News

#film producer: Old Boy Fergus Grady Co-Directs Camino Skies

20 June 2019

**UPDATE: The Wellington Doc Edge screenings were a sell out!  Wellesley staff members Rosie and Sylvie (as pictured with Fergus below) attended the premiere on 17th of June – an incredibly inspirational film that invites much reflection and wonder.  Check out the Lighthouse cinema schedule for July –  including the special Petone Lighthouse screening Tues 2 July 6pm  + Cuba St Lighthouse screening Tues 2 July 8pm  – don’t miss out!

Class of 1999 old boy Fergus Grady is the co-Producer/ co-Director of feature documentary Camino Skies which screens at the Doc Edge Festival in Wellington on June 17th, 18th and 21st and opens nationwide at cinemas on July 11th.  The documentary premiered at the 2019 Newport Beach Film Festival in April and went on to make its Australasian premiere at Doc Edge Film Festival where Fergus, and  co-Producer/ co-Director Noel Smyth, received awards for ‘Best NZ Director’ and ‘Best NZ Emerging Filmmaker’ citing that “The Directors ability to capture intimate, poignant moments with subtlety and restraint while carefully crafting a narrative was both engaging and genuinely moving.”

Independently shot over 42 days, the film follows the journey of six strangers as they embark on the historic ‘Camino de Santiago’ – an historic 800km pilgrimage that starts in France and works its way through Spain before arriving in the city of Camino de Santiago.

Each of the characters have their own reasons for walking but ultimately come together to work through heartbreak and defy their physical ability.  Dealing with themes of loss and hope, the film is an uplifting look at what it means to live with grief.

The key details and dates for the release of Camino Skies in NZ is available here.  And to give you a preview taste of this amazing film, check out the You tube trailer and the Radio NZ review , published 3 June.

Fergus has over ten years’ experience in the film industry.  As head of Acquisitions and Theatrical at Umbrella Entertainment for four years, Fergus was involved in a number of important Australian film acquisitions including The Babadook, Girl Asleep, Jungle and the Netflix original film Cargo which he was also an executive producer on.  He was also associate produced West of Sunshine which competed for the Orizzonti section at the Venice Film Festival in 2017.

It has been amazing to reconnect with Fergus who recalls “Murray Blandford was an inspirational teacher who I credit for moving me towards the arts.”   As a school community, we encourage everyone to see Camino Skies, which screens at Wellington’s Lighthouse Cinema circuit from July 11th.

Congratulations on this inspiring documentary feature film Fergus.  A couple of lucky Wellesley staff members will be seeing the Wellington premiere of Camino Skies at the Roxy Cinema on the 17th of June, thank you Fergus for providing us this opportunity.  We wish you every success and enjoyment with this and future productions.