Sky Cinema to premiere Rochdale writer’s debut feature film

'Just Charlie' tells the tale of conflicted football star, Charlie

Sky Cinema is set to premiere the debut feature film written by a Rochdale-based actor and writer.

Having won the prestigious Audience Award at last year’s Edinburgh Film Festival along with numerous awards internationally and receiving worldwide critical acclaim, Peter Machen’s moving drama, ‘Just Charlie’ premieres on Sky Cinema from Monday 16 April.

Just Charlie is no ordinary coming-of-age tale. Football star Charlie (Harry Gilby) has the world at his feet; with a top club desperate to sign him, his future is seemingly mapped out.

The teenager sees only a nightmare. Trapped in the body of a boy, Charlie is a girl divided, torn between wanting to live up to her father Paul Lyndsay’s (Scot Williams) expectations and the overwhelming need to be true to herself.

An all-consuming desire to embrace her true identity gives Charlie the inner strength to stand up for what she knows to be right. Her next move will tear the family apart and threaten everything they hold dear.

Gender dysphoria, also known as transgenderism, is a condition that challenges our generally held belief of self and identity, a mismatch between our biological gender and the gender we identify with. What we see outside is only half the story, but for transgender people, it is a very important story.

Shot entirely in the Midlands market towns of Tamworth and Lichfield, using predominantly regional actors, ‘Just Charlie’ is a small film that has gone on to do big things. This is the debut feature for Seahorse Films, which incorporates Producer Karen Newman, Director Rebekah Fortune and writer Peter Machen, all of whom are overwhelmed by the response the film has received by both critics and audiences around the world.

Mr Machen said: “Every character in this piece has to challenge themselves, their fundamental beliefs and deal with the emotional consequences. It is as much their transformation as the central characters, and we hope the audience's as well. This is a story about identity, who we think we are and who we really are. About being true to one's self in the face of terrible adversity.”

 ‘Just Charlie’ is a thought-provoking, heart-warming, coming-of-age drama that seeks to tackle a difficult subject whilst being accessible to all. No-one should feel alone and persecuted in this world just because they are viewed as different.

‘Just Charlie’ (certificate 15) premiers on Sky Cinema at 9.40am on Monday 16 April.

Watch the trailer at:

http://www.sky.com/tv/movie/just-charlie-2017/video/just-charlie-trailer