Filmmaker’s award-winning movie coming to Belfast comedy event

Filmmaker’s award-winning movie coming to Belfast comedy event

27 September 2017

A SAINTFIELD film maker awarded an international film prize is showcasing his latest work at the Belfast Comedy Festival.

Gavin Irvine fell into film making 15 years ago and within two years was winning awards. The latest is for his film ‘2:40 to London’, which just won Best Short Film and Best Director at the Portugal International Film Festival.

‘2:40 to London’ is a surreal comedy that partly parodies Michael Caine’s 60s movie, The Ipcress File. It has spies, suspense lumberjack shirts and brainwashing — a world in which only the desperate survive the murky world of espionage.

Now it will have a local audience at Film Devour on October 2 as part of the Belfast Comedy Festival at the Black Box.

Gavin will be there to introduce the movie.

“It’s great to able to show the film to people who have supported me,” he said. “To take two awards at the Portugal International Film Festival was just fantastic — the standard of films in competition was through the roof.

“That very same weekend ‘2:40 to London’ was officially accepted into the Brazilian International Film Festival, the Canadian Independent Film Festival, in Montreal, and the Pentedattilo Film Festival, in Italy. Then my film ‘Sebastian’ was nominated for Best Comedy at the Portobello Film Festival, London, and officially selected for the Short to the Point Film Festival, Bucharest.

“It was like waiting for a bus then the whole depot turns up.”

Gavin said the boost was particularly welcome after a long period recovering from a serious road accident in London, where he now lives.

“Back in December 2014 I was knocked off my bike by a lorry in London and dragged up the road,” he said. “Police said it was a miracle I survived.

“Over the past two years I had many health setbacks from the accident and a knee operation, finally coming off my crutches in August.

“In this business it is all about awards in terms of getting noticed and it was frustrating after achieving success to be out of action.”

Living in Saintfield until the age of 20, Gavin left for Portsmouth where he studied Fine Art and now lives in London. He then studied directing under Peter Greenaway at the International Film School, Wales.

In 2013 he was the recipient of the Northern Ireland Writers Development Award from NI Screen for his debut comedy feature screenplay, Spinners, and he also received a Best Screenplay Award from the renowned director Ken Russell for his film ‘Sebastian’.

Despite the perilous ups and downs of the film industry, Gavin said he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Nine to five, that’s not me at all,” he said. “I remember my dad saying I was choosing the hard path in life. But it was in me.”

Gavin, also a keen musician who writes the music for his films, said he will also be using the time back home next month to connect with old friends and film and music contacts.

“I have lifelong friends here and am a regular visitor back to Saintfield,” said Gavin. “On this occasion I will be meeting with Robert Shilliday, Crossgar local and film producer, to look around Crossgar, Saintfield and Downpatrick for locations to make a new feature film next year. I’ll be using as many local cast and crew as possible.

“I played in several bands in England such as Sister Morphine and Hub. In fact, before leaving for Portsmouth I played the Downpatrick Cricket Club and other venues in the area with local boys Robert Shilliday and Greg Maguire.”

Looking ahead, to the Belfast screening of ‘2:40 to London’, Gavin tried to sum up his new creation: “If Luis Bunuel, Samuel Beckett and Spike Milligan were to make a film this would be it.”

Film trivia fans may also be interested to know that Jerry Hall had agreed to be in the film but pulled out just 24 hours before the cameras rolled.

“A few weeks later, I learned Jerry married Rupert Murdoch,” said Gavin.

“Luckily I managed to find a fab actress to replace her.”

‘2:40 to London’ will be screened at the Black Box at 7pm on October 2.

Thanking all those who helped crowdfund his latest venture, Gavin added: “Brian Mulholland, who runs Film Devour in Belfast, also deserves great credit for continually giving Northern Irish indie film makers a platform where they can show their work.”