From Halesowen to Hollywood as movie made by Black Country friends gets USA release date

Halesowen College film lecturer Jez Alsop and writer Ryan Davis were delighted how Fixed performed in the UK but were delighted the gritty drama will get an American release.

Starring Line of Duty's Gregory Piper with a score composed by Bearwood based former Pop Will Eat Itself member Richard March and filmed in Birmingham, Fixed is a real Midlands affair.

Stourbridge born Ryan, 45, said "We are really surprised and delighted to be picked up in the USA. It's a big, big market, and home of our favourite film makers. Next stop Hollywood!"

Fixed depicts the night before gambler Daz Clemance leaves Birmingham to start a crime free life in Spain and is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, SkyStore, Googleplay and Xbox.

The story follows Daz and his fateful night where he is beaten, stabbed and left for dead.

Jez said: "We felt that the story had resonance, because it depicts a man who is devastated financially following an accident at work. He turns to gambling and crime, and it seemed like it reflected the harsh realities for a lot of normal working people.

"We knew we wanted to make a feature film but we had very little money, so we worked on an idea that we thought would be realistically achievable, made the production values as high as we could and it just worked."

Fixed was filmed in 20 days in one location at The Lampworks Studios in The Jewellery Quarter in between Covid lockdowns.

Jez has worked at Halesowen College for 15 years and has already wrote and directed short films and music videos before embarking on his first feature film Fixed.

The movie features a cameo from UK rap star Juice Aleem, and stars Black Country actor Greg Piper – better known as Sgt Ryan Pilkington in BBC smash hit drama Line of Duty.

The Fixed soundtrack was produced by Birmingham musicians Richard March (Pop Will Eat It’s Self, Bentley Rhythm Ace) and Dan Finnemore (Low Cut Connie and Swampmeat Family Band).