Northumbria alumnus directs UK hit feelgood film: Fisherman's Friends

A Northumbria Film and TV Production alumnus was in the director’s chair for the recent inspirational UK Box Office hit film, Fisherman’s Friends.

Chris Foggin, who has worked on a number of successful short films with high profile stars before his latest production, was first approached with the opportunity to work on the Cornwall-shot feature by producer James Spring, who he had previously met on his first feature film.

Fisherman’s Friends, which is inspired by true events, tells the story of a group of singing fishermen who perform in their village harbour and secure a multi-million pound record deal with Island Records. It explores how, despite their chart topping success, the fisherman did not give up their day jobs, alongside performing at big events such as Glastonbury.

“I remember reading the script for Fisherman’s Friends a few years back, so I was delighted to hear from James when he came to me with the project”, said Chris. “It’s a wonderful universal story that is full of heart, warmth and charm, set in an idyllic location that allows cinema goers to escape for a couple of hours. We were also incredibly lucky to have wonderful cast and crew, and I loved the collaboration throughout the process. It was fun from start to finish.”

Chris’ success has been celebrated by his former tutors within Northumbria’s Department of Arts, including Principal Lecturer and Teaching Fellow Neil Percival. He said: “It’s brilliant to see Chris doing so well – he’s kept in touch with us since graduation, and his is an inspiring story for our current undergraduates.

“He joins a growing number of alumni who have gone on to make a career in feature films – including Jack Tarling, the producer of God’s Own Country, Neil Marshall who has just directed Hellboy, and Lol Crawley, who was cinematographer on Vox Lux working with Natalie Portman and Jude Law”

Chris graduated from Northumbria in 2008, but has kept a close relationship with the University. As he explains: “Northumbria was a great place to learn. It allowed me to meet likeminded people that I still work with today. I found the tutoring, facilities and support network to be fantastic.

“I started out as a runner in my early career, moving to a third Assistant Director, which allowed me to get a great understanding of the industry. I’m now developing my next projects for both film and TV.”

Fisherman’s Friends is currently number three in the UK Box Office and is in cinemas nationwide.

To find out more about Northumbria’s Film and TV Production BA (Hons) course, visit: www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/courses/film-and-tv-production-ba-hons-uusfvp1/