David Nicholas Wilkinson
| David Nicholas Wilkinson | |
|---|---|
| Born |
2 December 1955 Leeds, Yorkshire |
| Years active | 1969–present |
David Nicholas Wilkinson (born 2 December 1955 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England) is the founder and Chairman of Guerilla Films Limited, a production and distribution company based in London.[1]
Early life
Wilkinson grew up in Horsforth, now part of Leeds, and was a pupil at Benton Park School. At age 14 he started his career as an actor. He was discovered from over 500 boys by Binkie Beaumont in 1970, for the title role in H M Tennent's West End revival production of The Winslow Boy.
Career
Productions include theatre, television and film Jack Flea's Birthday Celebration – Ian McEwan's screen debut, directed by Mike Newell; Arthur Hopcraft's TV series The Nearly Man directed by John Irvin and playing Stuart Sutcliffe in Richard Marquand's film Birth of the Beatles.
He won a best actor theatre award for playing Alan Strang in Peter Shaffer's Equus.
In 1982 he pioneered, with Keith Williams, the former BBC Head of Drama, the "Reverse Drama Co-Production" with the BBC. This was a new break-through for independent producers working with the BBC.
Wilkinson's most notable production was The First Film (2015), which he directed, produced, co-wrote and presented. It is his attempt to prove that the world's very first film was made by Louis Le Prince on 14 October 1888 in Leeds.[2]
Distribution
Wilkinson has also set up a small UK cinema/video/DVD/ TV distribution division for some of his own and other producers' films. Since 1998, he has specialised in releasing British & Irish films especially the ones that others consider difficult. Guerilla has distributed over 110 feature films, and in February 2017 Wilkinson announced he was filming a documentary on resistance to Britain's departure from the European Union.[3]
Production list
- "All the Wild Horses" (2017)
- "The First Film (2015)
- " How to Change the World (2015)
- "Mothers Milk" - (2011)
- Charles Dickens's England – (2009) (producer) also (co-screenplay), starring Sir Derek Jacobi.
- To the Lighthouse – (1983) – for TV (producer), a production based upon the Virginia Woolf novel. Starring Rosemary Harris, Michael Gough, Kenneth Branagh, Suzanne Bertish, Pippa Guard, T P McKenna & Lynsey Baxter. *It won a Silver Medal, International Film & TV Festival New York, Nominated for Best Single Drama – Bafta for Best Performance Award: Rosemary Harris; Locarno Film Festival.
- Coast to Coast – for T.V (1987) (executive producer), starring Lenny Henry, John Shea, Cherie Lungi, Peter Vaughan, George Baker & Pete Postlethwaite
- Dylan Thomas: Return Journey – (1990) (producer). Sir Anthony Hopkins' directorial debut. Starring Bob Kingdom as Dylan Thomas. A British/Dutch/American co-production.
- The Weather in the Streets – (1984) (producer)
- Small Time Obsession – (2000) (executive producer)
- Fred Trueman Bowls You Over (producer)
- James Herriot's Yorkshire – (1993) (producer)
- I Is a Long Memoried Woman – (1990) (executive producer)
References
- ↑ War film sparks Hollywood row
- ↑ "The First Film". Film 4. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
- ↑ Remains of the Day