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Give Them Wings is now available to stream/download. Click below for links.

Give Them Wings review – down but not out in Darlington

Daniel Watson and Toyah Willcox shine as a disabled man and his doughty mam

Give Them Wings is the biopic of Paul Hodgson, who seven months after he was born in 1965 was diagnosed with meningococcal meningitis. If that wasn’t bad enough, he survived his precarious childhood to become a devout fan of Durham’s hapless Darlington FC – it’s criminal that this low-budget British indie wasn’t titled Give Them Wingers.

An ex-civil servant and now a screenwriter and producer, Hodgson has spent his life confined to a wheelchair and hampered by a speech impediment. Directed by onetime Bond heavy Sean Cronin (who cast himself as a football thug), the film version of Hodgson’s 2021 memoir isn’t a world-beater, but it is a crowd-pleasing underdog with guts, grit and an admirable streak of unsentimental humour.

Set in the late 1980s, Hodgson’s story of striving unfolds in the drab Northern terrain familiar from early ‘60s realist films, the so-called British New Wave.

• Continue reading at The Arts Desk.

Toyah Willcox film telling disabled Quakers fan’s incredible life story to premiere in Darlington

Give Them Wings is set to premiere at Darlington’s Vue Cinema on July 16 to honour the writer’s hometown and the film’s location

A feature film based on the life story of a disabled Quakers fan will premiere at Darlington Vue Cinema on July 16. Starring Toyah Willcox, Give Them Wings chronicles the journey of Paul Hodgson, who was left disabled after being diagnosed with childhood meningitis.

Darlington born Mr Hodgson was diagnosed with the illness at just 10 months-old and his parents were told he would never move or speak. The now 57-year-old has defied all odds by becoming an award-winning novelist, film producer and screenwriter and Give Them Wings tells the story of his journey.

• Continue reading at Teeside Live.

The London ‘Leicester Square’ premiere for Give Them Wings is happening on Thursday 28th July at 6:30pm. The film will be released on all platforms on August 1st. Click below for more details.

As well as the aforementioned nomination for Best Actor In A Female Role in a Feature Film by The Richard Harris International Film Festival, Toyah was awarded a Judges Special Mention Award for her role in Give Them Wings. The 2021 Awards were announced on Friday Evening, May 6th, 2022 at 8pm Irish time via a You Tube premiere.

• Click below to see the full list of award winners. Browse our Give Them Wings news archive.

Toyah is nominated in the Best Actor In A Female Role in a Feature Film (2021) for Give Them Wings, at The Richard Harris International Film Festival. See all the nominees in the video below.

Directed by Sean Cronin. Written by Paul Hodgson and Sean Cronin. Produced by Paul Hodgson, Ian Carter, Sean Cronin and Ben Pickering. Director of photography Tero Saikkonen. Production and costume design by Kelly Toode. Musical score by Guy Dagul, Tony Waddington and Nicolette Street.

Give Them Wings is based on the true story of severely disabled Darlington football fan Paul Hodgson. Give Them Wings is Paul’s incredible journey to acceptance. Starring Daniel Watson, Jacob Anderton, Bill Fellows, Rachel Warren, Katie Sheridan and Toyah Willcox.

Watch/Rewatch Toyah At Home, with guitar, which aired this morning at You Tube and Facebook. Includes a great live performance of Dance In The Hurricane. Music, chat and more of your questions which this week come from Toyah’s home with a look at the brand new trailer for the forthcoming movie Give Them Wings. (Image © Toyah Willcox)

A great review of Give Them Wings:

Give Them Wings screens as part of the online London Independent Film Festival 2021.

Amidst the challenges of the recent pandemic, a shining light emerged in the form of centennial hero (and sadly recently departed) Captain Sir Tom Moore, whose mega-effort to raise millions through his walking laps around his garden made him the hero of the status quo and a legend of 2020.

Now, a new film from multi-hyphenate talent Sean Cronin celebrates the life of a disabled football fan called Paul Hodgson – and is pretty incredible on its’ own terms.

Adapted by Hodgson from his 2000 novel Flipper’s Side (with additional writing from Cronin, Ian Carter and Tony Waddington) Give Them Wings chronicles events starting in 1989, when Darlington fan Paul (Daniel Watson) , diagnosed with meningitis from ten months – and given two hopes – is using a wheelchair to move around. His mother, Alice (Toyah Willcox in a career-best appearance), is struggling to cope with struggling husband and Paul’s father, Norman (Bill Fellows) who has signed on again for the umpteenth time and prone to bouts of depressive laziness.

• Continue reading at Film And TV Now.

Give Them Wings is based on the true story of severely disabled football fan Paul Hodgson. Starring Daniel Watson, Jacob Anderton, Bill Fellows, Rachel Warren, Katie Sheridan and Toyah Willcox. Directed by Sean Cronin.

Story of disabled Darlington fan flies to Venice Film Festival, down Oscar path

Give Them Wings, an upcoming film about the struggle of Quakers fan whose battle with meningitis as a child left him disabled, has finished production and began down the Oscar path.

The movie, which is undergoing final edits, follows the story of wheelchair-user Paul Hodgson who “was told he would only live to five but is now 55” and has been sent to Venice Film Festival – an Oscar qualifier.

Give Them Wings has been accepted but not yet selected, though the team will know in the coming weeks.

… The story of his childhood struggles with the disease, which looks at life as a disabled person, filmmaker and Darlington football fan, has attracted a cast including Toyah Willcox and film newcomer but previous Byker Grove actor Daniel Watson, who plays Mr Hodgson.

Now, the low-budget film which was seven-years in the making and relied on a crowdfunding campaign, is on the Oscar trial, hoping to be shown major film festivals and “navigate the narrow corridor” to the Oscars.

• Continue reading at The Northern Echo. Browse further info on Give Them Wings at longdogproductions.co.uk. See some photos from the film at darlingtonfc.co.uk.

Toyah will be appearing in the film Give Them Wings directed by Sean Cronin. The film is raising funds to complete production. Find out how to donate and about the film including Toyah talking on camera about her role in the video above.

Give Them Wings will follow in the footsteps and the success of the incredible biopic true story of Christy Brown, My Left Foot which in 1989 at a budget of $600,000 grossed $15m at the box office, Billy Elliot at a budget of $5m grossed $99m at the box office and The Full Monty at a budget of $3.5m grossed $257m at the box office. Untouchable, with a very similar narrative to Give Them Wings at a budget of $10.5m and grossed $366m.

• Continue reading at toyahwillcox.com.

Toyah Willcox to visit the region ahead of starring in film about Darlington man’s life

Toyah Willcox is preparing to play the mother of a North-East football fan in a movie about his life.

The popular musician and actor will visit the region next month to attend a showcase event hosted by the team behind Give Them Wings, an upcoming feature film about Darlington man Paul Hodgson.

Ms Willcox is the latest cast member announced for the project, which tells the story of Mr Hodgson’s battle with childhood meningitis, which left him unable to move or speak. She will join a team including award-winning director Sean Cronin and Holby City actor Bill Fellows in bringing the PIMM Productions venture to the big screen.

• Continue reading at The Northern Echo.