Northern Soul 2014

Northern Soul is a 2014 British historical film directed by Elaine Constantine. It tells the story of two young Lancashire teenagers, Matt and John, whose lives are changed forever by the discovery of American soul music and the dance culture that grew up around it in Britain. The film was selected to be shown in the City to City section of the 2015 Toronto Film Festival. The film was a 15-year labour of love for writer/director Elaine Constantine. Turned down by all the major funding bodies, key festivals and institutional production partners in the UK, the film was eventually funded through a mix of private investors and Constantine’s substantial personal investment. The film was eventually picked up for distribution by Universal Pictures who sub-licensed the theatrical release to Munro Film Services. Despite only being given a three-day theatrical window and a limited marketing campaign, the film went on to become the widest short-window release to date in the UK according to its producers. Initially expected to open on six to fourteen screens nationally, the film opened on 89 screens on its opening night and 120 screens across its opening weekend. With 97/98 % seat occupancy across 235 individual screenings these were enough to propel the film into the box office top 10 for its opening weekend. The soundtrack from the film reached no. 7 in the UK Compilation Chart.