Inside the making of ‘The Ballad of Wallis Island’

The Ballad of Wallis Island is a new film that premiered at Sundance to critical acclaim and will be released in theaters on March 28. The film tells the story of an eccentric lottery winner who brings his favorite musicians back together, who are also former lovers. The film's cast, writers, and director sat down at the Fast Company Grill at SXSW to discuss how they found the right note for their musical rom-com. The film is adapted from a BAFTA-winning short film produced in 2008, written by Tim Key and Tom Basden and directed by James Griffiths. Basden returned to the project over a decade later because he felt it was "unfinished business." To lengthen the film, the team made changes, including the addition of Carey Mulligan's character as a former love interest and bandmate. The film has a strong musical component, with original music by Basden, who had to plug back into songwriting after not doing it for a living. Mulligan, who had limited singing experience, was hesitant to sing solo but eventually did so with the support of her husband, musician Marcus Mumford. The film's team had to navigate a tight budget, but director Griffiths said that's where the fun is - being creative and ambitious with limited resources. Despite the challenges, the team aimed to make the best film possible with the resources they had.