On Wednesday 24th January the UK premiere of North East studios film Jackdaw took place at Showcase Cinema de lux in Stockton, Teesside.

Over the course of one night, Jackdaw follows a former motocross champion and army veteran who is now caring for his younger brother. He has no money, and so agrees to do an open water pick up of a mysterious and illegal package in the North sea, though this may cause problems for his family. It is directed by Jamie Catchpole Childs and stars actors Oliver Jackson Cohen, "Haunting of Hill House", and Jenna Coleman, "Doctor Who". Shot on site in the North East, the film features areas in Redcar, Seal Sands and Nunthorpe, with principal photography being taken across Hartlepool. 

It was filmed using the Northern Studios, which is the only large scale film and Tv production facility in the North East.

The film had originally premiered at 'Fantastic Fest' in Austin, Texas in September 2023, and is the first film to benefit from major regional funding initiatives after a £300,000 investment from The North East Production Fund. This was delivered by the North East screen - a regional screen agency - on behalf of NESIP. The investment is part of a plan to transform the region into a leading film and Tv hub for the country.

Jackdaw has been met with much praise upon it's nationwide cinema release on the 26th of January, with 90% of reviews on rotten tomatoes being good ones, and the film receiving an average rating of 7.7/10. Many residents of the region find the success of this movie to be inspiring; Teesside resident Sapphire Davison says "seeing things like this met with such a positive reception really brings some hope to the North East - hopefully it's a sign of positive things to come for an industry like this in the area."