Gesa Power House Theatre released this new poster art for Running Naked, “the feel-good indie movie that’ll restore your faith in just about everything” (Buzz Feed) which they will screen on Friday, 2 April 2021 and Wednesday, 7 April 2021 at 7:00pm. You can buy tickets for each screening, which will be followed by an exclusive pre-recorded interview between Director of Film Programming Warren Etheredge and filmmakers Victor Buhler and Michael Knowles.
Ahead of its American VOD premiere, Running Naked will be screened at the Gesa Power House Theatre in Walla Walla (Washington, USA) on Friday, 2 April 2021 at 7:00pm with an encore screening on Wednesday, 7 April 2021 at 7:00pm. Each screening will be followed by a pre-recorded conversation between Director of Film Programming Warren Etheredge and filmmakers Victor Buhler and Michael Knowles.
General admission seating ($15 Adults, $10 Students) are available online. Seating for each screening is capped at 100 persons, so don’t wait too long to purchase your ticket!
Running Naked tells the story of Ben (Andrew Gower) and Mark (Matthew McNulty), who met at a cancer ward when they were teenagers and became lifelong friends despite all their differences. Mark becomes a successful doctor but the ghosts of his past stop him from retaining a lasting relationship with the woman he loves (Rakhee Thakrar). Ben has turned into a social recluse whose life is a series of obsessive habits. A piece of news forces both of them to reassess their lives and make some changes. Tamzin Merchant (Carnival Row,Ark) and Kira Sonia Sawar (Black Mirror, Humpty Fu*king Dumpty) also star in this a story about friendship and about how, in life, we sometimes need to unbutton our shirt collars, kick off our shoes, and streak through life unabashed.
‘Running Naked’ follows Ben and Mark, who survived cancer as teenagers, as they search out fun and adventure, after a piece of news forces them to change their perspective on life. Their friendship is tested as old wounds are opened and they discover their true selves.
“In a world where cancer affects so many lives, Running Naked brings a positive and hopeful message to everyone and anyone whose life has been touched by the disease.”
You can rent or buy the film on these platforms in the USA & Canada:
Funny, raw and honest, ‘Running Naked‘ is an uplifting celebration of love and friendship in the face of adversity. A cracking script, combined with perfectly judged directing and wonderful performances all round, keep us thoroughly engaged throughout. Who knew how much confronting human mortality could be so incredibly life-affirming? A much needed feel-good film for everyone!
Great story of the bond formed by two young lads going through cancer treatment and how their friendship endures when both handle it in very different ways. Great performances by Andrew Gower and Matthew McNulty.
A heart warming and humorous story about a friendship formed by teenagers with cancer. The film manages to feel light while tackling a serious subject. As the boys become men it is apparent that there have been long term consequences, for both males, of having looked into the face of a potential early death. An interesting story line. Crazy action and beautifully written human interactions. A must watch!
Well! What more can I say that hasn’t been said already? Utterly fantastic, beautifully shot, and tremendous performances from all cast, especially Andrew Gower and Matthew McNulty. A very at times moving journey of true friendship and love, formed from cancer and highlights cancer and what it does and that there is much hope. I laughed. I cried. I was at times on the edge of my seat, and my stomach was in my throat! A real must watch, this film deserves to go far and wide!
Andrew Gower (Ben Taylor) and Matthew McNulty (Mark Doherty)
I work with a lot of people who suffer from OCD and it’s refreshing to have a character portrayed accurately, movingly but in a humorous way too! The actors, the story and the scenery were breathtakingly captivating. I really enjoyed it. Thank you.
The whole film was inspiring from start to finish. It was moving and uplifting, funny and full of emotion. The cast and crew have done an excellent job and I can’t wait to watch it again. Highly recommend!
This lovely film kept us glued to the screen throughout. It was about two best friends, one had terminal cancer, one did not. They had both already dealt with cancer as teenagers which had created a lasting bond between them. The antics they got up to , both in the past and in the present time was very funny and the whole story flowed between the laughter, mischief and of course, the serious problem of a life coming to a close. The acting was first rate, performed with smooth sensitivity and liveliness. A brilliant cast indeed leaving us with a long lasting impression of these beautiful people and their heartwarming story.
A difficult subject treated with warmth and humour. Even though the film deals with cancer as a central theme the tone is upbeat throughout with the laughs coming naturally from the relationships between the two leads as both adults and teenagers. [….] the film […] is about the journey the two lead character Ben and Mark make.
The OCD element of hand washing seems very prescient given the current pandemic and it is good to see the NHS central in the film – and the value of the NHS to the two leads.
It is also refreshing to see a film shot entirely in the North West. The film is shot in a documentary style which suits the road movie element of the film. A lovely score too by Craig Potter from the band Elbow.
I attended the online premiere and a portion of profits will go to two cancer related charities- Teenage Cancer Trust and Weston Park Hospital which is laudable.
Great to see films made in the UK and especially up North, Stoke, Manchester and Derbyshire. The cast did an excellent job making this film so real and moving but with comedy, their honesty and integrity made this a treat to watch again and again.
This is a warm hearted fun filled story, guaranteed to leave you in a better place by the end. The cast are excellent and the subject matter is dealt with sensitively, with some proper laugh out loud moments.
