Woken

Woken is a 2024 sci-fi dystopian thriller film starring Erin Kellyman and Maxine Peake. It is written and directed by Alan Friel in his feature length directorial debut.

Synopsis
Anna is being nursed to health by Helen and Peter on a remote island in the North Sea after waking up with no memory, pregnant, and in the middle of a worldwide pandemic.

Cast

 * Erin Kellyman as Anna
 * Maxine Peake as Helen
 * Ivanno Jeremiah as James
 * Corrado Invernizzi as Peter
 * Peter McDonald as Doctor Henry
 * Oscar Coleman as Joshua

Production
Friel and Peake previously worked together on his short film Cake. The film is produced by Fantastic Films and Propaganda Italia. Screen Ireland awarded €700,000 funding to the project. Filming took place in April 2022 on Fanore Beach in County Clare. Bankside Films are handling international sales for the project. Filming wrapped in June 2022 after 5 weeks, filming also took place at the University of Limerick. The film has support from the Italian Ministry of Culture. Prosthetics and SFX make-up are overseen by Chiara Bartoli, visual effects by Giuseppe Squillaci, with post-production being handled in Italy. Robbie Ryan is handling the photography and Tony Kearns the editing. The film’s production is by Stephen Kelliher on behalf of Bankside Films, and Brendan McCarthy, John McDonnell and Deirdre Levins for Fantastic Films, and by Marina Marzotto and Mattia Oddone for Propaganda Italia. Stephen Kelliher and Sophie Green are Executive Producers for Bankside Films. Phil Hunt and Compton Ross are acting as Executive Producers for Head Gear Films with Niamh Fagan as Executive Producer for Screen Ireland.

Release
The film was screened at the Dublin International Film Festival on 1 March 2024, and was released in Italy on 4 July 2024 by Blue Swan Entertainment.