Principle photography has started in Blackpool on new film The More You Ignore Me.

Based on Jo Brand’s novel of the same name, the film is a comedy drama focusing on the life of an unconventional family in 1980s rural England. Adapted for screen by Brand, it marks the debut feature from multi-award-winning commercials director Keith English and will be produced Debbie Gray (Northern Soul).

BAFTA award winning Sheridan Smith stars as Gina, a young mother, whose efforts to be a loving mother and wife are undermined by her declining mental health.  Things deteriorate when she develops an obsession with the local weatherman, which leads to an admission to the nearby psychiatric hospital.  Over the years, as she grows up, her daughter Alice struggles to relate to her heavily medicated mum, and causes chaos when she comes up with a plan to reconnect with her, which divides the family forever and leads to a moving climax. Set to the songs of The Smiths, the film provides a stark yet comical insight into life within this quirky household, whilst addressing mental health issues and their impact on the family.

The More You Ignore Me also stars Ella Hunt (Les Miserables) as Alice, BAFTA Award nominated Mark Addy (The Full Monty), Sally Phillips (Bridget Jones’s Baby), Olivier Award winning Sheila Hancock CBE (The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas), British Comedy Award winner Ricky Tomlinson (Grimsby), Lisa Stansfield (Northern Soul), Tom Davies (Murder in Successville) and Jo Brand (Getting On).