Cornerstone Films heads to the American Film Market with several key deals for BAFTA Award nominee and top-grossing director Phyllida Lloyd’s (Mamma Mia!, The Iron Lady) female-driven Irish drama Herself.
The film stars acclaimed Irish actor, Clare Dunne, well known for her theatre work including Lloyd’s all-female version of Shakespeare’s Henry IV, as a single mother determined to build her own home, rebuilding her life in the process.
Sandra (Dunne), on the surface of it, is a young Mum struggling to provide her two young daughters with a warm, safe, happy home to grow up in. Beneath the surface, Sandra has a steely determination to change their lives for the better and when it becomes clear that there are no other options left to her, she decides to build it herself from scratch.
With very little income to speak of and no savings, Sandra must use all her ingenuity to make her ambitious dream a reality. At the same time, she must escape the grip of her possessive ex-partner and keep him away from her and her girls. The lionhearted Sandra draws together a community of friends to support her and lend a helping hand and it is the kindness and generosity of these people and the love of her young daughters that help rebuild her own strength and sense of self.
Herself was co-developed by Element Pictures and Merman and is produced by Academy Award® nominee Ed Guiney (The Favourite, Room, The Lobster) and Rory Gilmartin (Rosie) for Element, together with BAFTA award-winning actress, writer, producer and director Sharon Horgan (Catastrophe, Divorce). Clelia Mountford (Motherland, There She Goes) from Merman, Element Pictures’ Andrew Lowe, BBC Films’ Rose Garnett, Cornerstone Films’ Alison Thompson, Mary Burke from the BFI and Lesley McKimm from Screen Ireland are executive producers. The film was developed with BBC Films and Screen Ireland and production was backed by Screen Ireland, BBC Films and the BFI (with National Lottery funding).
Dunne originated the story and co-wrote the screenplay together with Malcolm Campbell (What Richard Did). Other cast includes Harriet Walter (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Killing Eve, Succession) and Conleth Hill (Game of Thrones, Dublin Murders).
Cornerstone Films has closed deals with Youplanet Caramel (Spain), BIM (Italy), Longride (Japan), Lusomundo (Portugal), Forum (Israel) and Italia (Middle East). Element Distribution will be releasing the film in Ireland and Picturehouse Entertainment in the UK. Cornerstone Films is handling worldwide sales and distribution and will screen footage for the first time at the American Film Market. Shot on location in Ireland, the film is currently in post-production in London.