From Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them extra to award-winning director: Meet Sutton Coldfield's Patrick Carney
An award-winner Sutton Coldfield film producer has embarked on his latest project – and is looking for investors to bring the movie to the screen.
Patrick Carney produced Hello Darlin’ in 2019, a feature film shot mostly in and around the Royal Town.
The film, which starred Sian Reeves and Doug Allen, was critically acclaimed, winning awards and nominations at 24 events world-wide, including Best Overall Film (The Bull Award) at the Birmingham Film Festival.
It was also screened in the famous Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard, where it won Best Soundtrack.
Now Patrick is in pre-production for his next film, The Rozzers, based on a true story from the memoirs of a Birmingham ex-policeman.
“The story is fantastic and will make a better film than my last one,” said Patrick, a former teacher at Bishop Vesey’s.
“It’s in the mould of The Professionals and The Sweeney – it’s set in the 1980s in Birmingham.
“If we can raise the funds, it will be a seriously good film.
“We are looking for support from local businesses in a number of ways and we have professionally produced Investment pack available.
“We shall follow the same pattern of local shoots, recruiting locally too, where possible.”
Patrick began his career as a producer at the age of 71,
He was inspired after becoming an extra and enjoying the experience. “My first film was one called Vendetta with Danny Dyer in it,” he said.
“I have friends calling me up saying, ‘Here, I’ve just seen a film on Netflix, is that you?’
“I am in it for about 30 seconds but that was my first experience and I got a buzz out of it.
“I joined a few agencies and have have been in a few memorable films now.
“I am in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the Dad’s Army film and others.
“I have a picture of me and Meryl Streep – a screenshot from the film, Florence Foster Jenkins. I joke to friends: ‘Here’s me and mate Meryl.
“The director asked me to walk past as she was doing something. She goes to a bin to pick out a newspaper and I’m walking past and the camera caught it!”
Reflecting on his first film, Patrick says he couldn’t have wished for a better response to Hello Darlin’
“I had the best 12 months of my life,” he said.
“It was so exciting, putting it together and working with the likes of Doug Allen, Daisy Badger and Sian Reeves.
“The adrenalin rush of the whole 18 months was amazing.”
For more information on how to get involved in the film project, email Patrick at sutopiafilms@gmail.com
