Music doc Phil Lynott: Songs For While I’m Away premiered in the UK recently to considerable acclaim at Alexandra Palace as part of the Doc N Roll music documentary festival. However, the film’s theatrical life in the UK has been hampered by the COVID lockdown.
The documentary, directed by Emer Reynolds, tells the story of Thin Lizzy frontman Lynott, a young black kid from working class Dublin in the 1950s who went on to become Ireland’s biggest rock star. His band Thin Lizzy’s most famous anthems, songs like ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’ and ‘Whiskey In the Jar’, are still cherished today.
Speaking to Business Doc Europe, producer Alan Maher of Cowtown Pictures, an IDFA regular, has confirmed that the film is still gunning for a theatrical release in Ireland (where Lynott, who died in 1986, remains a revered figure.)
Eagle Rock, part of the Universal Music Group, is handling the international distribution of the doc. Break Out Pictures is handling the Irish release.
“There’s a lot of buzz and excitement around it,” Maher commented, describing the film as a “celebration” of Lynott’s life, music and talent. “It deserves to be seen on the big screen. It’s a cinematic experience. It looks and sounds amazing. It’s a very emotional watch on the big screen,” Maher explained why the team behind the film are holding out for it to be seen in Irish cinemas in spite of COVID.
The rock star’s family has given the film its blessing. Lynott’s daughters Sarah and Cathleen Lynott recently appeared on The Late Late Show, one of Ireland’s most popular TV shows, to talk about their father and to support the film.
If cinemas are open, the intention is to release the film in Ireland by the end of the year. The doc has also already surfaced in various European territories.
This isn’t the first time that Maher has worked with Break Out. The new Irish distribution company, formed last year by ex-Element Pictures execs Nell Roddy and Robert McCann Finn, also handled the Irish release of another of Maher’s projects, Peter Mackie Burns’ Rialto, which Cowtown co-produced with The Bureau.
Cowtown Pictures handles fiction and documentary. Another doc in which the company is involved is The 8th, the Irish abortion rights doc directed by Aideen Kane, Lucy Kennedy and Maeve O’Boyle. The main producers on the project, a premiere at Hot Docs in the summer, were Black Tabby Films. Fork Films were also involved.
This is an observational doc following the campaign in Ireland to overturn the 8th Amendment – a constitutional ban on abortion. “It follows people from both sides of the debate. It’s very compassionate…it does capture a moment which meant a lot, especially to young women in Ireland. We came on late. It’s a female-driven feature film that we are very proud we could help with in a small way.”
The 8th had its Irish premiere at The Galway Film Fleadh. Roco Films are handling international sales with both a 94-minute and a one hour version available.
Among other projects Cowtown has in the works in found footage sci fi feature L.O.L.A., which marks Andrew Legge’s directorial debut. This stars Emma Appleton and Stefanie Martini. International sales are handled by Bankside. Shooting was completed earlier in the month. Neil Hannon of the Divine Comedy is providing original music.
Maher remains committed to documentary as well as dramatic features but points out they can be an uphill struggle. “They’re very rewarding but they can take a long time and need a lot of attention,” he says. “I think there’s a great opportunity (for them) on the streaming platforms…but it’s difficult to build a company solely on documenta