22 January 2021: Louise Rhind-Tutt for ILoveManchester:
Making its UK premiere on World Cancer Day (4th February), Running Naked balances humour, emotion and drama in equal measure. […]
In a world where cancer affects so many lives, Running Naked aims to bring a positive and hopeful message to everyone and anyone whose life has been touched by the disease.
“There was no chance Manchester wouldn’t feature in Running Naked, which has its heart and soul in the North.”
“We shot in the city centre at The Radisson Edwardian and in the stunning Peak District countryside just outside the city, where I’m lucky enough to live.”
“Manchester provides the perfect backdrop to some important moments in our story.”
Rakhee Thakrar, Matthew McNulty, Tamzin Merchant & Andrew Gower
4 February 2021: Sam Cleal for Buzzfeed
“Running Naked” Is The Feel-Good Indie Movie That’ll Restore Your Faith In Just About Everything
… technically the main characters Ben and Mark do run around a hospital together butt naked, but the film is so much more than its titular titillation! It’s really a film about friendship, finding love, and seizing life while you still can. […]
Basically, this film is super uplifting and will undoubtedly remind viewers to live life to the fullest every day, and to never become content with less than you deserve! And who doesn’t need that feel-good energy right now?!
4 February 2021: Michael Sales for Midlands Movies
Running Naked is very much a Midlands production, being filmed in locations such as Stoke-on-Trent and Wolverhampton. And whilst Victor Buhler, Jennifer Knowles and Michael Knowles are credited as co-writers, the film specifically draws on Jennifer Knowles’ own experience as a cancer survivor.
This personal angle is infused in the film with its heartfelt and sympathetic situations. And although for me the film never really generated any huge belly laughs, the gentle comedy certainly balances the right tone between the serious issues of dealing with terrible news and the humorous fondness, and struggles, of friendship.
The film’s structure continues this duality with regular flashbacks to the younger duo, whose light-hearted take on their condition is sincere and understanding. Rather than being in denial, the fun they tackle life with shows an often-universal need for lightness during a crisis. […]
There is an understandable sadness in the film but at its core the movie is a positive and life-affirming tale of friendship where warmth shines from the screen throughout. An unclothed and honest look at self-discovery in the face of devastating circumstances, Running Naked is a tender triumph that cleverly shows how support and laughter is a very much needed medicine.
A film about cancer sufferers doesn’t sound very jolly, but, in fact, this film has a lot of light moments. […]
[…] this film is a very English look at young cancer sufferers. […] Running Naked is a little drama mixing comedy and tragedy in a good blend of emotional reality. With two sensitive performances by McNulty and Gower and backed up by the other actors, it is always moving. The film is […] using Jennifer’s personal experiences of having cancer to give us this absorbing story. Sensitively directed by Victor Buhler, it is a simple – as in easy – little film and worth a watch.
Journalist Sarah Bradbury (The Upcoming) interviewed Andrew Gower about playing cancer survivor Ben Taylor in the British independent production Running Naked. They talked about researching Ben’s OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and how it relates to a world in lockdown from an infectious disease, filminig in “exotic places” like Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton and Manchester and finally how humour helps to deal with the toughest situations.
Running Naked is a film about Ben and Mark (Matthew McNulty), who met at a cancer ward as teenage patients and became lifelong friends. It is described as a comedy drama about “love, friendship and streaking”. It is available to stream online after its world premiere at the Beijing International Film Festival in August 2020 where it was nominated for the Tiantian award.
>>> The following detailed synopsis contains spoilers for the entire film! <<<
At the heart of Running Naked are two lifelong friends who met each other when they were teenage leukemia patients. Twenty years later Mark Doherty (Matthew McNulty) has become a successful doctor and ladies’ man. Meanwhile Ben Taylor (Andrew Gower) has devolved into obsessional recluse whose life is a series of obsessive habits. A piece of news forces Mark to reassess his life and, in the process, convinces him to play a bigger part in Ben’s. Mark risks everything he has in order to break Ben out of his shell.
Together the two rediscover their spirit of adventure: they sell everything they own on the high street, they get into a fight with two policemen (and spend a night in jail), they lose all their money – only to win it back at the dog track. They pick up girls. They go sailing and, as the horizon opens in front of their boat, it feels as if the world is once again full of possibilities. But Mark has been keeping a secret and once Ben learns of it, both friends crash back to earth.
They must face the deeper questions in their life: can Mark finally commit to his on-again and off-again girlfriend Jade (Rakhee Thakrar)? Can he face his own mortality? Can Ben free himself from his mad obsessions? Can he build up the nerve to approach Sara (Tamzin Merchant), the first decent girl he’s met in a long, long time? Running Naked is a story about friendship and about how, in life, we sometimes need to unbutton our shirt collars, kick off our shoes, and streak through life unabashed.
If you had a chance to watch Running Naked and liked it, please consider leaving a positive review on Amazon or IMDb and share this info. It’ll go a long way supporting this micro-budget independent film and our Andrew Gower! Thank you so very much!
So far all options are limited to the UK but as the world-wide distributions rights have already been sold to 101 Films International, it is only a matter of time until the film can be watched in other countries as well. We’ll keep you posted!
Andrew Gower Online 