The famous Mexican filmmaker Luis Mandoki (Innocent Voices, The Edge) is set to direct The Winged Boy for Gold Circle Films, according to Variety.

The movie is based on an unpublished story by Mary Hayley Bell, widow of late actor John Mills.

The screenplay was co-written by Bell's grandson Crispian Mills and Michael Geary. Malia Scotch Marmo is rewriting.

The story revolves around a young boy in a contemporary Irish village who begins to grow wings and then starts to fly.

Shooting for the production, described as a family film with a slice of magical realism, is set to take place in Ireland and the U.K. next spring.

In a short time, director Luis Mandoki, a native of Mexico, became one of Hollywood's foremost filmmakers.
Known for his ability to gain the confidence of his actors, he creates a trust that allows them to deliver performances different from and even beyond their own expectations. His first American feature was White Palace, starring Susan Sarandon and James Spader, which he followed with the comedy Born Yesterday, with Melanie Griffith, and When A Man Loves A Woman, starring Andy Garcia and Meg Ryan. In 1999, he directed Message in a Bottle, starring Kevin Costner, Robin Wright Penn and Paul Newman.

The Mexican motion picture that brought Mandoki worldwide attention was Gaby - A True Story, a poignant study of a woman he learned about from a television program. He developed, wrote, produced and directed the story of Gaby's struggle and her remarkable relationship with her caretaker, played by Norma Aleandro. Gaby received two Golden Globe Award nominations and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Aleandro, who starred with Liv Ullmann, Robert Loggia and Rachel Levin.

Now a resident of Santa Barbara, California, Mandoki was born and raised in Mexico City, where he became a student of fine arts, an interest he pursued at the San Francisco Art Institute and the London College of Printing. While attending the London International Film School, he directed his first short film, Silent Music, which won a major award at the International Amateur Film Festival at the l976 Cannes Film Festival.

He returned to Mexico to direct several short films and documentaries for the Instituto Nacional Indigenista, Conacine, SA, and Centro de Produccion de Cortometraje. In l980, Mandoki won the Ariel Award (Mexico's Oscar) for his short film, The Secret. His first feature, Motel, was chosen to represent Mexico in five film festivals. (filmbug.com)


LUIS MANDOKI

Director - filmography

One More Day for Hiroshima (2005) (announced)
Amapola (2005) (pre-production)
Voces inocentes (2004) - Innocent Voices (International: English title)
The Edge (2003)
Trapped (2002)
Angel Eyes (2001)
Amazing Grace (2000)
Message in a Bottle (1999)
When a Man Loves a Woman (1994)
Born Yesterday (1993)
White Palace (1990)
The Edge (1989) (TV)
Gaby: A True Story (1987)
Motel (1984)
Papaloapan (1982)
Secreto, El (1980)
Campeche, un estado de animo (1980)
Mundo mágico (1980)