GTF
GTF

“Gone Too Far,” a feature film project written by Bola Agbaje, and directed by Destiny Ekaragha (both Nigerian Brits) is a project we first alerted you to several years ago when it was selected as one of 12 projects shortlisted for Film London’s 4-day boot camp, backed by BBC Films, and includes seminars, masterclasses and mentoring from established directors, writers and producers.

Afterward, the filmmaker teams were given an extended development period, to eventually later pitch their projects to a greenlight panel. Six of the 12 feature projects were indeed greenlit in February 2012, with budgets of up to £120,000, or about $186,000.

The British Film Institute (via its BFI Film Fund’s new initiative that’s intent on supporting new voices and emerging filmmakers) and Poisson Rouge Pictures teamed up to finance “Gone Too Far,” a coming of age comedy based in Peckham, which is an adaptation of Agbaje’s Olivier Award winning play, about two brothers in a run-down part of South London.

The film is Destiny Ekaragha’s feature-length directorial debut.

Ekaragha’s name especially should be familiar to long-time S&A readers, as we’ve featured 2 of her short films – “A Bloody Muddle” and “Tight Jeans” – on the site over the years.

The longer synopsis for “Gone Too Far” reads:

GONE TOO FAR is a brilliantly funny, sharp and observant coming-of-age comedy in the tradition of The Breakfast Club and Bend it Like Beckham with a strong urban identity in the vein of La Haine and A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints. It’s also an incredibly original and exciting representation of black Britain for the screen; a wonderful opportunity to portray a vibrant group in a way that has never been done before. Set on a small up-beat estate in Peckham, in the heart of the Afro-Carribean community, the film follows a group of kids (led by two estranged teenage brothers meeting for the first time – Yemi and his older brother Ikudayisi, who’s arriving from Nigeria) over a single day as they fight to make their dreams comes true. As the Notting Hill Carnival beats away in NW London, this group of kids are having their own carnival in SE15.

The film features a young cast of up and coming actors, with Malachi Kirby taking the role of Yemi. Nigerian actor O.C. Ukeje plays Ikudayisi. Also appearing are Shanika Warren-Markland as Armani, the object of Yemi’s desire, and Adelayo Adedayo as her best friend Paris. Nigerian actress Golda John plays Yemi and Ikudayisi’s mother.

“Bola has crafted a wonderfully witty screenplay while Destiny’s vibrant shorts ‘Tight Jeans’ and ‘In The Park’ really mark her out as a talent to watch… The two are a formidably talented combination,” said BFI Film Fund senior executive Lizzie Francke in a previous statement.

The film is produced by Christopher Granier-Deferre of Poisson Rouge Pictures with Francke and Chris Collins, also from BFI, overseeing the project for the Film Fund.