Production:

"8.5 Hours" director, producers, costume designer and cast at Cannes Film Festival May 2009

WRITER/DIRECTOR/PRODUCER - BRIAN LALLY

8.5 Hours was written, directed and produced
by film maker Brian Lally. Brian had written many feature scripts but this was his first feature as director.

"Initially when I wrote the script, the story was set against the backdrop of the Celtic Tiger at
it's peak but when we eventually got to make the film, it was clear that era was coming to an end
so the script was altered and it was set in that brief, poignant period where the boom years were over but none of the characters realise it yet " says Brian.

"I was intrigued by the notion of people calmly, working away at computers in a quiet office but just beneath the surface, their own internal personal lives were in complete turmoil.
I wanted to see what happened to these characters as their personal situations became increasingly extreme".

Brian cites many influences for the film, especially the work of independent American film makers who operate on micro budgets and shoot digitally, ensemble films such as Magnolia and Timecode and provocative workplace dramas such In The Company Of Men and Glengarry Glen Ross. The dark twists in the film were certainly influenced by his favourite film directors, David Lynch and David Cronenberg.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS - LIAM MORAN, MARIA HYLTON

Liam Moran is the executive producer and locations manager on 8.5 Hours. He produced the 2005 short film The Couple which was directed by Maria Hylton and was shortlisted for best Irish short of the year at the Cork Film Festival.

Maria Hylton is an executive producer and acted as line producer during the shoot. Originally from Hackney, East London, Maria trained as an actress at the E15 acting school in London and is a member of British Equity. She also writes for theatre.

 

COMPOSER - KARIM ELMAHMOUDI

The composer is Los Angeles based composer Karim Elmahmoudi. A graduate of the prestigious University of Southern California's School of Music SMPTV Program, Karim Elmahmoudi has written numerous compositions ranging in style and size from solo piano pieces to large-scale orchestral works. His music is lavish, evocative, beguiling and has the epic sweep of any Hollywood blockbuster. He finds musical influence and inspiration from some of his favourite composers such as John Williams, Elliot Goldenthal, Bernard Herrmann, Hans Zimmer, Shostakovich, Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Mahler, Tchaikovsky, Sibelius and Vaughan Williams.

In 2006, while still a student at USC, Karim started working with composer Christopher Young on Spiderman 3, Sleepwalking, and Untraceable. He has also worked with Academy award winning composer, Michael Giacchino, on the hit television show Lost, where his tasks included arranging, orchestrating, and conducting several cues for the show.

In addition to scoring the music to 8.5 Hours, Karim has also scored The Hunting of the Snark, Between Blood and Sand, Rampage Superstar, and additional music for David and Fatima which starred Academy Award Winners Tony Curtis and Martin Landau. His film orchestrations include: The Great Bear (performed by the Danish National Symphony), Between Blood and Sand, Spiderman 3, Untraceable, Sleepwalking, and Maro. He has also worked on several movies on music preparation in films such as Spiderman 3, David and Fatima, Miracle at St. Anna, Night at the Museum, Actually, Adieu My Love, and To Rest in Peace.