Superheroes. Detectives. Gangsters. The Royal Family. Manchester has played host to every kind of character that has projected up onto the big or small screen.
Between Captain America, Sherlock Holmes, Peaky Blinders, and The Crown, the glorious range of architectural styles comprising the Rainy City has rendered Mancunia the perfect host for accommodating a rich tapestry of fictional and factual personalities alike.
The landscape has seamlessly doubled for regions ranging from New York City to a post-WWI Midlands, all whilst producing many of its own stories like Hell is a City (a 60s crime thriller which features a thrilling chase on the rooftops of the Palace Hotel) and 24 Hour Party People (where Manchester’s most enthusiastic flag-waver Tony Wilson is recreated by Steve Coogan).
Manchester is making media right round the clock, right around the year. And a new generation of filmmakers have been raised in the unblinking eye of the camera lens. The result is firms like Mancunian Way Productions rising to the fore – independent companies possessing the kind of chest-puffing civic pride that so many of the artists inside the M60 all seem to share.
Mancunian Way is on a self-described mission to make movies that capture difficult subjects in an authentic way – with scripts ranging from romantic dramas to survival epics.
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Their first project was a serial killer short titled Out of Focus – a crime drama covering a murderer on the loose in Manchester. Shot in 12 locations in and around Manchester city centre over the space of the year, Out of Focus fittingly enjoying its premiere in hometown territory at The Printworks before scooping the Best International Film at the Underground Cinema Awards.
Since then, Mancunian Way has grown via word of mouth and enjoyed immense local support from film lovers and regional media alike – with Granada Reports Presenter Lucy Meacock even going on to make a cameo in Out of Focus.
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Reflecting on the journey so far, Mancunian Way Productions founder Sean Gonet said: “People thought me and my business partner Kyle Roughneen were far too ambitious [with Out of Focus] and we were constantly being told that we would have to be more realistic with our plans, but this only made us even more determined.
“It was definitely throwing ourselves in at the deep end but it was an incredible learning curve that paid off for us massively.
“We’re hoping to turn Out of Focus into a TV series, soon, too. When you make a short film you don’t get the opportunity to really develop your characters and the plot, so it’ll be nice to stretch it out and tell the full story.”
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Mancunian Way is also currently developing two scripts that Sean scribbled during lockdown into far-flung, full-length cinematic features.
One is Solitude: a survival drama that follows a British soldier suffering from PTSD who finds himself stranded in the harsh Icelandic wilderness. And the other is A Lost Memory: a romantic drama that follows an Englishman with amnesia whose forgotten past returns to haunt him in the Highlands.
Both have been a long time in the making.
Mancunian Way founder Sean Gonet / Image: Louie Lee-Horton
“I completed Solitude a couple of years ago and we were about to go into pre-production, but then came Covid,” Sean explains.
“I managed to get over to Iceland to see the incredible scenery for myself and meet our local production team, but the logistics of shooting a multi-international location independent film during the pandemic became virtually impossible. We would just start to make some progress with things moving in the right direction and then there would be the next lockdown and we were back to square one.”
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“It was late last year that I made the decision to write another film that was logistically easier to get made. I wrote A Lost Memory over the course of a few weeks around October.
“In the movie, my character Anthony gets hit by a car down a dark country lane in the middle of the Highlands. As they are miles from the nearest hospital, he is taken to a remote farmhouse to be cared for by local veterinary nurse Ailsa. They soon begin to fall for each other – but Anthony’s past catches up with him when he least expects it.
“The brilliant William Nunez is directing who’s just come off the back of The Laureate starring Laura Haddock, Diana Agron and Tom Hughes. We are due to film in autumn on location in one of the most incredible parts of the world – so I can’t wait to get up there and start filming.”
Granada Reports’ Lucy Meacock makes a cameo in Mancunian Way’s serial killer drama ‘Out of Focus’ / Image: Mancunian Way Productions
Sean credits the “invaluable exposure” of long, intense theatre performances in his teenage years in helping him become a prepared performer – learning to accept the social sacrifices that often accompany a film worker’s lifestyle.
In 2019, he decided to make a go of it alone in the filmmaking world – and it was everything he imagined. Hard work and all. Some nights, he would be writing at his laptop, glance up at the clock and realise it was 4am.
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None of it was easy. And it still isn’t. But Sean says if young Mancunian filmmakers are willing to put in the work – the opportunities are there.
“There is absolutely no reason nowadays that you can’t just get out there and try to do it yourself – there is so much information freely accessible online and on YouTube about the filmmaking process that there’s nothing you can’t find,” he explains.
“You also don’t need lots of money to make things happen, either. Sometimes it’s one of those where you need to ask 100 people. 99 say no but all it takes is that one person and you’ve got what you need. You’ve got to start somewhere, but so has everyone else.
“The best and most humbling advice I was given is ‘No one is waiting for your film’. Ultimately, no one is going to make it happen for you. You just have to go for it and ask people to get on board. The worst they can say is no.”
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Sean Gonet is currently working on two more scripts for Mancunian Way – including a romantic drama and survival epic / Image: Louie Lee-Horton
Mancunian Way Productions is wandering from its roots a little with its next two features in Scotland and Iceland – but Sean is eager to turn the camera back on his city in the not too distant future.
“Visually, the city offers the perfect backdrop for so many different types of film,” he explains.
“It’s no surprise that filmmakers from all over the world are coming here just to shoot on our streets. Areas like Castlefield and The Northern Quarter for example just have that perfect urban look to them for projects that require a darker, grittier feel. Also, with the skyline increasing as it is, I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see more bigger budget action films being shot here over the coming years.
“The amount of film industry talent from Manchester itself is unbelievable. I have been in so many meetings discussing projects and it turns out that crew members from some of the biggest films in the world are from around here.
