12/01/2021 - The actor’s first feature-length effort is currently shooting in Northern Ireland, and will be toplined by Paul Mallon, Joanne Crawford and Tara Cush

Director Prasanna Puwanarajah

British actor Prasanna Puwanarajah is now filming his first feature in Northern Ireland, a comedy entitled Ballywalter. Before moving into filmmaking, Puwanarajah studied medicine at New College, Oxford, and worked extensively in the NHS and for Médecins du Monde. His previous acting credits include the TV series Defending the Guilty, Patrick Melrose and Doctor Foster: A Woman Scorned.

The project was penned by Belfast-born Stacey Gregg, the writer-director of the upcoming psychological thriller Here Before, and writer of The Innocents, Riviera and Your Ma’s a Hard Brexit. The story has been described as “a bittersweet comedy set in the village of Ballywalter” and will star actors Paul Mallon (the TV series Derry Girls, The Inquiry), Joanne Crawford (Wildfire [+see also:
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Ballywalter is being produced by James Bierman for the UK’s Empire Street Productions, Nik Bower for Riverstone Pictures (also UK) and Northern Ireland Screen, alongside co-producers Alan Maher and John Wallace, of Ireland’s Cowtown Pictures, and Brian J Falconer. The comedy’s executive producers are Celine Haddad, Deepak Nayar and Natascha Wharton. The project was backed with an £860,860 production grant awarded by the British Film Institute and received additional support from Screen Ireland. The official release date is yet to be disclosed.