This is young Graham Moore’s first feature film screenplay. It is a project that he has been passionate about since he discovered the story as a teen. The screenplay is based on the biography ‘Alan Turing: The Enigma’ by Andrew Hodges and Moore says he also used original documents which he worked from as well to create the screen story. It became a passion project for him as he got caught up in this incredible drama. He said in an interview at TIFF that he offered the screenplay for free as long as it could be produced. The entire cast and filmmakers were captivated by Turing’s life and the terrible obstacles he faced. The fact that he should have been celebrated a one of the world’s greatest heroes and instead was vilified was heartbreaking. This film helps to bring compassion to his public record and set the record straight. The storytelling is sharp and the flow is almost seamless. Graham Moore is an executive producer for the film.

The film was granted the Tribeca Film Festival’s Sloan Filmmaker Fund which provides filmmakers funding and guidance with innovative films with a science, mathematics and technology focus. The World première’ was held at the 41st Telluride Film Festival. It was a Gala feature, 2014 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF14) and will have a European première as the opening film of the BFI London Film Festival, October 8th, 2014. It will be released theatrically 14 November UK and on 21 November 2014 in the United States. This is definitely one of the top films at this year’s festival.

We have the privilege of interviewing the actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Matthew Goode, Charles Dance, Allen Leech, the director Morten Tyldum, the young screenwriter Graham Moore, and Teddy Schwarzman owner of Black Bear Pictures the Production Company (At Any Price) at the gala opening in Toronto, which was also attended by Harvey Weinstein. Their passion for and belief in the story and commitment to the movie was impressive. Distribution and press materials courtesy of Elevation Pictures. See the interviews here.

In a postscript, after Alan Turing’s heroic contribution to the war effort in cracking the ENIGMA code was buried. After the war, tragically he was convicted of gross indecency, a now-outdated criminal offence stemming from his admission of maintaining a homosexual relationship.

Chris Murphy & Moira Romano