Film preview at Stoneyhurst: Doonby

John Schneider in Doonby

Two former Stoneyhurst students, Michael and Daniel Mackenzie, returned to their old school to give pupils a sneak preview of their new film last night. (Wednesday) . The movie has already been shown at the Cannes Film Festival last May and described by David Alton as 'brilliant cinema'.

Doonby was written and directed by the brothers' father, Peter Mackenzie. Michael was one of the producers and Daniel was the camera operator, working alongside top cinematographer Peter Field, of Cold Mountain and Troy fame. The film - rated PG13 - is due for release in the US in early 2012 and is likely to follow in the UK soon after.

Described as a 'pro-life film with a mainstream approach', Doonby stars John Schneider from hit 70's TV show The Dukes of Hazzard and (more recently) Smallville; Ernie Hudson from the cult comedy hit The Ghostbusters and Robert Davi, the often-typecast villain from The Goonies and Licence to Kill.

The film is about Sam Doonby, a mysterious and handsome drifter, who steps off an interstate bus and quickly becomes the talk of a small Texas town. After finding work at Leroy's Country Blues Bar, his musical talents make him a small-town star, attracting the attention of Laura, the beautiful but spoiled daughter of local doctor Cyrus Reaper. Sam seems always to be in the right place at the right time to prevent disasters from happening in the town before he disappears as quickly as he materialised. Soon, everyone realizes that there was more to Sam than they understood, especially Cyrus and his family as the doctor's past comes back to haunt him.

What makes this new low budget movie interesting are not just the stars that agreed to appear but also its overall faith-orientated message hidden in its devastating final twist, which the Mackenzies are keen to keep under wraps!

"The fact of the matter is, small films like this have to do a lot to get noticed in Hollywood, especially as week after week you are competing against some pretty big budgets," explained producer Michael. "But what my father wrote and directed is something special that brings to the big screen a debate that we hope will send shockwaves across America and beyond."

Lord Alton has already screened the film at the Houses of Parliament where it was well received. He describes Doonby as "a thought-provoking and clever film which raises profoundly important questions. It takes its audience by surprise, challenges them, and leaves them thinking and considering who and what we have lost: a question faced by so many who have ended the lives of an unborn child. Brilliant cinema."

For more information and to see a trailer, go to: www.doonby.com