Lenny Abrahamson’s Frank to screen at Sundance

Element Pictures have announced that Lenny Abrahamson’s much anticipated Frank has been selected to screen as part of the prestigious Premiere’s section at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, January 16-26, which showcases the very best of independent cinema.

Frank  is an offbeat comedy about a wannabe musician who finds himself out of his depth when he joins a maverick rock band led by the enigmatic Frank – a musical genius who hides himself inside a large fake head.

Frank  stars Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Scoot McNairy and Michael Fassbender and is directed by Lenny Abrahamson (Adam & Paul, Garage, What Richard Did).  Written by Jon Ronson (The Men Who Stare At Goats) and Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Men Who Stare At Goats), Frank is a fictional story based on the memoir by Jon Ronson and loosely inspired by Frank Sidebottom (the persona of cult musician and comedy legend Chris Sievey), as well as outsider musicians like Daniel Johnston, Captain Beefheart and Harry Partch.

The film is produced by Ed Guiney (What Richard Did, The Guard), David Barron (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Part 2, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit) and Stevie Lee (The Making of a Lady). The director of photography is James Mather (Adam & Paul), the production designer is Richard Bullock (StreetDance 3D, Spike Island) and music is by regular Abrahamson collaborator, Stephen Rennicks. Tessa Ross, Katherine Butler, Andrew Lowe and Nigel Williams are executive producers.

This is Element Picture’s fifth film in official selection at Sundance in recent years;  in 2009 Five Minutes of Heaven won the World Cinema Screenwriting Award for Guy Hibbert and the World Cinema Directing Award for Oliver Hirschbiegel. The Guard opened the festival in 2011 to a rapturous reception and in 2012 both James Marsh’s Shadow Dancer and Paolo Sorrentino’s This Must be the Place played to great acclaim at the Festival.

Speaking on the selection, Director Abrahamson said [quote]It’s wonderful news that Frank  has been selected for Sundance. I can’t think of a better place for this film to begin its life.[/quote]

Producer Ed Guiney said [quote]Sundance is the perfect place to launch the worldwide campaign of this great new film from Lenny Abrahamson. And its great to be there with fellow Irishmen and collaborators, Michael Fassbender and Domhnall Gleeson.[/quote]

Irish audiences will get an opportunity to see Frank in cinemas when it goes on release on May 2nd 2014.