All the stars were out as “Wait For Me” premiered at the BIFA qualifying Manchester Film Festival on 11th March.
On the red carpet at the event were many of the film’s stars including leading lady Karen Hassan who plays Alison, Manchester’s very own rising star Aaron Chobham who plays protagonist Sam, the lovely in real life but scary on screen Neil Bell who plays the film’s main antagonist Max, Rebecca Atkinson who plays Sam’s wife Lisa and the classically trained actor Theo Ogundipe in his first feature film role as the menacing Barry. The event was topped off by the arrival of the film’s child star Izobella (Izzy) Dawson, who plays Ruby. Izzy certainly enjoyed her first experience of the red carpet and a film premiere. This little actor was certainly not overawed by the occasion and handled the flashbulbs and cameras of the media like an old pro. She even melted a few hearts as she described the production team as “like one big family”, when interviewed on the red carpet.
Introducing the film to a full house at the Odeon Great Northern, the venue for this year’s Manchester Film Festival, producer Thea Burrows described her pride at being able to present the film for its premiere in Manchester. The film looked spectacular on the big screen with the Cinematic Orchestra’s Phil France’s score, providing a soaring accompaniment to the drama on screen. The critic from Letterboxd.com, watching in the audience later described the film as a “Gritty realist thriller…A well-made film all round, well written, great direction, performances and photography.” The crowd watching certainly agreed with that sentiment.
At the Q&A session after the screening, director Keith Farrell and writer Bernard O’Toole were joined on stage by the cast to talk about their experiences making the film during the height of the Covid pandemic.
Commenting on the night director Keith Farrell said, “What a way to launch our film, premiering to a full house here in Manchester was just amazing and shows that the film resonated with audiences.”
The film is a UK/Irish co-production made with the support of Screen Yorkshire and scheduled for a UK release on 2nd June 2023.