Northern soul

The action of "Souled Out" is set in the seventies Northern Soul scene and tells the story of a young boy who learns about life and love through the music of the era.

The film will star former Brookside actress Jennifer Ellison, who recently appeared in "The Cottage", a horror-comedy released throughout Europe and the USA.
It also features Martin Compston, who's appeared in Ken Loach's "Sweet 16", and has been featured in "Empire" film magazine.
Pat Shortt, a major actor in his home country of Ireland, and a regular star of comedy series "Father Ted" will also be part of the cast.

The production uses the city of Stoke on Trent as the sole backdrop.
The King's Hall in Stoke town centre is one of the main venues, as it closely resembles the Wigan Casino, where much of the film is set.

BBC TV spoke to the film's creators, and also to BBC Stoke's Northern Soul producer Mary Fox to ask them why Stoke was such a suitable location for the film. To see the video, click on the link below...

Film school

The film is being produced in conjunction with Staffordshire University, and students will have the chance to be involved with its production over the next year.

A theatrical release is planned next summer, after the film has been to Cannes, and has also played at music festivals up and down the country.

The soundtrack, produced by Universal Music, will include songs from Paul Weller, and The Dap-Kings, the backing band for Amy Winehouse.

The film's director is Shimmy Marcus.