Variety is reporting that London-based production, finance and sales company Film Constellation as joined as sales agents on Cathy Brady’s debut feature Wildfire, ahead of its world premiere at the 45th Toronto International Film Festival next month.
Nora-Jane Noone and the late Nika McGuigan play two sisters who grew up in the shadow of the Irish/Northern Irish border. When one of them, who has been missing, finally returns home, the intense bond with her sister is reignited. Together they unearth their mother’s past but uncovered secrets and resentments which have been buried deep threaten to overwhelm them.
Brady’s journey in making this film began by casting McGuigan (The Secret Scripture, Traders) and Noone (Brooklyn, The Magdalene Sisters, The Descent). From there, over a year-long workshop process of improvisations, transcript, rehearsal, voice and dance drills, she created the story and wrote the script. Brady has previously worked with McGuigan on the first series of Deadpan Pictures’ hit comedy Can’t Cope. Won’t Cope.
Wildfire is produced by Carlo Cresto-Dina for Tempesta Films, Charles Steel for Cowboy Films, and David Collins for Samson Films. Lizzie Francke, Celine Haddad, Lauren Dark, Emma Duffy, Robert Halmi and Jim Reeve are executive producers, with support coming from the BFI, Screen Ireland, Northern Ireland Screen and the Wellcome Trust, with Film4, Sulcata Productions, Illium and Lexis Media as co-financiers.
Due to the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, this year’s festival is screening just over 50 features rather than the almost 300 in normal years. Most of the screening will take with limited crowds and online.
Wildfire is a powerful film on the resilience of sisterhood and the difficulties of moving forward in a place that still hasn’t fully coped with its own troubled recent history.
Fabien Westerhoff, CEO – Film Constellation
The magic of Wildfire is all in Cathy’s talent to lead and defend our original idea of a film made through a process of researching, workshopping and constant creative growth with two amazing leads Nika McGuigan and Nora-Jane Noone.
Carlo Cresto-Dina, Charles Steel and David Collins – Producers