The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford, Seán Dunn's debut feature, will be represented by Charades for international rights excluding the UK/IE which have been acquired by MUBI who will release the film theatrically.
The film stars award-winning actor Peter Mullan (Ozark, Tyrannosaur), Gayle Rankin (The Greatest Showman), Jakob Oftebro (Hamilton), Sid Sagar (Belfast) and Lewis MacDougall (A Monster Calls). The film shot on location in Scotland and was produced by Alex Polunin for Ossian Pictures, Scott Macaulay for Forensic Films and Jennifer Monks for The Fold, and developed with BBC Film who co-financed the project alongside BFI Film Fund, BBC Scotland and Screen Scotland.
Kenneth (Peter Mullan) works in the Arberloch visitors centre as a tour guide, dressing up as the town's most notable historical figure, Sir Douglas Weatherford, an 18th century philosopher and inventor who Kenneth proudly claims as his ancestor. When the village becomes the base of a big-budget fantasy TV show, The White Stag of Emberfell, the visitor center is transformed into an Emberfell fan experience.
With the show's costumed fans descending on the town, Kenneth's sanity crumbles as the traditions he holds dear are casually dismissed — a mental decline his daughter Anna (Gayle Rankin) attributes to grief over the loss of his wife. Kenneth's crisis takes an even darker turn when his ire becomes fixated on the show's handsome star, Oscar Sorenson (Jakob Oftebro). The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford is a dark comedy exploring the thin line between history and fantasy.
Born and raised in Edinburgh, Seán Dunn attended Columbia University’s Film program in New York City, where he graduated with an MFA in Film Directing. His thesis film, British By The Grace Of God, premiered at Locarno Film Festival and went on to win international awards. His next short Kingdom Come was supported by Screen Scotland and the BFI NETWORK, premiering at the Venice Film Festival in 2019.
Co-founder of Charades, Carole Baraton says of the project: “We've been impressed with Sean’s previous work in his short movies. The precise and special tone he achieves, which perfectly captures dark comedy, is rare to find. We trust that Sir Douglas will deliver perfectly in that vein, especially with the support of the amazing Peter Mullan.”
Image credit
Still from The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford, credit Saskia Coulson