“Manchester is definitely becoming the place to be for moviemakers. Long may it continue.”
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Learn more about Mancunian Way Productions by visiting their website.
Featured image: Mancunian Way founder Sean Gonet shot by Louie Lee-Horton
Manchester
Manchester Storm announce partnership with USAsports including NHL pop-ups and more
Danny Jones
Manchester Storm have announced a landmark new deal with USAsports, a dedicated home for British fans of North American sporting disciplines and global merchandising suppliers, which will see various exciting events this upcoming season.
Confirming the collaboration ahead of the pending 2026/27 campaign, this crossover will involve everything from special pop-up events to player sponsorships and much more.
USAsports specialise in officially licensed NHL, NFL, NBA and MLB clothing, and while you may have seen the odd jersey here and there at various Greater Manchester locations, they are now gearing up to work with Manchester Storm to deliver better exposure.
Whether you’re just a die-hard member of the Storm Shelter or an ex-pat who still follows an NHL franchise overseas, kit collecting and the fascination surrounding limited edition team jumpers is a big part of ice hockey fandom and culture not just here in the UK but around the world.
Sharing their own announcement, they wrote: “Manchester Storm are thrilled to announce a new partnership with USAsports for the 2026/27 Motorpoint Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) season as the club embarks on an exciting new chapter at the AO Arena.
“As part of the partnership, USAsports will sponsor a Manchester Storm player throughout the season and deliver multiple NHL Pop-Up Shop events at Storm home games during the forthcoming campaign.”
On the subject of sponsorship, commercial entities are the only people who will be given the opportunity to back big players this term, as Storm are once again bringing back their ‘own-and-loan’ scheme.
Speaking on working closely with their new partners, the club’s General Manager, Ryan Finnerty, added: “We’re delighted to have USAsports on board for the 2026/27 season.
“Their passion for the fan experience really stood out to us, and their NHL Pop-Up Shops throughout the season will be a fantastic addition to game days at the AO Arena.
“We’re looking forward to working together throughout what promises to be a very exciting season.”
As casual fans here at The Manc, we’ll admit that watching the growing buzz around the resurgent ice hockey team, especially ahead of their Manchester city centre ‘homecoming’, has got us amped to dive deeper into the sport when it gets back underway next month. We’re not the only ones, either…
Manchester pub chain providing lifeline for dementia sufferers with vital support sessions
Danny Jones
A regional pub chain is being rightly praised for providing regular and vital support sessions to those suffering from dementia at two beloved Manchester locations.
The brand in question is Joseph Holt Brewery, which was founded behind an old pub on Oak Street in the Northern Quarter back in 1849, and has gone on to become an instantly recognisable British name.
Serving patrons for the best part of two centuries, their watering holes have always served as important meeting places and community hubs, but one of their current local initiatives is one of the most heartwarming we’ve come across of late.
Dubbed the ‘Get Together Group’, these dementia support sessions, which are now being pioneered at two of their Greater Manchester pubs, are truly setting an example for the kind of grassroots work and outreach that publicans do.
Put simply, the Get Together Group hold sessions for those diagnosed with dementia, and indeed, members of families affected by the disease to meet, discuss and support one another.
Currently being hosted at The Goat’s Gate in Whitefield and The Woodthorpe in Prestwich – both beloved Joseph Holt boozers – the idea was started by Sonia Schofield, 53, who now runs the sessions with a band of dedicated volunteers.
“People just seem to love the warm atmosphere and general sense of community,” says Sonia. “There’s free tea, coffee, and biscuits, along with bingo, a raffle, and some fabulous singers who come along to entertain the group.
“Word has spread that this is such a lively and welcoming space that even people without a direct connection to dementia regularly come along – which is so lovely. It also adds to a sense of community, helps break down stigma around dementia and makes the group feel warm, inclusive, and caring.”
Having worked as part of the brewery for more than three and a half decades since joining as an 18-year-old, this became a passion project of hers after her beloved grandmother, Pam, who had raised her from the age of six, developed dementia in her late sixties.
As is sadly the case for many, it soon became clear that support for those struggling with dementia is unfortunately rather limited, with Royal Voluntary Service figures stating that more than a third of people even just caring for loved ones with dementia receive little or no support following diagnosis.
Goat’s GateThe WoodthorpeHere’s hoping it comes to more pubsWith 125 other establishments, this could be the start of something special. (Credit: CAMRA/Joseph Holt/The Manc Group)
Believed to be the first sessions of their kind held in a pub, the reception to the regular work done by Get Together has meant that it isn’t just people living with the condition directly that now attend: people throughout the local areas are turning to the bi-weekly meet-ups for connection and social interaction.
Sonia goes on to note that because “the atmosphere in a pub is far less formal than, say, a healthcare or community centre setting, this helps reduce anxiety and makes interaction feel more natural.
“Holding a support group in an everyday community venue also shows that people living with dementia are valued members of the community, not defined only by their diagnosis. Just seeing this group of people together is so uplifting.”
Joseph Holt‘s director of pubs, Mark Norbury, said of the scheme: “We are a family business with very strong roots in the communities where our pubs are located. The Get Together Club perfectly reflects Joseph Holt’s values – our pubs are about much more than simply serving drinks. They are welcoming spaces where people can come together, socialise, build friendships, and support one another.
“We are incredibly proud of what Sonia and her fellow volunteers have achieved: creating a vital source of support for those who need it, while also providing a warm, uplifting environment where everyone feels welcome.” Hear, hear.
Joseph Holt continues to extend that homegrown, family-run and community-driven ethos across their pubs, and we sincerely hope we get to more stuff like this popping up at their various wonderful sites across the boroughs.
The Manc -
10th June 2022 
