Love is a full-contact sport in Matt Carter’s startling sensitive debut feature ‘In From The Side’, exploring life on and off the pitch at a gay rugby club and starring Alexander Lincoln (‘Everything I Know About Love’) and Alexander King (‘Charlotte’). The film will be released by Verve Pictures as a Special Edition Blu-ray on 6th November 2023.
Mark (Alexander Lincoln), a new and inexperienced rugby club member, finds himself drawn to Warren (Alexander King), a seasoned first team player. When a series of happenstances at an away fixture lead to a drunken encounter, Mark and Warren unwittingly embark on a romantic affair they struggle to hide from their partners and teammates. As the secret begins to unravel, team spirit, loyalties and camaraderie are tested in writer-director Matt Carter’s startlingly sensitive story about forbidden love and finding your tribe.
Writer-director Matt Carter has been involved in inclusive rugby for a number of year as both a player, coach and referee. Rugby has a rich and extensive culture that he felt had been under-explored on film, and which he wanted to bring to a wider audience with the hopes of raising the public profile of ‘inclusive’ sports clubs and their benefits to society. He says of his debut feature:
“There is often discussion around the concept of masculinity surrounding sport – especially with rugby. Assumptions are made that because rugby is very physical, it must be inherently ‘toxically’ masculine. ‘In From the Side’ takes aim at these preconceived notions, tackling common stereotypes of gay men in sport and how it is possible for healthy, non-toxic masculinity to thrive in this environment.”
Alexander Lincoln won FilmOut Festival’s Best Actor award for his performance as Mark in the film. He is familiar to millions from his breakout role in the British soap ‘Emmerdale’, in which he portrayed the unforgettably evil Jamie Tate. Most recently he was seen in the BBC comedy ‘Everything I Know About Love’, and features alongside Mark Rylance in the film ‘Inland’.
Alexander King in the role of Warren, is a rising star on the British acting scene. His stage performances include Kenickie in ‘Grease’ and Ri in ‘West Side Story’, and he has recently filmed the independent thriller ‘Charlotte’. ‘In From the Side’ is his debut feature performance in a starring role.
To celebrate the release, we’ve got 1 copy of ‘In From the Side’ Special Edition on Blu-ray to give away. Enter below for a chance to win…
a Rafflecopter giveawayThis competition closes at 23:59 GMT on Thursday 16th November 2023.
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