Ahead of the film’s world premiere, the official poster has been revealed for The Wise Guy and we catch up with writer/director Sam O’Mahony to find out more about the filmmaker's feature debut.
The Wise Guy starring Darrell D’Silva will debut in Galway this Saturday at 9:30pm at the Town Hall Theatre.
Speaking about the film’s Fleadh debut, O’Mahony tells IFTN: “It was always my hope that the film would premiere at Galway, so to get the 9:30 slot on Saturday at the Town Hall is a bit of a dream. So I’m excited for sure but I’m probably 70% terrified.”
“While it isn’t totally autobiographical, the film certainly has a lot of me in it and that’s pretty exposing,” he adds. “But I think a debut film should reveal the filmmaker so I’ve only myself to blame! We had a private screening at BAFTA a few weeks ago which went really well so I’m hoping the Galway audience will bolster that response and keep the momentum going over the next year.”
The film wrapped production in Northern Ireland late last year, after emerging through the development process of Northern Ireland Screen’s New Writer Focus scheme. Previous films to come out of this scheme include The Devil’s Doorway, The Dig, and A Bump Along the Way.
“It’s been less than four years since I began writing the script which is kind of crazy. It turns out the secret to getting your film made is moving to Belfast,” O’Mahony jokes.
“Northern Ireland Screen and Ursula Devine in particular supported the project from day one and were instrumental in introducing me to the right people at every stage.”
“On these tiny budgets we were always going to be up against it (especially when you decide to write a script with a twelve-year-old lead and your filming hours are slashed…), but the cast and crew we assembled made it easy. Or as easy as it could possibly be,” he continues.
“Myself and my producer decided from day 1 that we wanted this shoot to be a good experience for everyone. Like actually good fun. And we pulled that off. We got what we needed and everyone left happy. No shouting. No panicking. Honestly, those 18 days filming were amongst the happiest of my life. I’ve rarely felt as energised or inspired. I'm raring to get back!”
The Wise Guy follows Francis Burns, a lonely boy desperate for guidance and protection, who finds an unconventional mentor in an American Gangster hiding in the woods. The cast of the Out of Orbit production includes Darrell D’Silva (Wrath Of Man), Senan Jennings (Vivarium), Lisa Dwyer-Hogg (The Fall), Paul Mallon (Derry Girls), and Joanne Crawford (Blue Lights).
“What a cast we managed to put together,” O’Mahony reflects. “Senan Jennings who plays the protagonist, Francis, was an extraordinary find by our casting Director Mary Ellen O’Hara. He not only had the presence and intelligence to carry the entire film on his twelve-year-old shoulders but his work rate was phenomenal. The child labour laws only allowed us to shoot with him for 3 hours a day but with an actor like Senan who can literally hold about fourteen notes in his head at once, that wasn’t a problem.”
“Darrell D’Silva, who plays the gangster was an actor I knew of from my time in London and we were so lucky to get him. He’s immense in every way. He inhabited the character completely bringing a perfect balance of pathos and terror. And no one made me laugh more!” the director added. “I wanted every character to have their own coming of age arc, not just Francis, and Lisa Dwyer Hogg, Paul Mallon, Joanne Crawford, and Dearbháile McKinney, who round out the cast, all delivered beautiful, nuanced supporting performances. I was very grateful they lent me their collective talent on this. I owe them a lot.”
The project received production funding from Northern Ireland Screen’s New Talent Focus Fund, supported by Invest NI and from post-production house Yellow Moon. The film also marked the feature debut for producer Leon Coole, alongside Out of Orbit executive producers Jon Beer and Brian J. Falconer, and Northern Ireland Screen’s Ursula Devine.
“The nature of our funding dictated that our producer had to be a first timer, which alongside myself as a first time director was somewhat anxiety inducing. Leon Coole, however, is a man who lives up to his name,” O’Mahony tells IFTN. “He’s a seasoned First AD so I knew he’d be all over the logistics and scheduling, but I didn’t expect him to have such a brilliant understanding of story and craft. He was a true artistic collaborator on this film.”
“I was very lucky Brian and Jon at Out of Orbit saw the potential in the script and came on board. They love film, they understand story, they get the industry, they give great notes and they support the filmmaker. What more could you want from your execs? It’s no surprise they seem to win a new award every couple of weeks!”
The Wise Guy makes its world premiere this Saturday at 9:30pm in the Town Hall Theatre.
Click here for more information about tickets on the Galway Film Fleadh website.
