Damian's Dominion: Damian Lewis, Producer

DAMIAN LEWIS, PRODUCER

In addition to his prolific acting work, Damian has begun taking on the role of producer with selected projects. This page offers an introduction to these projects.

Production Details: The Baker

Project type: Cinematic film

Synopsis: Can't sleep? Hate your job? Hate the city? Kill people for a living? Meet Milo -- he knows how you feel. Milo's a hit-man on the edge. When something snaps inside his head and he fails to fulfil a contract, he has to escape the city to avoid the wrath of his employers. Pursued by a ruthless colleague with a thing for rubber gloves, he hides out in a remote Welsh village, where he is mistaken for the new baker. Forced to bake to maintain the cover, what he discovers is nothing short of a revelation -- when he bakes, all his worries seem to disappear. Baking is therapy. When sparks fly with the beautiful local vet, he decides to start a new life as a baker. But as the villagers discover his true identity and start ordering hits on one another, things start to get messy. He's about to discover that you can't have your cake and eat it.

Chronology: Began pre-production in late February 2006. Principal photography began on March 27, 2006. Production was completed in May 2006. Released on region 2 DVD in Hungary on October 16, 2007. Released in the Ritzy Picturehouse cinema in London for a limited engagement, February 29 - March 6, 2008. Released on region 2 DVD in the UK on March 3, 2008. Released in cinemas in Greece on July 10, 2008. Released on region 1 DVD in Canada on August 12, 2008. Released on region 4 DVD in Australia on September 18, 2008. Presented on television (network not known) in Argentina on October 2, 2008. Released (limited) in select cinemas in Kansas City, MO, on October 9, 2009; Portland, OR, on October 23, 2009. Available for on-demand viewing via various cable and satellite television services (under the alternate title Assassin In Love) in the US beginning September 2, 2010. Released for rental on region 1 DVD in the US (under the alternate title Assassin In Love) on September 2, 2010. Released on region 1 DVD in the US (under the alternate title Assassin In Love) on October 12, 2010.

Film Festivals & Other Special Screenings:

Berlin International Film Festival (February 8-18, 2007, Berlin, Germany), European Film Market program -- February 9 and 14, 2007.
Cannes Film Festival (May 16-27, 2007, Cannes, France), Marché du Film program -- May 18, 2007.
Tremblant Film Festival (June 20-24, 2007, Mont Tremblant, Canada) -- June 21 and 23, 2007.
Special screening in Monmouth, Wales (where much of the filming took place) -- July 21, 2007.
Pusan International Film Festival (October 2-12, 2007, Pusan, South Korea), promoted and/or screened in the Asian Film Market portion of the event -- October 4-12, 2007.
Exground Filmfest (November 16-25, 2007, Germany) -- November 20, 2007.
Bonus Card 6th International Comedy Films Festival (November 23-27, 2007, Istanbul, Turkey), The Most Serious Comedy Film Competition -- November 23 and 26, 2007.
Cairo International Film Festival (November 27 - December 7, 2007, Cairo, Egypt), Guest Of Honor: The British Cinema program -- December 6, 2007.
London premiere screenings (2, back-to-back) at the Ritzy Picturehouse in London, UK, in conjunction with March 3, 2008, DVD release in UK -- February 29, 2008.
RiverRun International Film Festival (April 23-28, 2008, Winston-Salem, NC), in Narrative Competition -- April 25, 26, and 28, 2008.
Ibiza International Film Festival (May 23-31, 2008, Ibiza), in competition -- May 26, 2008.
Shanghai International Film Festival (June 14-22, 2008, Shanghai, China) -- June 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22, 2008.
Abergavenny Food Festival Fringe (September 13-21, 2008, Abergavenny, Wales) -- September 17, 2008.
Sedona International Film Festival (February 24 - March 1, 2009, Sedona, AZ) -- February 25 and 28, 2009.
EU Film Festival (March 6 - April 2, 2009, Chicago, IL) -- March 21 and 23, 2009.
Worldfest Houston International Film & Video Festival (April 17-26, 2009, Houston, TX) -- April 25, 2009.
Connecticut Film Festival (June 2-7, 2009, Danbury, CT) -- June 4-5, 2009.
Waterfront Film Festival (June 11-14, 2009, Saugatuck, MI) -- June 12 and 14, 2009.
Temecula Valley International Film & Music Festival (September 9-13, 2009, Temecula, CA) -- September 10 and 12, 2009.
Kansas International Film Festival (September 18-24, 2009, Overland Park, KS) -- September 19, 2009.
Tallgrass Film Festival (October 23-25, 2009, Wichita, KS) -- October 23, 2009.
Naples International Film Festival (November 6-8, 2009, Naples, FL) -- November 6 and 8, 2009.
Three Rivers Film Festival (November 6-21, 2009, Pittsburgh, PA) -- November 15 and 16, 2009.
Screened at Bosbury Parish Hall (Bosbury, Herefordshire, UK) as part of the Flicks In The Sticks programme -- January 15, 2010.
Connecticut Film Festival (February 12-14, 2010, Old Saybrook, CT) -- February 12, 2010.
Connecticut Film Festival (May 4-9, 2010, Danbury, CT), encore screening in honor of the film having won the 2009 CTFF Audience Favorite Award (screening doubled as a fundraising event to benefit the Bethel Library Building Fund) -- May 6, 2010.
Screened at the Warner Theatre, Torrington, CT, in anticipation of the upcoming 2011 Connecticut Film Festival, in honor of The Baker having won the 2009 Connecticut Film Festival Audience Favorite Award -- December 16, 2010.

