing and finance by Polski Instytut Sztuki Filmowej and Urzad Miasta Katowice.

Majewski is a multi-award winning filmmaker, the subject of a retrospective at MOMA New York and one of the most profound artists of our times. Majewski’s astonishing feature film series The Garden of Earthly Delights (2006), The Mill and the Cross (2011) and Field of Dogs (2014) brings to startling cinematic life the works of Bosch, Brueghel and Dante respectively, creating allusive, associative and profoundly immersive encounters with works of undisputed genius Majewski’s latest film, is based on his novel “Pilgrimage to the Tomb of Brigitte Bardot the Wonderful”, in which he settles accounts with his youth, childhood, and all that Poland meant to him. The film is set in mid-20th century communist Poland.

Adam lives with his mother, who is persecuted by the state security service. Adam’s father fought in World War II as a pilot, defending Britain, and has not been heard from since. It’s not clear if he stayed in England or returned and is hiding to avoid persecution. Packages and postcards arrive from him, but Adam, who has never seen his father, suspects someone else is sending them. At school he keeps dreaming that his father will one day land in the sports field at his school in his Spitfire, raising dust from which he will emerge alive, heroic and magnificent. One day, as the boy is watching Jean-Luc Godard’s “Contempt” at the cinema, he is transported to the young Brigitte Bardot’s dressing room and her world of film and music stars.

The Film Stars: Kacper Olszewski, Magdalena Rózczka, Joanna Opozda, Weronika Rosati, Andrzej Grabowski, Tomasz Sapryk, Bogdan Kalus, Elzbieta Okupska, Stanislaw Brudny, Gabriela Chojecka, Aleksander Chwast, Oliver Cieslak, Lech Dyblik, Katarzyna Dynowska

“We are delighted to be working with such an incredible director Lech Majewski and co-producer Mike Downey,” on the film says Michael Cowan of Phoenix Worlwide, “Lech’s reputation as a visual artist precedes him, and we have already had brisk interest from the international marketplace.”

Phoenix is taking part in the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, 17-28 May 2022.

To give you a taste of some of the films in our catalogue, here is a short promotional video, with some classic clips and some great actors, we hope you like it.

Phoenix is proud to be working with Palm Tree Universal on “Nessie – Looking for the Legend” – we will have more news on this project coming soon!

Phoenix is happy to announce that “GIVE THEM WINGS” has just won Best Actor for Daniel Watson at the Richard Harris International Film Festival and Special Mention for Toyah Willcox.

Phoenix is proud to be part of and sales agent worldwide to the film “DIRTY, SEXY AND TOTALLY ICONIC” – A documentary celebration of the 50th anniversary of British pop-noir classic “GET CARTER” from Director Tony Klinger.

Makers of the new Get Carter documentary to give Newcastle talk alongside screening of the iconic film.