Hull trawler comedy makes a splash at Cannes Film Festival

TURNING HEADS: The Last Trip advert at Cannes

EXCLUSIVE

By Angus Young

A new comedy about a group of retired Hull fishermen is making waves at the Cannes Film Festival despite not being released yet.

Due in cinemas this autumn, The Last Trip stars five real-life ex-trawlermen who hatch a plot to steal the historic Arctic Corsair sidewinder trawler for one final adventure at sea.

Now a trailer for the full-length feature is currently turning heads at the world’s most prestigious film festival currently being held in the famous French resort.

It is being shown on a large digital screen overlooking one of the main meeting points for festival-goers directly opposite the Palais des Festivals.

The Last Trip director Andrew Fenton, of Hull-based Northern Films, said the chance to promote the film was too good to miss after a top international agency called “out of the blue” offering advertising space at Cannes.

“It certainly wasn’t in our plans to do anything like this but they eventually offered us a good deal so we thought ‘Why not?’.

“Even then, it was a bit of a gamble but the feedback we have received so far from industry people at the festival has been amazing.”

The trailer literally stopped one UK-born business manager who lives in Cannes in his tracks.

He said: “I am a Yorkshire lad, originally from Leeds, and have been living in the South of France for the last 30 years.

“While I was sipping a drink in a cafe I saw the words ‘Northern Films’ pop up on a huge digital screen right in the central hub.

“Out of curiosity I couldn’t resist Googling it and discovered they were based in Hull. It just seemed amazing to see Hull flash up on the screen at Cannes.

“The trailer was brilliant and I was in stitches. I absolutely loved it but then again I grew up in the North. We need something like this in the world right now to lift our spirits.”

Having initially been told the 15-second trailer would play on repeat every hour during the festival, Mr Fenton said it was actually being screened every ten minutes or so.

“We’re doing our very best to put Hull and East Yorkshire right on the international film production map,” he added.