It was so nice to be able to bookend that whole journey and because myself and Sam Heughan, a few of the cast, had always spoken about Bonnie Prince Charlie’s journey, how he dressed up as Betty Burke and left Scotland. It was really special to be back. Odd going back to a character after so long.
The amazing thing about being an actor is the older we get, we change and are influenced by different things. So, I think definitely Bonnie Prince Charlie definitely aged a little bit in the Scottish countryside.
Flora MacDonald (Shauna MacDonald) helps Bonnie Prince Charlie (Andrew Gower) escape Government troups by dressing him as her maid Betty Burke
I’ve always written music since I was 16. I was in bands in Liverpool. I did the Cavern many a time.
But I had started songwriting again during lockdown and [Elbow‘s] Craig [Potter] caught wind of these tracks after having just filmed together on Running Naked and basically he asked me whether I wanted to make my EP with him. I fell to my knees in my kitchen.
We have an update for you about the first UK screening of Running Naked in front of a live audience!
It will now take place on Thursday, 21 October 2021 at 7:00pm at the MitchellArts Centre in Stoke-on-Trent (UK). The screening will be followed by a Q&A with producers Andy Paton and Michael Knowles.
The “feel good buddy dramedy” about cancer survivors Ben (Andrew Gower) and Mark (Matthew McNulty) is also available on iTunes (UK, USA & Canada), Amazon Prime (UK & USA), Sky (UK) and several other streaming platforms in the USA.
Sadly, Running Naked Film on Facebook had to announce the following this morning:
“Due to unforeseen circumstances the screening of Running Naked has been postponed. We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused. When the new dates for the festival are released we will let everyone know. We are all looking forward to seeing you all at the public screening and hope to see you all soon.”
“Due to unforeseen circumstances the screening of Running Naked has been postponed. We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused. The new date for the screening is 4th October. We are all looking forward to seeing you all at the new date. Thanks for your patience.”
The film, which launches the Stoked Film Festival at the Mitchell Arts Centre on Monday 23 August 2021 at 7:00pm, was made in conjunction with the MA in Feature Film Production at Staffordshire University and successfully brought together a crew of industry professionals who mentored students throughout the shoot.
It rejoins Mark and Ben twenty years after their friendship develops. After receiving a dramatic piece of news, the film charts the friends as they embark on an adventure that will change both their lives.
Course Leaders Andy Paton and Mike Knowles produced the film which is directed by Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Victor Buhler. Written by Victor with Mike and his wife Jennifer Knowles, the heartfelt story draws on Jennifer’s personal experience as a cancer survivor.
Andy Paton, Senior Lecturer in Film Production, explained: “We believe that it is incredibly important for students to get hands-on experience working on a professional film shoot.
“We wanted to make an independent British film with a heart and hope that Running Naked brings a positive and hopeful message to anyone whose life has been touched by the cancer.
“The project is an amazing example of how the University’s resources can be used to create a professional feature film which is now being distributed across the world – something that is invaluable to our students as they forge their careers in the industry.”
Funding came from private equity and more than 60 postgraduate and undergraduate students worked on Running Naked which was shot over 20 days in summer 2018. However, the film’s release was delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Head of Department of Media and Performance Dr Rob Marsden said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Mitchell Arts Centre on Stoked Film Festival which we hope will become an annual event in our cultural calendar and an opportunity to screen both the professional and graduate work coming out of the city.”
“It’s a big night for Running Naked as it’s the first time is has screened out of lockdown and shows off the talent we have here at Staffordshire University as well as showcasing our city as a fabulous location for contemporary film. We hope people will feel confident to come out and celebrate the return of cinema to our city.”
Tickets for Running Naked (15) are £7 which includes a free drink and a free screening of Student Short Films will also be taking place on Wednesday 25 August 2021 at the earlier time of 6pm. For full programme and booking visit Stoked Film Festival.
Interested in studying a course in Film? Find out if you are eligible for an offer through Clearing by using our offer calculator, have a ‘live chat’ with Clearing experts at http://www.staffs.ac.uk/clearing/ or call our Clearing hotline on 0800 590 830.
Running Naked will finally be screened in front of a live audience and it is very appropropriate that it happens in Stoke-On-Trent at the Stoked Film Festival, where large parts of the “feel good buddy dramedy” were filmed in 2018.
Stoked Film Festival, which runs from 23 – 26 August 2021 at the Mitchell Arts Centre and is described as a “season of work that promotes the theme of hope, as well as promoting a healthy and sustainable city post-Covid”, will open on Monday at 7:00pm with the film about cancer survivors Ben (Andrew Gower) and Mark (Matthew McNulty).
