City movie firm in focus at international event

CAMEO ROLE: The late Lord Prescott, who features in The Last Trip

By Angus Young

A Hull film company has been flying the flag for the city at a major international event for the creative screen industry in London.

Northern Films is set to release its debut feature film early this year and has recently secured planning permission for a new state-of-the-art production complex to be built next to its existing studio in Priory Park.

Called The Last Trip, the film comedy stars a group of real-life retired trawlermen who hatch a plan to steal the Arctic Corsair for one final adventure at sea. It features the late Lord Prescott in a cameo role.

Both the film and the company’s ambitious development plans were showcased at the recent two-day FOCUS 24 Meet the Makers exhibition held in London’s Business Design Centre.

A key event in the industry calendar, it featured exhibitors from around the world including the United States, Europe, Saudi Arabia, India, Asia and even Greenland.

The company created its own interactive stand for the event and covered the full cost of taking part in the exhibition without any external support.

Managing director Andrew Fenton said: “We were proud to take Hull to London just for a few days to help promote the region’s location and the skills we have here for feature film production.

“With the exhibition attracting around 3,500 attendees and over 250 exhibitors from around the world, together with 200 industry expert speakers, it was an ideal opportunity to allow us to showcase the region’s talents and promote our first feature film The Last Trip.

“We met a vast range of people from the industry and it was great to receive such positive feedback about the film and our up and coming plans for 2025.”

AUDIENCE: Northern Films at the London exhibition

Mr Fenton said he was confident existing manufacturing companies in the region already had the necessary skills to meet the demands of film production work.

“Location is important but having the right skills on hand to bring film and TV production work to Hull is the next step.”

The Last Trip is due to be released in cinemas in the spring and will feature the late Lord Prescott in one of several cameo roles performed by well-known local figures.

Mr Fenton – whose own ex-trawlerman father stars as one of the crew members – said he hoped the film would also serve as a tribute to the late politician.

BIG SUPPORTER: The late Lord Prescott, right, with Northern Films boss Andrew Fenton

He added: “At one point we were almost at the point of giving up on the film but John and Alan Johnson both gave us the encouragement to push on.

“When I told John about the idea for the film he just said: ‘Well lad, you better get on with it and don’t whisper about it down a well. Get on a bloody hill and yell about it. We need something like this for Hull’.

“At that point, I suggested he could play himself and asked if he was in. He replied: ‘Of course I’m in’.

“We remain extremely grateful to John and his wife Pauline who allowed us to film at their home in Hull to create a humorous cameo piece for the film. The team will miss him greatly.”