Award-winning Cambridge actor and filmmaker Mark Hampton, of Netflix action-comedy Lift and Amazon Prime hit Heads of State fame, is revealing his debut feature film as a writer-director this month
Top image by Julian Peters
Unlicensed is a drama about a disgraced former city trader, with an estranged wife and young son, returning from a prison sentence and attempting to rebuild his life. Harbouring a secret gambling addiction, he ends
up in an unlicensed boxing match for a cash prize.
Eagle-eyed viewers will spot familiar backdrops, including Cambridge Fight Centre on Cherry Hinton Road, The Missing Sock pub and Vanderlyle restaurant on Mill Road. Mark was also keen to involve people from his network of local filmmakers and producers in the film. For instance, it was co-produced by Mark Tunstall and Michelle Plevin of ROOMS101 studios, based in Cottenham.
“Over the years, I’ve met and worked with many talented actors and highly skilled crew members from the area, and I wanted to bring them in for Unlicensed. In addition, we gave a lot of young people their first-ever role on a film set. It’s exciting to be able to help them explore their passions,” Mark enthused.
Tickets for the exclusive red-carpet screening of Unlicensed, taking place at Arts Picturehouse Cambridge on 12 September, are available at picturehouses.com