Elstree 1976

[The Ultimate Nullifier]

deadline.com/2015/01/berlin-film-festival-elstree-1976-deep-web-manchester-by-the-sea-1201362694/


The Works International will handle worldwide rights starting in Berlin on Elstree 1976, a documentary about the effect that Star Wars had on the lives of those involved in even the slightest of roles. Principal photography is complete, and following a Kickstarter campaign, the film is currently in postproduction. It will be ready for delivery in the fourth quarter, in advance of the release of J.J Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens. In 1976, during the hottest summer on record, Star Wars was shot in suburban North London. Nobody involved had any idea how big the film would become; many couldn’t even remember the title. Yet for the extras and actors in smaller roles, their faces hidden in masks and helmets, this seemingly insignificant job would go on to color their lives even four decades later. Directed by Jon Spira and produced by Hank Starrs, Elstree 1976 features Star Wars actors and extras from Dave Prowse (Darth Vader) and Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett) to Derek Lyons (Massassi Temple Guard) and Pam Rose (Leesub Sirlin). The Works will screen a promo in Berlin.

[The Ultimate Nullifier]

variety.com/2015/film/news/berlin-the-works-acquires-elstree-1976-docu-about-star-wars-actors-extras-1201418741/

Berlin: The Works Acquires ‘Elstree 1976′ — Docu about ‘Star Wars’ Actors, Extras

LONDON — The Works Intl. has acquired exclusive worldwide sales rights for “Elstree 1976,” a documentary about the effect “Star Wars” had on the lives of some of actors and extras involved in making the film. Sales will commence in Berlin where The Works is screening a promo.

The film is in post-production, following a successful Kickstarter campaign, and will be ready for delivery at the end of the year, in advance of the release of J.J. Abrams’ “Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens.”

The pic is directed by Jon Spira, whose previous documentary “Anyone Can Play Guitar” was named one of the top 10 music films of 2011 by the NME. “Elstree 1976” was produced by Hank Starrs (“Dust,” “Anyone Can Play Guitar”).

Pic features “Star Wars” actors and extras from Dave Prowse (Darth Vader) and Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett) to Derek Lyons (Massassi Temple Guard) and Pam Rose (Leesub Sirlin).

Pic is a multi-layered portrait of 10 disparate people — from the man inside the most iconic villain in film history to the guy whose character was completely cut from the final film. It tells the stories of their lives and explores the eccentric community they have formed, travelling the world and signing autographs for fans.

Spira said: “I’ve always been interested in those who exist on the fringes of pop culture, and it’s been a wonderful, sometimes surreal, experience building relationships with the people who were inside these iconic costumes and learning their incredible stories.

He added: “If you like ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Elstree 1976’ will give you a whole new, quite poignant perspective on that phenomenon, but you don’t have to have seen ‘Star Wars’ to connect with this film because, at its essence, it’s simply a story about what happens when ordinary people find themselves unwittingly connected to something extraordinary.”

Laurence Gornall, CEO of The Works, commented: “ ‘Elstree 1976′ is a film about big people in small roles, which is highly anticipated by film fans all over the world.”