Thriller starring Outlander actress Sophie Skelton and filmed in Caithness set for world premiere

A movie filmed on location in the far north is scheduled to get its world premiere later this month at a long-running independent film festival.

ROW is the debut feature for director Matthew Losasso and stars Outlander actress Sophie Skelton as well as Bella Dayne who starred in the BBC/Netflix drama series Troy: Fall of A City.

The thriller, written by Matthew Losasso and producer Nick Skaugen, was shot on the open sea and at Dunnet, close to the historic House of the Northern Gate.

It sees a woman wash ashore on a blood-stained rowing boat after a failed trans-Atlantic world record attempt. With all her crewmates missing, presumed dead, she must piece together fractured memories of the ordeal to prove her innocence.

The film will be shown at the Raindance Film Festival in London later this month.

Described as the UK’s leading indie film festival, Raindance returns for the first time since 2019 to Vue Piccadilly in the heart of London’s West End, where ROW will be shown on Saturday, June 21 at 6.30pm.

It is also up for several awards at the festival, where it has been shortlisted for best UK feature, best director of a UK feature (Matthew Lasasso), best UK cinematography (Zoran Veljkovic) and best performance in a UK feature (Bella Dayne).

Director Matthew Lasasso told the Caithness Courier that the county offered “cinematic beauty” for the production.

“The film is set in the North Atlantic and the island of Hoy,” he explained. “We needed clear views of the ocean and dramatic rugged coast lines. Hoy itself would not have been practical but this was the closest we could get with the island in view.

“Caithness was perfect. Away from major roads and cities we were able to find an area of farm land by the sea to build a specially designed water tank for controlled boat scenes.

“It also provided us with a key location, the House of the Northern Gate. This is a prominent feature in the film but I was also lucky enough to stay with some of the cast and crew there. We were made to feel very welcome both there and in all the local bars and restaurants.”

On the film, Mr Lasasso said it was a hugely ambitious concept that presented him with an immense technical and creative challenge.

“It’s been an incredible journey to get it to this point,” he said. “This film is made to be seen in cinemas, created against all odds. I am definitely looking forward to sharing this and proud to begin this at Raindance. I hope it will captivate and inspire audiences worldwide.

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• Outlander star Sophie Skelton to feature in Caithness-based psychological thriller

“This is a dream come true for me. Raindance is Britain’s largest independent film festival. I am honoured that ROW is able to follow in the footsteps of films such as The Blair Witch Project and Pulp Fiction by premiering at this prestigious event.

“To be shortlisted for so many awards is, I hope, testament to the quality of what we were able to produce on a limited budget, but also down to the perseverance of those hard working people who believed in and supported our project while we were in Caithness.”

Raindance founder Elliot Grove said: “Throughout this edition, Raindance continues to champion new voices and under-the-radar films that many other festivals overlook. With our new main sponsor Canon Europe, we have an even greater ability to enable filmmakers to focus on the stories they are determined to tell.”

You can view the trailer for ROW at: http://mattlosasso.co.uk/director/row.html

George Dunnett, who restored the House of the Northern Gate to provide luxury accommodation in Caithness, was delighted that the film had been earmarked for so many awards.

“We’re very excited to see the release and the amazing nominations the film has received – it’s a cracking, compelling storyline and fantastic cast,” he said.

“The crew and cast that filmed and stayed at the house were lovely and we couldn’t have had better, friendlier guests.

“We’re also very pleased to have helped bring more business and visibility to Caithness and the Highlands. Thanks to all our team and the caterers who showed off the best of Caithness.”

Mr Walker, whose property at West Murkle is also close to the filming location, was keen to share details of the premiere and said: “I just wanted to highlight the amazing things that can be done in Caithness as the majority of the film was made in a infinity pool on a cliff with the Atlantic in the background.”

Row is the feature debut of UK-based director Matthew Losasso, who wrote the film alongside Nick Skaugen. As well as Skelton – best known for her role as Brianna Fraser in the drama series Outlander – Bella Dayne, Akshay Khanna, Mark Strepan, Tam Dean Burn and Skaugen are also among the cast.

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