The drama Belfast — written and directed by Kenneth Branagh — stars Caitriona Balfe, Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Ciaran Hinds and newcomer Jude Hill. “Belfast” tells the story of one boy’s childhood during the tumult of the late 1960s. Dornan and Balfe play a glamorous working-class couple caught up in the mayhem, and Dench and Hinds portray the wry and spry grandparents.
Belfast is an upcoming British-Irish drama film written and directed by Kenneth Branagh. It stars Judi Dench, Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Ciarán Hinds and Jude Hill.
In July 2020, Kenneth Branagh announced that he would write and direct the film. In September 2020, Judi Dench, Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Ciarán Hinds and Jude Hill joined the cast of the film. Principal photography began in September 2020. Filming initially took place in and around London, before moving to Belfast. Production concluded by October 2020.
The film, which Branagh has described as his “most personal film”, centres on a young boy’s childhood amid the tumult of Belfast, Northern Ireland in the 1960s. It is scheduled to have its world premiere at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival in September 2021. It is set for release on November 12, 2021.
About the Film
“‘Belfast’ is my most personal film,” Branagh said. “It’s about coming home — a dramatic journey of excitement, emotion and humour. To be embraced by filmmakers and distributors of such proven imagination and talent as Focus is fantastic. We are honoured to partner with Peter Kujawski and his amazing team. With the incredible support of Northern Ireland Screen also in the mix, we are very excited for the future of ‘Belfast’ in cinemas around the world in 2021.”
“We are excited and grateful to collaborate with such an esteemed filmmaker and storyteller as Kenneth. Highly personal and passionate, ‘Belfast’ is a heartwarming piece that is bursting with life, and we look forward to sharing it with audiences worldwide,” Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski said in a statement.
Behind the camera, Branagh is re-teaming with many of his collaborators, including production designer Jim Clay, director of photography Haris Zambarloukos, hair and make-up artist Wakana Yoshihara, editor Una Ni Dhonghaile, costume designer Charlotte Walker and casting directors Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockman.
Belfast (2021)
Directed by: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Judi Dench, Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Ciarán Hinds, Jude Hill, Lara McDonnell, Olive Tennant, Zak Holland, Barnaby Chambers, Claire Ashton, Lewis McAskie
Screenplay by: Kenneth Branagh
Production Design by: Jim Clay
Cinematography by: Haris Zambarloukos
Film Editing by: Úna Ní Dhonghaíle
Costume Design by: Charlotte Walter
Set Decoration by: Claire Nia Richards
Art Direction by: Dominic Masters, Stephen Swain
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some violence and strong language.
Distributed by: Focus Features
Release Date: September 2021 (TIFF), November 12, 2021
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