News from Canada, where John Butler’s newest feature Handsome Devil has won the Audience Award at the 29th Image+Nation Film Festival in Montreal, the oldest LGBT film festival in the country.
With his shock of red hair, proclivity for old rock songs, and general oddness, Ned is a certified outcast in his rugby-crazy, all-boy boarding school. Ned doesn’t even dislike rugby, but that doesn’t stop him from being an easy target. His mind is set on expulsion or escape, until the arrival of a new English teacher and a new roommate, a surprisingly sensitive rugby player with more than a few secrets, sets Ned on a path towards finally allowing himself to be heard.
The young cast is led by Fionn O’Shea and Nick Galitzine (one of the 2015 Screen Stars of Tomorrow), with support from Andrew Scott (The Stag, Sherlock), Moe Dunford (Vikings, Patrick’s Day), Michael McElhatton (Game of Thrones), Ruairi O’Connor, Jay Duffy, Mark Lavery, and Jamie Hallahan. The film also features cameo performances from Ardal O’Hanlon, Amy Huberman, Norma Sheahan, Mark Doherty, and Hugh O’Conor.
Fionn O’Shea as Ned – Handsome Devil © Treasure Entertainment − All right reserved.Post-production on Handsome Devil took place at Windmill Lane Pictures with The Stag editor John O’Connor. Rebecca O’Flanagan and Rob Walpole produce for Treasure Entertainment, with backing from the Irish Film Board. Key crew include DOP Cathal Watters (Viva); production designer Ferdia Murphy, costume designer Kathy Strachan, and sound recordist Hugh Fox, all of whom worked with Butler on The Stag. Casting was by Louise Kiely.
As the oldest film festival of its kind in Canada, image+nation stands as a premiere site for launching new and innovative media works to an informed and appreciative audience. Located in the cultural mecca of Montreal, image+nation offers LGBT filmmakers a unique opportunity to network with local creators, programmers and organisers.