Turf
Package
Published:
15 March 2005
Producer: Alexis Bicât
Turf Productions Limited
126 Bolingbroke Grove, Battersea, London SW11 1DA, UK.
t: +44 (0)777 555 8970 f: +44 (0)777 555 8970
US Cell: +1 (323) 839 2345
e: alexis.bicat@parent.co.uk w: www.parent.co.uk
turf productions limited
Contents
Intro ....................................................................................
Turf.................................................................................
Cast .....................................................................................
PADDY - Colm Meaney .......................................................
Filmography ..................................................................
imdb pro page ...............................................................
ANNA – Maria Grazia Cucinotta............................................
Filmography ..................................................................
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Synopsis ...............................................................................
Crew ....................................................................................
Writer & Director - Shay Leonard .........................................
Producer - Alexis Bicât .......................................................
Co-Producer - Michael Garland ............................................
imdb pro page ...............................................................
Line Producer – Howard Gibbins ..........................................
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Director of Photography - Tim Maurice-Jones.........................
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First Assistant Director – Peter Agnew ..................................
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turf productions limited
Intro
Turf
Turf is an unaffected parochial comedy caper, a Fargo meets
Whisky Galore. In Turf the conflict premises are universal, the
story is well worn, the humour is strong and the characterization
deep, charming and utterly contemporary.
Turf rests easily in terms of cast, content, parochial setting, genre,
style, soundtrack and director with the following movies:
• Waking Ned Devine – dir. Kirk Jones
• Saving Grace – dir. Nigel Cole
• Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels – dir. Guy Ritchie
Dori Begley of Sony Pictures Classics said verbally that Turf had
break out potential. Sony Pictures Classics are tracking the movie.
Alexandra Rossi of Fine Line said in writing that she would consider
acquiring the film on the basis of the package as it currently stands
and rushes. She also said the film has break out potential. Fine Line
are tracking the movie.
Buena Vista International Ireland, ICB Entertainment Finance,
American World Pictures and the Irish Film Board are already poised
to put their full weight behind the project.
The short film prequel to Turf entitled To Catch a Crow featuring
the same two lead characters (PADDY and JOE) and the same
setting won the Audience Award at the British Short Film Festival
and was distributed nationwide in front of The Shipping News to
great critical acclaim.
The director Shay Leonard’s nationwide TV interview with respected
film critic Richard Jobson really drives home the appeal of his
charming Irish comedy.
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turf productions limited
Cast
PADDY - Colm Meaney
Colm Meaney stars in his next two films, New France and Layer
Cake with:
• Jason Isaacs (Peter Pan, Harry Potter)
• Gerard Depardieu (Green Card, Cyrano De Bergerac)
• Michael Gambon (Sleepy Hollow, Gosford Park)
Filmography
The Boys from County Clare (2003)
Intermission (2003) - Detective Jerry Lynch
How Harry Became a Tree (2001) - Harry
Four Days (1999) - Fury
This Is My Father (1998/I) - Seamus
Con Air (1997) - DEA Agent Duncan Malloy
The Van (1996) - Larry
The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain
(1995) - Morgan the Goat
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turf productions limited
ANNA – Maria Grazia Cucinotta
In her next movie Rent-a-Husband Maria Grazia Cucinotta stars
with:
• Chevy Chase (Saturday Night Live, Caddyshack)
Filmography
Vaniglia e cioccolato - Penelope 2004
Stregati dalla luna - Miria 2001
Picking Up the Pieces - Desi 2000
The World Is Not Enough – Balloon Assassin 1999
Ballad of the Nightingale - Alina 1998
La Seconda moglie - Anna 1998
A Brooklyn State of Mind - Gabriela 1997
Il Postino –Beatrice Russo 1994
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Synopsis
TURF is a story about the dark brown stuff that helps many people
get through their lives, hash.
Cliffoney, County Sligo, North West of Ireland.
PADDY and JOE are two bachelor brothers, mid-forties, rugged but
somewhat attractive farmers, part-time undertakers, and not very
fond of the taxman. Faced with a €135,332 tax bill, they decide to
go fishing to relieve the stress, or more precisely, to watch the
beautiful ANNA - bored wife of retired rock-star JIM JARRE
swimming in the Atlantic. As PADDY ogles ANNA from their boat JOE
has a bite on his line, but it ain't no fish. The brothers hoist a large
package from the sea, and decide to take it home to check it out.
Back at the farm they unwrap the parcel to discover a load of
freshly cut turf. Or so it seems, until they eventually figure out that
they've discovered somebody’s stash of hash. Do they tell FERGUS,
the local cop, or do they try to sell it, and wipe away their tax debt?
PADDY, being the more adventurous of the two decides to sell, and
ANNA is called on to help find a buyer. ANNA sets up a deal with a
London Contact.
