Star-Studded Celebration At JACKDAW Premiere In Tees Valley

Movie stars descended on Tees Valley for the glittering UK premiere of JACKDAW – the crime thriller film shot on location in the North-east.

The celebration was attended by North East writer and director Jamie Childs and stars Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Jenna Coleman and Thomas Turgoose.

Members of the public also attended special screenings of the film at  Showcase Cinema De Lux Teesside, in Stockton.

Jamie Childs’  previous credits include a host of well-loved TV shows such as Doctor Who, Vera, His Dark Materials as well as Willow for Disney+ and The Sandman for Netflix.

His new feature has been filmed entirely in the region – including sites at Redcar, Seal Sands, Nunthorpe and using Northern Studios, the North East’s only large-scale film and TV production facility.

The action thriller unfolds over a single night  and follows a struggling former motocross champion and Army veteran who, while caring for his younger brother, agrees to pick up an illegal package in the North Sea. His brother’s subsequent disappearance sets him on a violent quest across North East England.

JACKDAW features a “pulse-pounding” soundtrack, including and a new exclusive track from North East star Sam Fender alongside classic dance music tracks from The Prodigy, The KLF, and Aphex Twin.

It is the first film to benefit from a major regional funding initiative after a £300,000 investment from the North East Production Fund, delivered by regional screen agency North East Screen on behalf of the North East Screen Industries Partnership (NESIP).

The investment forms part of ambitious plans to make the region one of the UK’s leading film and TV production hubs.

The Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority contributed £4.5million to a North-East-wide programme of development for the screen industries, delivered by the region’s screen agency, North East Screen, in partnership with all 12 of the North East’s local and combined authorities. The groundbreaking programme will grow a thriving screen ecosystem with a hands-on film office service and significant skills and talent support.

Its newly launched multi-million pound North East Production Fund, which saw JACKDAW being one of the pilots to test the criteria and approach used to back productions, will support this and continue to drive inward investment in the region, attracting more productions to film in the North East.

JACKDAW will open in cinemas on 26 January 2024