Tickets for Running Naked (15) are £7 which includes a free drink and a Q&A with the “directors and actors”. Andrew’s attendance is not confirmed but we will let you know as soon and if we find out.
“It’s a big night for Running Naked as it’s the first time is has screened out of lockdown and shows off the talent we have here at Staffordshire University as well as showcasing our city as a fabulous location for contemporary film. We hope people will feel confident to come out and celebrate the return of cinema to our city.”
Following the US release of Running Naked, we reached out to Michael Knowles, one of the producers and writers of the comedy drama about two cancer survivors starring Matthew McNulty, Andrew Gower, Tamzin Merchant and Rakhee Thakrar. We’re extremely grateful he took the time to answer a couple of our questions while wrapping up his latest filming project in Mexico.
Michael Knowles is an English film producer, writer and musician. Having been mentored by Andrew Eaton through the UK’s Guiding Lights scheme, he has produced several full feature length films including the award winning drama Best Laid Plans and mystery horror film The Messengerstarring Robert Sheehan and Tamzin Merchant. He’s also produced a series of short films, among them one of British acting legends Pete Postlethwaite’s last films Waving at Trains. In 2004 he received a BAFTA nomination for his short film Talking with Angels.
He’s also the lead vocalist of the Manchester based band WinterGreen who recently released their 4th album Framed.
Ben (Andrew Gower) & Mark (Matthew McNulty)
First of all, congratulations to a truly beautiful and heartfelt film! I really enjoyed attending the virtual screening of Running Naked on World Cancer Day. For touching on such serious subjects like cancer and mental health, it is a surprisingly uplifting film.
Many thanks that’s very much appreciated.
You recently mentioned in an interview that “life is about living, not dying” and that it would be a great slogan for Running Naked. Could you explain how it relates to the film?
We are all dying at different rates. The film touches how reflecting on this can positively affect how we live our lives. We need to be present in the moment and sometimes bad thing happening make you focus on this. I know when my wife went through this, we really focused on what was important to us and what was a stressful time became strangely a positive one.
My friend is a survivor of teenage cancer. I know she would love to watch Running Naked but she’s hesitant it might trigger some unwanted memories. What would you tell her?
We were keen that the presentation of cancer was both true but also positive. With that in mind we screened the film to young cancer patients through the teenage cancer trust. Their feedback was both moving and overwhelmingly positive. See below:
Firstly, when I found out it was a movie about two young lads going through treatment. Straightaway I thought “oh no” this might be too close to home and thought I might need to keep tissues ready for the emotional scenes. However, with that being said, my reaction was actually quite the opposite. This movie highlighted friendship during tough times and how they had each other to support but also how important it is to be there for one another.
For me personally, I never thought you could put comedy and cancer in the same genre, but the Running Naked team made it happen. Keeping it light-hearted and making me grin rather than cry just shows it was well put together. From the script, the cast, the whole movie storyline was brilliant. I laughed throughout because I could relate to the scenes.
I always avoided cringe cancer type of movies only because it was emotionally distressing but this movie I highly recommend, it’s a good watch. The writer’s message was to highlight friendship aspects during tough times and how the main characters Ben and Mark are just trying to live their lives to the fullest which as a viewer was so inspiring. They do things out of the ordinary especially for Ben because he has OCD. Highly recommend this movie and I’m sure you’ll reach out to your friends after watching if you haven’t in a while, especially during the current situation, as this movie just give you a pure warm fuzzy feeling inside. I know I’ll be recommending this movie to my friends.
Director Victor Buhler on the set of Running Naked
Let’s go back to the beginning: the script for Running Naked was developed over a longer period of time until you and Victor Buhler decided to finally make it into a film. You called it a “leap of faith”. Are you glad you took it or would you have hoped for different circumstances?
I think films have a moment when they will or won’t happen. I am glad we took the leap of faith when we did as otherwise it wouldn’t have happened. I know when people find the film, they generally love it. Particularly if they have been through any of the experiences related in the film. My hope is over the years people will discover it and it will gain a following.
The script for Running Naked draws on some very personal experiences dealing with your wife’s own battle with cancer. Would you say it made it easier or more difficult to write?
Whilst the film doesn’t directly touch on the same experiences, having a pool of emotions and reflections based upon similar events did help. Particularly at a distance from those events.
Can you talk us through the casting process a little? How did Andrew (and the rest of the talented cast) become a part of Running Naked?
