Patrick says hello to a movie career
AMOVIE producer who entered the world of showbusiness after decades teaching in Macclesfield is celebrating the global release of his first film.
Patrick Carney, 75, has seen his crime thriller Hello Darlin’ released on Amazon Prime by Sutopia Films.
He himself has a role in the film as a detective who arrests the main character, Les, an armed robber who is released from prison and attempts to put his criminal past behind him.
Also in the film is Patrick’s sister Mary, from Hurdsfield, who has a small part as a woman who is threatened by thugs.
They appear alongside names such as Doug Allen, from Band of Brothers, and Emmerdale star Siân Reeves.
It is a far cry from his former life as a teacher at St Edwards Junior School and Henbury Junior School, a career he retired from around 12 years ago.
Patrick said: “I’m now into my seventies and it has been a roller-coaster ride getting my first film as a producer in the can.
“I couldn’t have wished for a better cast and crew.
I’m so proud of everything we have all achieved. It’s been a dream come true for me.
“It is based on a true story but it has been rewritten that much that the people involved wouldn’t recognise it.”
Patrick, who lived at Great Queen Street but is now based in the West
Midlands, co-wrote the film.
It tells the story of Doug, who tries to build a relationship with his estranged daughter while being hassled by faces from his past over gold bullion missing from his days as a robber.
The film, which has been released in the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, has won prizes at the Mile High International Film Festival and Austin International Art Festival.
Upon leaving the classroom Patrick began acting as an extra and then he gained several small speaking roles.
But after finding the sort of parts he wanted hard to come by, he decided to take matters into his own hands and make a film.
But getting it onto people’s screens proved tricky because of the Covid pandemic until Janson Media stepped in to help Sutopia Films with the release.
Patrick said: “I’m very grateful and excited that they saw the potential in the film that the film festival organisers also recognised.”
After its initial release on Amazon, Hello Darlin’ is expected to land on AVOD platforms in the United States and the UK.