Bankside moves into Athale's Wasteland

Bankside has taken worldwide sales rights to Wasteland, the debut feature from Rowan Athale, a 2011 Screen International Star of Tomorrow.

Luke Treadaway, Iwan Rhoeon, Matthew Lewis and Gerard Kearns star as a group of friends from a Northern council estate who hatch an illegal plan to better their lives. The cast also features Timothy Spall and Vanessa Kirby (the latter is another Star of Tomorrow).

The film recently completed its shoot in Leeds and will be readied for an autumn festival premiere. Bankside is showing a promo reel to buyers here.

Producers are Gareth Pritchard of Mischief Films with Mark Foligno of MoliFilms and Ed Barratt of Hook Pictures. Financiers include MoliFilms, Bankside Films and Lip Sync. Executive producers are Phil Hunt, Compton Ross, Norman Merry, Peter Hampden, Brad Moore and Iain Richardson.

Bankside’s Stephen Kelliher said: “Wasteland is a fine example of highly original material, a great script and a wonderfully talented director who has succeeded in attracting the coolest of British actors to his film. We are delighted to be involved with a heist movie which has something fresh, new and exciting to say.”

The producers and dircector said they were “both proud and delighted in delivering our film to the world through Bankside Films. Post reading of the script, their passion and commitment for our film was obvious to all.  We look forward with anticipation of working together with Phil, Hilary and Stephen in delivering a positive successful roll out across the globe of this wonderful, entertaining and engaging feature film Wasteland.”