Director Richard Attenborough started production Monday in Belfast on Closing The Ring,an epic love story that stars Shirley MacLaine,Christopher Plummer, Mischa Barton, Brenda Fricker, and Pete Postlethwaite. Jo Gilbert is producing with Attenborough, with Martin Katzco-producing.

Closing the Ring is apresentation of the UK Film Council, Scion Films, the Northern Ireland Film andTelevision Commission, and ContentFilmInternational.

The film will shoot in Belfast through the endof April, on location and at the city's new Titanic Studios. The productionwill then move to Toronto.

"This landmark co-production with Canada marks anincredible opportunity for the film industry of Northern Ireland,"said producer Gilbert, who is also a co-owner of Titanic Studios. "To have aBritish film icon like Richard Attenborough, and actors and filmmakers thecaliber of Shirley MacLaine and [cinematographer] RogerPratt filming this movie here in Belfastwith local crew and actors is a phenomenal achievement for this community. In addition to forging a new and strong linkwith Canada, it will show the rest of the world that Northern Ireland has avibrant film industry and that we are indeed, open for business."

The script written by Peter Woodward follows an Americanwoman trying to honour a wartime promise over half acentury and two continents.

The supporting cast includes GregorySmith, Ian McElhinney, and newcomers Stephen Amell, David Alpay, and MartinMcCann.

Attenborough will be working withcinematographer Roger Pratt and editor Lesley Walker,who worked on his films including Shadowlands. Tom McCullagh willserve as production designer while Hazel Webb-Crozieris the costume designer.

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