Awards & Nominations:

This production received the following awards:

2007 Tremblant Film Festival -- Best Director - Gareth Lewis
2008 RiverRun International Film Festival -- Audience Choice Award for Best Narrative Feature
2009 Worldfest Houston International Film & Video Festival -- Gold Remi Award for Editing
2009 Worldfest Houston International Film & Video Festival -- Special Jury Remi Award for a Theatrical Feature Film
2009 Naples International Film Festival -- Best Comedy

Principal Cast & Crew: Kate Ashfield as Rhiannon Jones; Annette Badland as Martha; Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Bjorn; Aimee Cowen as Checkout Girl; Gwenno Dafydd as Mrs. Edwards; Dyfan Dwyfor as Eggs; Michael Gambon as Leo; David Garfield as Griff; Michael Geary as Dai Williams; Gareth Wyn Griffith as Fish & Chip Man; Brian Hibbard as Bob; Philip Howe as Gareth Llewellyn; Paul Courtenay Hyu as Chinese Fish & Chip Man; Margaret John as Anne Jones; Damian Lewis as Milo; Gareth Lewis as Nature Documentary Voice; Rhodri Meilir as Owain Williams; Martin Glyn Murray as Hypnotist Voice; Anthony O'Donnell as Rhys; Robert Page as Stan; Nicholas Rowe as Businessman; Steven Spiers as Bryn; Adrian Sturges as Clerk; Dorien Thomas as Father Williams; Dyfed Thomas as Huw Edwards; William Thomas as Alun; Valerie Vaughan-Williams as Mrs. Thomas; Simon Winkler as Bodyguard; Boris the Sheep as Himself; Written by Gareth Lewis; Produced by Damian Lewis, Daniel Shepherd, Adrian Sturges and Justin Williams; Directed by Gareth Lewis.

Links:

Production Details: Normal For Norfolk

Project Type: Cinematic short film

Synopsis: Protesting his sanity and denying his name, a mental asylum inmate, "Ray", is being transferred to another facility. He escapes from the ambulance and flees into the woods. Pursued by Randall, the delusional ambulance driver, the heavily sedated Ray undergoes a suburban trial by ordeal before finally making it home to his wife. But why does she call him Ian? And where's he been for the past year? Last time she saw him he said he was just popping out for some milk. Randall curses his bad luck again. But there's more than one Ray to fill an asylum.

Chronology: In production in or about autumn 2005. Screened at various events in the UK and elsewhere from the through the end of 2007 (details below).

Film Festivals & Other Special Screenings:

Edinburgh International Film Festival (August 14-27, 2006, Edinburgh, Scotland) -- August 22, 2006 (the film's world premiere).
Screened at a members-only screening at BAFTA, London -- September 11, 2006.
First Past The Post (screening programme for the UK Film Council 2006 Completion Fund which helps provide financial support for the completion of short films with outstanding potential) at the Curzon Mayfair Cinema, London -- October 5, 2006 (the film's official London premiere).
Seagate Foyle Film Festival (November 10-19, 2006, Derry, Northern Ireland) -- November __, 2006.
Cardiff Film Festival (November 8-18, 2006, Cardiff, Wales) -- November 15, 2006.
4th Halloween Short Film Festival (January 5-14, 2007, London, UK), as part of the Funny Sh*t programme -- January 10, 2007.
Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival (January 26 - February 3, 2007, France), in the International Competition -- January/February __, 2007.
RiverRun International Film Festival (April 18-23, 2007, Winston-Salem, NC) -- April 19, 2007, and April 21, 2007.
Festival Internacional de Curta-metragens de São Paulo (August 23 - September 1, 2007, São Paulo, Brazil) -- August __, 2007.
Was entered in the short-film section of the MyMovie MashUp competition run by Vertigo Films, Film4 and Myspace -- available for online viewing by the public from anywhere from April 26, 2007, through several months thereafter.

Principal Cast & Crew: Annette Badland as Witch; Stephen Campbell Moore as Man; Jamie Deeks as Orderly 2; Olivia DeSouza as Young Girl; Hosh Kane as Orderly 1; Ewen MacIntosh as Orderly 3; Helen McCrory as Clare; Tim Pigott-Smith as Randall; Nicholas Rowe as Jumper Man; Written by Gareth Lewis; Produced by Damian Lewis and Adrian Sturges; Directed by Gareth Lewis.

Links:

Picture Farm

Damian is a partner with the film production company Picture Farm (IMDB: Picture Farm). The company has produced the following films:

Father Figure (2011/TBD) (see Production Details: Father Figure for more information)
Devil Dead Donkey (20__/TBD)
The Baker (2007) (see above for more information)
The Escapist (2007) (see Performance Guide - The Escapist for more information)
Normal for Norfolk (2006) (see above for more information)
The Front Line (2006)
Champions (2006)
Get the Picture (2004)
Hotel Infinity (2004)
Uncle Douglas (2003)
Subterrain (2001)
Dark Days (2000)
Ticks (1999)

Pure Grass Films

Damian is on the Advisory Board for Pure Grass Films (IMDB: Pure Grass Films), a London-based company which produces cutting edge filmed entertainment for distribution to multiple platforms, including mobile phones and portable devices. The company's inaugural production:

When Evil Calls (2006) (see official production site)

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