Comedy feature First Christmas has entered development at Shropshire-based production company, Ask Seek Knock.
Directed by Keith Wilhelm Kopp and written by Laurence Guy, the film centres around a widowed man who invites his three grown up children and their families for Christmas, in the hope that they stitch their fractured family back together.
This is the second feature film for Kopp and Guy, with their previous feature, Translations, receiving a theatrical release in 2023.
Luke Allen (Something Sketchy, Henry House), is set to make his feature film producing debut with First Christmas.
First Christmas is set to be filmed in Shropshire, England, with a primarily West Midlands based crew. The film is to be associate produced by West Midlands-based Emily DeJesus and Adam Fray.
Laurence Guy, the film’s writer said “After the success of Translations it felt like a natural step to bring this ensemble comedy drama to life in a way that I know audiences will love. It’s a real actor’s script, with character and heart at the centre of the story, that centres on a family brought together over Christmas after the death of the matriarch of the family.”
“I look forward to bringing First Christmas alive because of the universality of families coming together during the holidays, overcoming their hardships and rediscovering the joy of spending time with people who know the joy and complexity of each other,” said director Keith Wilhelm Kopp. ” This film has a lot of humour and humanity and I know there is a wide audience who will really engage with the story. I especially am excited to shoot First Christmas in Shropshire, a location that is wealthy in history and picturesque landscapes.”
Laurence Guy has worked in collaboration with Keith Kopp on several films that have played in festivals around the world, as well as streaming online (SkyTV and Amazon Prime). Laurence’s play, Zoric, was longlisted for the Bruntwood Prize in 2022, and his debut feature film Translations won best screenplay at the Riverside International Film Festival, before gaining UK distribution in the summer of 2023. Laurence is represented by Steven Russell at Collective Talent.
Keith Wilhelm Kopp has had work screened in festivals globally (Encounters FF, Belfast FF and Portland FF) and broadcast on TV. His debut feature film Translations had a theatrical release in 20 UK cinemas.
Luke Allen (pictured) is a producer with a solid track record of short form productions. He is the writer and executive producer of Something Sketchy, a sketch show pilot, having previously worked as production manager on the pilot Henry House (starring Peter Purves, Annette Badland and Mark Lewis Jones).
“When Keith approached me to produce this, it was an instant yes as I had so much fun working with him on Something Sketchy,” days Allen. “Once I read Laurence’s beautiful script, I knew I had made the right decision.”
Allen has also worked on upcoming features Bjorn of the Dead (dir. Sara Sugarman, starring Ralph Brown and Amelia Eve) and Reckless (dir. Elliott Montello, starring Scott Adkins & Vinnie Jones). Luke’s short form credits include the drama Weightless Words and the darkly comic Got Your Nose, which recently screened at Raindance Festival.
Pippa Considine
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