Principal photography has begun on Boxing Day, the UK’s first ever Christmas set romantic comedy starring an all-black cast.
Backed by the BFI, Film4 and Warner Bros. Pictures, Boxing Day is the directorial debut of British actor-writer Aml Ameen (The Maze Runner, Yardie) who has co-written the screenplay with Bruce Purnell, and stars as Melvin.
Filming takes place on location across London during November and December.
The ensemble cast includes Aja Naomi King (How to Get Away with Murder), Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock in her first film role and Academy Award nominee, Golden Globe and BAFTA winning actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Secrets & Lies).
Boxing Day is inspired by the diary of Ameen’s life and is a celebration of love and family through a black-British lens.
The film follows Melvin (Aml Ameen), a British author living in America who returns home to London for Christmas to introduce his American fiancée Lisa (Aja Naomi King) to his eccentric British-Caribbean family. Their relationship is put to the test, as she discovers the world her fiancé has left behind.
Matthew G. Zamias produces with Damian Jones for DJ Films along with Dominique Telson and 2020 BAFTA breakthrough producer Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor. Aml Ameen acts as producer and Bruce Purnell as co-producer for their new label Studio113. Jones and Gharoro-Akpojotor previously collaborated on 2019’s BLUE STORY.
“It is such an honour to be teaming up with Warner Bros. Pictures, Film4 and BFI to bring Black British Culture to the world in this universal holiday rom-com. It’s long been a dream of mine to capture films that reflect the wonderfully multi-cultural city that raised me while sharing stories from the diary of my life,” said Ameen.
The BFI (awarding National Lottery funding) and Film4 finance with Warner Bros. Pictures distributing in the UK & Ireland. Rocket Science are handling international sales. Daniel Battsek, Ollie Madden and Lauren Dark take on Executive Producer roles for Film4, alongside Farhana Bhula for the BFI and Thorsten Schumacher for Rocket Science.
