The first trailer has been released for Ish, a coming-of-age drama set and filmed in Luton that has already won awards on the international film festival circuit ahead of its UK cinema debut later this summer.
The feature film, which was shot within Luton’s South Asian and Middle Eastern communities and stars two local first-time actors, will be released in cinemas across the UK and Ireland on July 31.
Written and directed by artist and filmmaker Imran Perretta, Ish premiered at Venice Critics’ Week last year, where it won the Audience Award, before being selected for competition for the prestigious Sutherland Award for Best First Feature at the BFI London Film Festival.
The production also picked up recognition at the British Independent Film Awards, where producer Dhiraj Mahey received the Breakthrough Producer award.
Ish follows 12-year-old best friends Ish and Maram as they navigate childhood against a backdrop of political tension and personal loss in Luton.
The pair escape the pressures of everyday life through football, gaming and spending time together, but their friendship is tested after a police stop and search incident in the shadows of Luton Town Football Club’s Kenilworth Road stadium which Maram is searched while Ish manages to flee. As they grow older, both boys are forced to confront questions about identity, friendship and the men they are becoming.
The lead roles are played by Farhan Hasnat and Yahya Kitana, two Luton friends who were cast after responding to an open casting call. The film marks the acting debut of both young performers.
Lutonians are likely to recognise a number of locations featured throughout the film and its newly released trailer.
Singer-songwriter Joy Crookes, a Mercury Prize and BRIT Award nominee, also makes her acting debut in the film as Ish’s sister Samira and recently spoke about her first ever acting role on the Romesh Ranganathan show.
The cast additionally includes established actors Sudha Bhuchar, known for roles in After Love, Mogul Mowgli and We Are Lady Parts, and Avin Shah, whose previous credits include Everest and Land of the Blind.
The film was co-written by acclaimed playwright Enda Walsh, whose screenwriting credits include Hunger, and shot in black and white by cinematographer Jermaine Canute Edwards.
Perretta, who previously gained recognition in the contemporary art world and received a Turner Prize bursary in 2020, has described the project as a classical coming-of-age story rather than a conventional urban drama.
Producer Dhiraj Mahey developed the project through Primal Pictures alongside Bennett McGhee, with support from BBC Film, the BFI and National Lottery funding.
The first trailer for the film has now been released ahead of its nationwide cinema launch on July 31.
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