ENTERTAINMENT FOCUS – Jack O’Connell and Holliday Grainger have teamed up to create a powerful short-film titled Home.

Shot in three countries, the film supported by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, will screen in selected cinemas nationwide from Monday 20th June.

As thousands of men, women and children attempt to get into Europe, Home follows a comfortable English family who experience a life-changing journey of their own.

The ambition of the 20-minute film is to address the current refugee crisis and help drive global awareness to support UNHCR’s World Refugee Day on Monday 20th June.

Jack O’Connell and Holliday Grainger get behind the refugee crisis along with the support of artists including Coldplay, Dizzee Rascal and Wiley who all donated music for the soundtrack too.

Written and directed by BAFTA-winning director, Daniel Mulloy, Home aims to remind the viewer that refugees are just like you or I – fathers, mothers, sons and daughters – for whom the meaning of the word “home” has undergone a traumatic re-evaluation.

Welcoming the UK launch of Home Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, UK Representative for UNHCR, said: “UNHCR is delighted to support HOME. The film is a powerful reminder of the importance of a place to call home, which, when people are forced to flee, can be lost in an instant. At a time of unprecedented forced displacement around the world, HOME is a powerful reminder that becoming a refugee can happen to any one of us.”

Daniel Mulloy, the Director of Home, says: “We want to address the disconnect with refugees and do something to rip down the sense of them and us.”

Actress Arta Dobroshi, Executive Producer of Home says: “When I was living in a war zone, and then became a refugee, I used to think that if countries in freedom would feel what we are feeling at this moment. If they would see us as their families, just for one minute, they would help. And this is exactly what Home does, it puts you in the shoes of refugees.”

The project is further supported by leading augmented reality and visual discovery app Blippar. For the first time ever on World Refugee Day, 20th June, users can show their support of refugees in crisis by”blipping”(scanning) their hand through the Blippar app. This allows them to show support by signing the petition, watching the film and spreading the unique hashtag which will be announced on 9th June 2016.

Home was funded and produced by Black Sheep Studios, Somesuch and Dokufest, with donations from Open Society Foundation-London, United Agencies in Kosovo, USAID and the films cast and crew among many others.

I have added high quality photos of Jack attending a premiere of Money Monster in Madrid Spain at the Picasso Tower earlier today to the gallery! Keep checking the gallery for more photos to be added tomorrow.

Jack O’Connell attended a photocall for Money Monster earlier today at the Hotel Adlon in Berlin, Germany. You can check out high quality photos from the photocall in our gallery!

COLLIDER – From director Jodie Foster, the real-time, high-stakes thriller Money Monster follows financial TV host Lee Gates (George Clooney) and his producer, Patty Fenn (Julia Roberts), as they are put in an extreme situation when a young man (Jack O’Connell) who has lost everything takes over their studio. During a tense stand-off that’s broadcast to millions on live TV, Lee and Patty must unravel the mystery behind a conspiracy that led to the disappearance of $800 million of investor money.

At the film’s press day, actor Jack O’Connell sat down with Collider at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles for this exclusive interview about what drew him to Money Monster, making the accent feel lived in, and whether his character was seeking redemption. He also talked about playing a cowboy in the upcoming Netflix series Godless, set in 1800s America. Be aware that there are some spoilers.

Collider: This is a wholly original adult thriller, it’s smart and relevant, it relies much more on character development than action sequences and set pieces, it’s opening in summer movie season and it’s directed by a woman, which is very rare these days. When you got this script and read it, what was the draw for you?

JACK O’CONNELL: Just the reality of it all. What personally makes me feel very excited, as an actor, is when a film is brave and bold and it exposes wrongdoings, which are real. And it was a great opportunity to step into the shoes of someone that I could find quite instantly relevant. Being the same age, I’m sure if I wasn’t acting, I’d probably be a lot worse off than Kyle is. That was quite instantaneous, the way I was able to adopt that, and that was very attractive. But also, to be in there with Julia [Roberts], George [Clooney] and Jodie [Foster], it gives you an instant gratification.

Doing an accent is a challenge, in and of itself, but in this film, you have a lot of dialogue. Does that make it even more challenging?

O’CONNELL: It can never be an impersonation. I can never be trying to imitate. I have to feel like I’m giving something that’s lived in and natural. That’s the main challenge. It’s made a lot easier when all of the content is on the page ‘cause then you have something very definite to work towards. Also, sometimes in a scene, you might go off page, so you have to give yourself enough room and prepare enough. That way, when you do find yourself in that scenario, you have something that you believe in. Otherwise, it’s just too much to juggle. It requires preparation. I can’t imagine taking on any role without trying to figure them things out first.
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Yesterday (May 12), Jack attended the premiere of “Money Monster” at the Cannes Film Festival. You can check out high quality photos from the premiere in our gallery!

I have added a new behind the scenes photo and three new production stills of Jack from “Money Monster” to the gallery!

Jack O’Connell visited the Empire State Building today in New York City in celebration for “Money Monster.” You can check out high quality photos in the gallery!