Meanwhile, the 'rightful owners' - the Dublin Mafia, in the form of
EAMO and DAMO, are searching for the stash. The Irish Customs
Officers are also searching, with the help of FERGUS. The Contact
from London arrives, but EAMO and DAMO intercept the deal, killing
the Contact, and knocking PADDY and JOE out, before mistakenly
making off with a bag of turf, instead of the drugs.
Having realized their mistake, EAMO and DAMO return in search of
their hash as the Customs operation steps up and more London
dealers arrive in search of their missing Contact. In the meantime,
PADDY is getting a little too fond of the weed, arguing with JOE
over their love for ANNA, and the undertaking business is booming
as the older villagers keep dying off. The Brothers are faced with a
dilemma; admit to the authorities that they found the drugs, or try
to outwit the dealers and some how make enough money to pay off
the taxman.
All rights reserved 2003
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Crew
Writer & Director - Shay Leonard
Shay Leonard is an Irish filmmaker who has been making low/nobudget short films and videos in London for over ten years. Shay
studied film at the University of North London, the City University of
New York and the University of Toulouse in France. In 1996 his
graduation film The Present Occupier: Final Demand was
premiered at the Portobello Film & Video Festival in London.
Since graduating Shay has been working on short and feature films
in London, including the highly successful Sexy Beast by Jonathan
Glaser, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels by Guy Richie,
Calendar Girls by Nigel Cole, and the forthcoming Shaun of the
Dead by Edgar Wright. He has also worked on many television
productions such as the BBC's Byron, Dunkirk, Harry Enfield,
and How Do You Want Me? Shay's film work has been mainly in
the Art Department, yet he has also assistant directed, and worked
as a camera operator.
Shay’s most recent short film To Catch A Crow was shot on Super
16mm and subsequently blown up to 35mm for theatrical
distribution throughout Ireland by Buena Vista International (shown
with The Shipping News). To Catch A Crow won the Audience
Award at the BBC British Short Film Festival, was short listed for the
Turner Classic Movies Prize and came second in the BAFTA Kodak
Short Film Showcase Cannes. The film has also been shown on both
Sky Movies and BBC3 in the UK, on RTE in Ireland, and on cable in
the USA and Japan.
Turf is based in Sligo in the north west of Ireland, an area that
Shay is very familiar with, having shot To Catch A Crow there, and
being a regular visitor since childhood.
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turf productions limited
Producer - Alexis Bicât
Alexis Bicât was one of the major forces behind the London
Screenings Film Market. He continued to innovate in this field
putting Buyers and Sellers before all else for nearly six years. The
culmination of his ‘one client, one market’ mandate was the
creation of the on line business tool londonscreenings.com.
Having this understanding and knowing how international theatrical
release rights markets work has come in handy when distributing
short film works Noise Control and To Catch a Crow. Both films
received Nationwide theatrical releases courtesy of Welsh Screen
and Buena Vista International respectively.
By training a filmmaker Alexis graduated from the University of
North London (UNL) in Kentish Town and the City University of New
York (CUNY) in Harlem in 1995. Bicât was instrumental in the
running of the occupation of The Kentish Town College site in 1994,
which made Nationwide Television News.
Bicât’s Parent International in conjunction with Remote Films Ltd. is
currently developing five feature length scripts all intended for
theatrical release.
Co-Producer - Michael Garland
Filmography
Spin the Bottle (2003) – Producer
The Mapmaker (2001) - Executive Producer
Accelerator (1999) - Producer
This Is the Sea (1998) - Producer
The Last Bus Home (1997) - Executive Producer
imdb pro page
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Line Producer – Howard Gibbins
Filmography
King Arthur (2004) - Unit Production Manager
The Medallion (2003) - Production Manager
The Abduction Club (2002) - Line Producer
Not Afraid, Not Afraid (2001) - Associate Producer
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turf productions limited
Mad About Mambo (2000) - Unit Production Manager
St. Ives (1999) - Production Manager
imdb pro page
http://pro.imdb.com/name/nm0020208/
Director of Photography - Tim Maurice-Jones
Filmography
Envy (2004) - DOP
Human Nature (2001) - DOP
Snatch: Pigs and Diamonds (2000) - DOP
Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) - DOP
If You Loved Me...? (1997 short) - DOP
A Feast at Midnight (1994) - DOP
A Short Film About Chilling (1990 short) – DOP
imdb pro page
http://pro.imdb.com/name/nm0362165/
First Assistant Director – Peter Agnew
Filmography
Ella Enchanted (2004) - First Assistant Director
Spin the Bottle (2003) - First Assistant Director
The Actors (2003) - First Assistant Director
Not Afraid, Not Afraid (2001) - First Assistant Director
The Mapmaker (2001) - First Assistant Director
Saltwater (2000) - First Assistant Director
The Most Fertile Man In Ireland (1999) - First Assistant Director
The Last September (1999) - First Assistant Director
Sweety Barrett (1998) - First Assistant Director
Jumpers – (1997) First Assistant Director
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