27th October 2005
Corwen, Bala & Llangollen Free Press
A FILM CREW flew into the Vales of Clwyd to put the finishing touches to a short production capturing the magical folklore of Wales. Cast and crew members for Hawk, an M J McMahon film set up camp near Lysfasi College, Ruthin, on Friday for an intense one-day shoot.
The short film from 11:22 Entertainment tells the story of Rowan, who spends his youth alone with only his grandfather for company. Rowan loses his only connection to the outside world and retreats into a fantasy land formed by his grandfather's half remembered tales of Celtic folklore.
The production has employed the talents of Welsh actors Robert Gwyn Davin and Philip Madoc. Hawk's crew have spent the majority of filming during October at Capel Curig, but have ventured out to Dinas Bran, Llangollen and spent Friday huddled in a cave behind the site of the college. Hawk Producer Sean McArdell said on Friday. 'We have been in Betws y Coed and today we are in Ruthin for the day very close to Llysfasi College. Today is the last day of principal photography. We have a wind machine, rain machine.....quite a lot during the filming. All the actors will be going home tomorrow.'
He added. 'A lot of the crew are from around the area, but we have got special-effect crews who have just finished with the Brothers Grimm and a woman who helped with the costumes for A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.' The filming of Hawk has also set the gossip rumour mill that superstar Rhys Ifans was set to appear in the short film.
But Sean dismissed the rumours about Ruthin's Ifans. He said 'Rhys Ifans wanted to do it but he said 'Get the short film made first.' We have got a script being developed for a 90-minute feature and Rhys says he wants to do that.'
'We are going to take the film to Cannes and also the feature script. We have had three meetings with Rhys and he's well up for doing it.' Hawk is set to be premiered at Bafta's at London and also at a North Wales venue.
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