Andrew Gower came through an introduction from Tamzin Merchant (who I had worked with previously and who was cast as Sara) who was working with Andrew on Carnival Row. Matthew McNulty came through Andrew’s agent. Emma Stansfield and Sacha Parkinson I had both worked with before. Rahkee Thakrar also came through Tamzin (thank you Tamzin).
The young Ben (James Senneck) and Mark (Samuel Bottomley) came through contacts with Matthew McNulty. Andrew and Matthew cast their youngers selves effectively.
Ben (Andrew Gower) and Sara (Tamzin Merchant)
This needs to be followed by the unfortunately inevitable question: how was working with Andrew Gower?
He was great and gave so much to the role of Ben. He is a fab actor and we are looking to work together in the future.
Running Naked was filmed in summer 2018. Since then the world has changed quite fundamentally and in quite an unpredictable way. Do you think this has also changed people’s reception of the film?
It’s strange in the film the character of Ben washes his hands a lot with gel. This was meant to be unusual but now is the new norm!
Hopefully the hope and positivity in the film chimes even more now.
Stoke-on-Trent seems an unusual choice for a filming location. Why did you choose it? I personally liked the contrast between the more “clinical” look of the city and the lush English countryside, just like the film itself balances a very serious matter with heart and humour.
We shot there because it hadn’t been seen on screen before but also because I teach film at the university of Staffordshire and the university (and the students there) helped in the making of the film.
What would you say was the biggest challenge in making Running Naked?
I would say making what is such an ambitious film on a pretty micro budget.
Do you have a favourite scene?
There is a scene towards the end of the film when the two leads reflect on their friendship that I love and that echoes what I feel about friendship. However lots of great scenes and special moments in the film.
Running Naked is now available in the UK and in the USA digitally and as VOD. Are there any plans for releases in more countries, more theatrical screenings? I’m quite old fashioned and like physical copies of my favourite films. Any plans for a DVD release maybe?
No plans for DVD but looking at potential cinema screenings post covid. Working through sales agents to release in other territories.
You’re currently filming in Mexico. Is there anything you can share about your new project? Or any other projects we should look out for?
Thank you so very much again, Mr Knowles, for your time and patience. Hopefully many people will have the chance to experience Running Naked soon, on the big or small screen, and we’re looking forward to seeing your future work, especially if it involves our Andrew Gower!
Running Naked, the “feel good buddy dramedy” starring Andrew Gower and Matthew McNulty as cancer survivors Ben and Mark, is available to rent or buy digitally or as VOD on several streaming sites in the UK and the USA.
Please consider leaving a positive review if you liked the film to support this micro-budget independent production!
[…] a feel good buddy comedy titled Running Naked […] From Emmy-winning director Victor Buhler, comes a heartfelt and moving tale that draws upon writer Jennifer Knowles personal experience as a cancer survivor. The story follows cancer survivors Ben and Mark, whose friendship is tested when some news forces them to change their perspectives. […] Looks like quirky, heartfelt fun.
Sometimes it takes the specter of death to bring light into life. Running Naked, from director Victor Buhler, is a feel-good dramedy that helps us see the beauty in life, even if we know that life is finite. Perhaps that finitude helps us see the meaning of it all.
The film serves as a reminder that we too often get bogged down in the vanities of life when we are meant to be seeking the beauty and joy that surrounds us—even in seemingly dark times.
7 April 2021: Tracey Petherick for Common Sense Media
Serious themes are handled with a light touch in this comedy drama that manages to find humor in a story that hinges on some of the toughest subject matter — terminal illness and mental health. Often emotional, sometimes bleak, but also punctuated by moments of joy, Running Naked is carried along at a pleasing pace by Gower and McNulty as Ben and Mark. From the way they bond as teens to the shift in their relationship as they hit their 30s, this archetypal “odd couple” maintain a friendship that is as unlikely as it is touching.
Like many of the best British indie movies, this production is not flashy or glamorous, but it feels real. Skillful cinematography finds the beauty in an ordinary world with clever scene setting, careful camera angles, and characters who are genuine and compelling. And while at times the narrative is unrefined, there is plenty of empathy and a strong sense of the value of human relationships. Fundamentally this movie is a journey of self-discovery for two people, both of whom just want to help a friend to live their best life.
Emmy-winning director Victor Buhler’s feelgood comedy Running Naked is released [in the USA digitally and as VOD] this coming week, and we have an exclusive clip from the film for you below courtesy of distributor Trinity Creative Partnership.
Andrew Gower Online 