Writer/Director Rhys Marc Jones wraps on Black Church Bay starring Tom Cullen and Joe Locke
Principal photography has wrapped on Black Church Bay, the debut feature from writer/director Rhys Marc Jones starring Tom Cullen (The Gold, Trespasses, Weekend) and Joe Locke (Emmy-nominated for Heartstopper, Agatha All Along).
Black Church Bay is a mystery-thriller, about a teacher whose world unravels after an intimate encounter with a younger man, exploring the lengths someone will go to in order to hide their true self.
The film is produced by Alex Polunin for Ossian International and Tristan Goligher for The Bureau. The cast includes Marli Siu (Everything I Know About Love) and Rakie Ayola (Kaos).
Black Church Bay was developed with BBC Film. Production financiers are BBC Film (Claudia Yusef and Alice Ojha), Ffilm Cymru Wales awarding National Lottery Funding (Kiah Simpson and Kimberley Warner), Screen Scotland (Leslie Finlay), with further finance from Manzini Films, Black Heron, Elephant Music, Kamila Serkebaeva and Daniel Staut. Shooting took place on location in Anglesey, North Wales. The Bureau Sales are handling international rights.
Writer/director Rhys Marc Jones received his MFA in writing and directing from NYU Tisch School of the Arts as a three-time BAFTA Scholarship recipient. He developed Black Church Bay with BBC Film, following support from the iFeatures scheme and the Festival de Cannes Cinéfondation Résidence.
His screenplay for Black Church Bay won the Black Family Feature Prize, the highest honour bestowed by the faculty at the NYU Film Department - and his short films have played festivals worldwide, receiving various honours including two BAFTA Cymru nominations.
Father of the Bride was selected in competition at SXSW and was broadcast on BBC in 2023, having already streamed on Amazon Prime Video in the US. Rhys received BFI Flare x BAFTA Crew Mentorship from Wash Westmoreland, a scheme that rewards and supports filmmakers advancing LGBTQ+ representation, and he is an alumni of Berlinale Talents ‘21.
Writer/director Rhys Marc Jones said: “Black Church Bay has been a dream made real by the cumulative efforts of a dedicated cast and crew. I'm immensely grateful to my longtime creative partners, cinematographer Lasse Ulvedal Tolbøll and designer Paix Robinson as well as all the new relationships fostered over the last few months that helped me realise this ambitious script. We're excited to show audiences the exquisite Isle of Anglesey in a way it's never been seen before.”
Producers Alex Polunin and Tristan Goligher added: “We could not be more grateful for the support of all the investors in making this film possible, in what is a challenging time for the industry. It is only with that backing that we’ve been able to bring Rhys’ unique and ambitious vision to reality.”
