#better-things

Just last week our Board member, and North East film producer, Samm Haillay found out that his latest production, 'Bypass', is to be premiered at Venice in competition – we’re absolutely thrilled for him, and caught up with him so he could tell us about it...

SH: 'Bypass' was born from the question "is morality a luxury?", exploring the life of a young man, who knows what is right and wrong, who knows where his morals lie, but his reality forces him to go against them.

BF: This is a great example of a North East co-production with national and international partners – tell us more about the collaborations involved... 

SH: We partnered with Plattform Produktion in Sweden and Severn Screen in Wales. Both Erik Hemmenforff and Kate Crowther are producers that I've known for a long time and had discussed Duane's (Duane Hopkins, write and director) ideas with. They both like Duane's other films and I knew I wanted to work with them. In around 2010 I pitched the film to the financiers from Wales and Sweden who were keen and so the three way co-production was born.

We also had Italian money from the Torino Film Lab, vitally this was the first money into the project in late 2009 and this gave the traction for the BFI and the co-production money to come on-stream.

BF: Where did you come across lead actor George MacKay (pictured above)?

SH: When we began the casting in late 2011 George was one of the first people who came in to read for Tim, the lead character, after this initial sweep was done we put together a short list, George was on it and he was the one we consistently kept coming back to.  As soon as Duane met him too, we knew he was the one.

BF: Finally, how did you feel upon hearing that 'Bypass' will screen in competition at Venice?