Festival Darling JELLYFISH from James Gardner Starring Liv Hill Secures UK Release Date of February 15 with Republic Film Distribution

‘Her name is Liv Hill, and, holy sh*t, you’ll want to remember it.…fierce, bitter, funny, and heartbreaking’ - Village Voice

Festival favourite JELLYFISH, the debut film by James Gardner, starring BIFA nominee Liv Hill in her breakthrough film role, will be released in the UK by Republic Film Distribution on 15 February 2019.

Between being bullied at school, put upon by her overbearing boss at the local Margate amusement arcade and having to look after her unstable mother and her two younger siblings, life isn’t easy for 15 year old Sarah Taylor (Liv Hill). But when Sarah’s drama teacher channels her ferocious and volatile energies into a stand-up comedy routine for the graduation showcase, Sarah discovers that she may have a hidden talent. As her love for comedy grows, the delicate balance in Sarah’s life becomes increasingly difficult to maintain. Little by little the walls start to close in, ultimately forcing her to choose between her responsibilities to her family and her newfound passion for comedy.

Liv Hill was nominated for a 'Best Supporting Actress' BAFTA for her role in the BBC TV production Three Girls, and in the Most Promising Newcomer category at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) for her performance in JELLYFISH. The film also stars Sinéad Matthews and Cyril Nri.

The film received its World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in April this year and has since received acclaim at several major festivals, most recently Tokyo and Seville.

JELLYFISH won Best Film in the Alice Nella Città strand of the Rome International Film Festival. It scooped four awards at the Dinard Film Festival - the Grand Jury and Critics Prize as well as the inaugural ‘Hitchcock’ Award for Best Screenplay The film also received the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Michael Powell Award for Best Performance, shared by Liv Hill and Sinéad Matthews.

JELLYFISH is presented by Nik Holttum and Lemonworld, in association with Bankside Films. Directed by James Gardner, written by James Gardner and Simon Lord, produced by Nikolas Holttum and James Gardner and executive produced by Nikolas Holttum. It will be released in the UK and Ireland by Republic Film Distribution.

Running Time: 100 minutes | Certificate: 15

JELLYFISH will be released in cinemas in the UK on 15 February, previews from 8 February, 2019