Daisy-May Hudson’s Lollipop to premiere at the EIFF

LOLLIPOP, the debut narrative feature from writer-director Daisy-May Hudson, has released a first-look image of stars Posy Sterling (The Outrun) and newcomer Idil Ahmed, ahead of its world premiere at the revitalised 77^th edition of the Edinburgh International Film Festival where it screens in Competition on Tuesday 20^th August.

A BAFTA Breakthrough, Grierson and BIFA nominated documentary director, Daisy-May Hudson’s previous film was the acclaimed documentary feature Half Way.

LOLLIPOP follows Molly (Screen International Star of Tomorrow 2023 Posy Sterling), a young woman who, having just been released from prison, battles to regain custody of her children. When she reconnects with her childhood friend Amina (Idil Ahmed), a fellow single mother trying to make a life for her family, the two women soon join forces and take destiny into their own hands.

LOLLIPOP is a film about finding joy in life’s hardest moments, and what it means to have the courage to fight for your family, even when you feel like you’ve got nothing left. It will break your heart and then put it back together, stronger and with more hope than ever.

Producers Cecilia Frugiuele and Olivier Kaempfer, on the film’s inclusion at EIFF: “Edinburgh is the perfect home for our film: a festival dedicated to supporting new, brave and unique talent. Daisy-May is exactly that: inspiring, unexpected, life-affirming and hopeful, and with an ability to communicate intimately and profoundly with an audience.”

Featuring an all-female cast of mostly non-actors, LOLLIPOP’s ensemble was put together by BAFTA winning casting director Lucy Pardee (Aftersun, Rocks, American Honey), and includes many women with a variety of lived experience close to themes of the film. The film also stars TerriAnn Cousins (Top Boy).

Casting director Lucy Pardee on the film: “I was drawn to working with Daisy-May because she is led by the heart and tells difficult stories with empathy and love. LOLLIPOP was a joy to cast. We brought together experienced actors and first timers, many of whom have lived experience of the stories we were telling, but then also incredible younger talent who played the children in the film, who were performing for the first time. Nowhere was the collaboration more joyful than with Posy and Idil. Posy, an experienced actor long overdue the break she deserves, and Idil, a complete first timer, brave enough to step into the opportunity and make it her own lived experience of the stories we were telling, but then also incredible younger talent who played the children in the film, who were performing for the first time.”

Produced by Cecilia Frugiuele and Olivier Kaempfer of Parkville Pictures (Polite Society, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Appropriate Behaviour), LOLLIPOP is developed and financed by BBC Film and BFI (awarding National Lottery funding).

Architect are handling worldwide sales on the film.

Tickets to the festival go on sale at 12pm on Thursday 11^th July.