Ashley Walters begins production on his debut feature film Animol

Ashley Walters begins production on his debut feature film AnimolWednesday 29 January 2025

Image Credit: Anthony Dickenson

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Critically acclaimed actor, director, producer and recording artist Ashley Walters (Top Boy, Missing You) has commenced production on his highly anticipated directorial feature debut, Animol. Drawing on his own experience, Ashley directs a searing portrayal of life within the confines of a Young Offenders' Institution. Written by Nick Love (The Football Factory, A Town Called Malice), this raw and poignant coming-of-age story highlights the power of humanity in the midst of adversity.

Animol was developed by Film4 in collaboration with Joi Productions. Sky is collaborating with Film4 for the first time as co-financiers on the project, with the BFI (awarding National Lottery funding) also financing. Bankside Films are handling international sales for the film.

Animol boasts a cast of upcoming talent, with Tut Nyuot and Vladyslav Baliuk starring as two teenagers embroiled in the prison's harsh environment. Stephen Graham (Help, Boiling Point, The Virtues) joins the supporting cast as a Welfare Officer tasked with supporting the young offenders during their incarceration. Sharon Duncan-Brewster (Dune: Part One, Enola Holmes 2) rounds off the casting line-up.

In a comment on Animol's inception, director Ashley Walters has said: Nick and I have worked together before and always wanted to create something bold-something that sparks conversation while delivering visual beauty. ANIMOL is deeply personal to me. It explores the struggle of being your authentic self in a world that often pressures you to conform-one of life's greatest challenges. At its heart, this is a story about survival and the safety found in true connection. It's not about the what'; it's about the why.' I couldn't be more excited to bring my debut feature to life with such an incredible team.

Julia Stuart, Director of Original Film at Sky, said: Ashley and Nick's passion for Animol' shone through from the get-go - and we knew with our partners at Film4, Joi Productions and the BFI, we could create something special. It's fantastic to see the stellar cast of best-of-British and emerging talent now bringing this powerful story to life, which promises to deliver a captivating viewing experience.

Ollie Madden, Director of Film4 and Channel 4 Drama comments: Ashley, Nick, Joy, Tom and team have been carefully developing this project with us for almost six years, and we couldn't be happier that it's finally ready to go into production. Ashley's vision for the film is incredibly compelling and I'm confident his first feature as a director will be a knock-out. It's also very exciting to be embarking on the first ever collaboration between Film4, BFI and Sky.

Louise Ortega, Senior Production and Development Executive at the BFI, said: We're excited to support Ashley in his directorial debut, and Nick and Joi Productions on this propulsive, thrilling and urgently humanising feature. We believe this collaboration with Film4 and Sky can bring in a whole new audience for a UK independent film."

The film is produced by Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor (Blue Story, Boxing Day) and Tom Hawkins (True History of the Kelly Gang) from Joi Productions, an independent London-based production company focused on telling stories which are Black, Queer and Female-led, in association with Walter's production outfit SLNDA and Love's outfit Rogue State.

Production is working in close collaboration with the Synergy Theatre Project and Intermission Youth Theatre, to give opportunities as supporting artists to those at risk of entering the criminal justice system.

Julia Stuart, Laura Grange and Sabrina Parmar are executive producing for Sky, Ollie Madden and David Kimbangi for Film4 and Louise Ortega for BFI.

About SkySky is one of Europe's leading media and entertainment companies and is part of Comcast Corporation, a global media and technology company that connects people to moments and experiences that matter. At Sky we Believe in Better. It's in our DNA.

We're famous for innovation. We offer the world's smartest TV, Sky Glass; our plug and play streaming puck, Sky Stream; the best aggregation platform, Sky Q: the best aggregation platform, Sky Q; and streaming services NOW and WOW. We provide connectivity you can count on in mobile, fast, secure, reliable residential and business broadband, as well as smart home protection through Sky Protect.

We're Europe's premium content producer. We create award-winning original content, produce the biggest live sporting events, and we provide free access to news and the arts. Our new state-of-the-art film and TV studio Sky Studios Elstree is projected to attract £3 billion of new production investment to the UK in its first five years and create up to 2,000 jobs.

We are a diverse and inclusive employer that has a positive impact on society and the communities that we work and live in. Sky plays a major role in the UK's cultural economy and, in 2022 alone, supported a contribution of £20 billion to UK GDP, broadcast 70,000 hours of elite sports coverage and invested over £130 million to provide news to consumers free of charge.

About Film4Film4 Productions is Channel 4 Television's feature film division. Film4 develops and co-finances films and is known for working with the most distinctive and innovative talent in UK and international filmmaking, both new and established. Since its inception in 1982 Film4's films have won a collective 43 Oscars and 97 BAFTAs.

Film4's most recent films include Oscar , BAFTA and Venice Golden Lion winning Poor Things (Yorgos Lanthimos); Oscar , BAFTA and Cannes Grand Prix winning The Zone of In

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