more info: www.blackpondfilm.com

DOUBLE BRITISH COMEDY AWARD WINNER

S I M O N A M S T E L LTWO TIME BAFTA WINNER

C H R I S L A N G H A M

Black Pond is the first feature length film from Will Sharpe and Tom Kingsley. It was made for $40,000, filmed in three weeks, and was nominated for Outstanding Debut at the 2012 BAFTAs.

NOMINATED FOR OUTSTANDING DEBUT

WINNER: BEST NEWCOMERS

NOMINATED FOR FIRST FILM AWARD

NOMINATED FOR RAINDANCE AWARD

WINNER: DISCOVERY AWARD

‘One of the best British films of the year’Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, New Statesman

‘Unsettling, funny and poignant... could become a cult item’

Variety

‘Subtle and surprisingly moving.A uniquely British comedy’

Little White Lies

‘Funny and tragic and lyrical.Up there with Mike Leigh’

The List

‘Stands besides Down Terrace, Monsters and Moon as another solid anduniquely-voiced British debut’

Celluloid Heroes

‘A deeply eccentric, haunting marvel.If Syd Barrett had ever written and

directed a movie, it might wellhave looked like this’

Guardian

An ordinary British family are accused of murder when a stranger dies at their dinner table.

Out walking his dog, Tom Thompson  meets a disheveled man called Blake and invites him over for tea. Blake dies in the company of the dysfunctional Thompson family.  Six months later, Tim, a friend of the Thompson daughters visits off-the-wall freelance therapist Dr Eric Sacks and the story of Blake and the Thompsons finds its way to the press. The facts are bent and the details spun as the Thompsons become known to the public as ‘The Family of Killers’. Black Pond is an account of  the events leading up to Blake’s death, intercut with scenes from the fateful therapy session between Tim and Sacks and talking head interviews in which the Thompsons try to justify their actions and clear the family name. Two-time BAFTA winner Chris Langham (Help, The Thick of It) is hilarious and heartbreaking as the bumbling Tom Thompson, who struggles to placate his neurotic wife Sophie and consistently fails to be a dignified father to his daughters, Jess and Katie. The inimitable Simon Amstell (Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Grandma's House) makes his film debut as sinister psychotherapist Dr Eric Sacks.

S Y N O P S I S

CHRIS LANGHAM SIMON AMSTELLSimon Amstell is currently working on the second series of the critically acclaimed BBC2 sitcom 'Grandma's House' and an international stand up tour, 'Numb'. His first break came as the presenter of Popworld - Channel 4's weekly pop programme. He was also the host of Never Mind The Buzzcocks on BBC2 for four ser ies f rom 2006-2009. In his youth, Amstell was the youngest finalist of the BBC New Comedy Awards. Simon has won an RTS Award as well as a Broadcast Award, two British Comedy Awards and was nominated for a BAFTA. Black Pond is his film debut.

‘Simon Amstell is solid gold. His first appearance as a self-styled shrink in Black Pond made me practically combust with glee’

Daily Telegraph review of Black Pond

Chris Langham started out writing for the Muppet Show and Spike Milligan. He has won two BAFTAs - one for his starring role in Armando Iannucci’s The Thick of It, the TV series made into In The Loop - and one for writing and starring in Help! a sitcom co-starring the Fast Show’s Paul Whitehouse. He was a member of the original cast of Not The Nine O'Clock News, and co-created the award-winning mockumentary People Like Us, first on BBC Radio 4, and later on its transfer to television on BBC 2.

‘Chris Langham’s performance is comica l , hear tbreaking , utter ly absorbing, like the best of Alan Rickman and Steve Coogan fused into one’

Guardian review of Black Pond

Will, 25, is currently writing a film adaptation of Voltaire’s Candide. He was P re s i den t o f Cambr idge Footlights. He spent a year performing w i t h t h e Roya l S h a ke s pe a r e Company. More recently he appeared in the latest series of Sherlock (BBC 1). Will lived in Japan until he was eight years old. He is half Japanese.

Tom, 26, is a director at Blink Productions, making music videos for bands including Fatboy Slim and Darwin Deez and adver ts for companies including Diesel and VO5. His work has played on MTV and at the BFI. He was nominated for best new director at the 2010 UK Music Video Awards. Tom is half American.

Will SharpeTom Kingsley

DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHIES:

Will Sharpe and Tom Kingsley won Best Newcomers at the Evening Standard film awards, and are the youngest ever directors to have been nominated for Outstanding Debut at BAFTA.

They have been working together since meeting at Cambridge University. In 2007 they wrote and directed the national tour of the Cambridge Footlights. In 2010 they wrote and directed Cockroach - a 30 minute short film set in Japan. Shots Magazine described it as ‘beautiful, and alarmingly accomplished.’ Black Pond is their first feature film.

CONTACTPlease email Emily.Lu@StrategyPR.net for more information.

A selection of high-res images can be downloaded here:http://www.blackpondfilm.com/Black_Pond_hi-res_photos.zip  

Official website:www.blackpondfilm.com

Wednesday, March 14th: 1.30pm, Alamo Lamar A

Saturday, March 17th: 9.30pm, Alamo Lamar C

Sunday, March 16th: 6.30pm, Alamo Lamar B

Monday, March 12th: 9.30pm, Alamo Ritz 1

SXSW SCREENINGSCASTTom Thompson -

Sophie Thompson -Blake -

Eric Sacks -Tim Tanaka -

Katie Thompson -Jess Thompson -

Mad Rita -

Chris LanghamAmanda HadingueColin HurleySimon AmstellWill SharpeAnna O’GradyHelen CrippsBernadette Russell

CREWDirection, Editing, Story -

Screenplay -Animations and VFX -

Director of Photography -Music -

Producers -

Will Sharpe & Tom KingsleyWill SharpeTom KingsleySimon WaltonWill Sharpe, Arthur Sharpe, Ralegh Long, Nick SutcliffeSarah Brocklehurst, Tom Kingsley, Will Sharpe