Irish thriller ‘JFK: The Badge Man Conspiracy’ has begun principal photography in Leixlip, Co Kildare.
The Dream Island Films Production is shooting on location in Leixlip, Co Kildare. The production received grant aid from Short Grass Films, Kildare County Council under the Per Cent for Art scheme and is further supported by private investors.
The film is directed by John Sheridan and Paul Valentine and written by Sheridan. The producers of the film are Lucina Russell and Darren Mahon and the film stars Nick Dunning, Clelia Murphy, Paul Ronan, Susan Walsh, Colin Walsh and Jack Valentine.
The thriller follows an ageing CIA assassin who holds his former shadowy employers to ransom with classified documents in his possession exposing the death plot and public execution of JFK.
Kildare has also seen feature films ‘In View’ shoot there recently, as well as ‘All About Eva’ which shot in Athy in May 2014. This film noir is set in the horse racing scene and was produced by Kildare County Council and directed by Ferdia Mac Anna, with local writers, actors and crew.
Kildare County Council has also announced that two new film commissions have been awarded.
'Talker', written by Adam Cullen is an animated short film. Adam is a writer, producer and composer from Naas, Co Kildare and the second film to get the award is 'Gridlock', a short thriller set during a traffic jam on a country road on a hot day – written by Darach Mc Garrigle and Ian Hunt Duffy.
‘Gridlock’ will be produced by Fail Safe Films and will be shot on location in North Co Kildare in the summer of 2015.
The film commission are funded under the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government Per Cent for Art scheme for Castlewarden to Ballygoran Water Supply project. Each film will receive an award of €18,000.
Speaking about Kildare County Council’s role in upcoming projects, Lucina Russell said: 'We are delighted to support these two diverse, but equally exciting film projects. In the meantime, we are continuing our promotional work on 'All About Eva'. We hope that 'Eva' will be premiered at a film festival in 2015. We had an overwhelmingly positive response to our recent work to develop film in the county. As a result, there are a number of other film initiatives in the pipe line, so watch this space!'
