Tickets have already sold out for the Irish premiere of Stephen Burke’s hotly-anticipated Irish thriller MAZE at the 2017 Galway Film Fleadh. The screening on Saturday, July 15th will be attended by director Stephen Burke and cast Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Barry Ward, Martin McCann, Aaron Monaghan, and Niamh McGrady.
I am delighted to be premiering MAZE at the Galway Film Fleadh, and to show the film to an Irish audience for the first time. The festival has become such an important part of Ireland’s film culture, and it’s wonderful that so many of our great cast and crew will be present.
Stephen Burke, Director
The film is based on the true story of the 1983 mass breakout of 38 IRA prisoners from HMP Maze high-security prison in Northern Ireland. As Larry Marley (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor), the chief architect of the escape, schemes his way towards pulling off this feat, he comes into contact with prison warder, Gordon Close (Barry Ward). Initially Larry and Gordon are confirmed enemies, born on opposite sides of Northern Ireland’s political divide, but when Larry realises that Gordon may be unwittingly useful for his escape plan, a slow seduction begins. Larry intends to use and manipulate Gordon in order to get closer to his goal but what follows is a tense, and intriguing drama in which an unlikely relationship is forged between two enemies that will have far reaching consequences for both of them.
Barry Ward and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor in MAZEThe film shot for four weeks at the recently decommissioned Cork prison and around Cork City, before moving to Sweden. The film is written and directed by Stephen Burke, no stranger to Cork as a previous two time first prize winner of the Cork International Film Festival with his early short films, After ’68 and ’81.
Maze is produced by Jane Doolan of Mammoth Films and Brendan J Byrne of Cyprus Avenue Films. Maze has been developed with funding from Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board, Northern Ireland Screen, Film Vast, RTE, and BAI, with both Cork County Council and Cork County Council Arts Offices providing regional support.
MAZE will be released in Irish cinemas by Lionsgate UK from September 22nd. Certificate 15A.