Frank Dillane joins Harris Dickinson in Ghent for closing film Urchin
Dillane is one of the most versatile British actors of his generation. He made his breakthrough as a teenager in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) and impressed with leading roles in Fear the Walking Dead (2015-2018, AMC) and The Essex Serpent (2022, Apple TV+). Dillane is praised for his ability to combine vulnerability and charisma with remarkable ease.
In Urchin, Dillane plays Mike, a young man living on the streets of London who desperately tries to break free from a vicious cycle of poverty, addiction and alienation. Director Harris Dickinson (best known until now for his acting work in Triangle of Sadness and Babygirl) delivers a raw, deeply human portrait that was praised in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section for its nuance and moments of unexpected humour.
During casting, Dickinson immediately saw that Dillane brought something special to the role: “Frank has a natural charm, but above all, he brings a comedic lightness that was essential. Without that, the character could easily have become a surly and unmanageable stereotype.”
Dillane also spent months preparing for the part. He worked with organisations such as Under One Sky and the Single Homeless Project, speaking to people experiencing homelessness and addiction to understand their reality. “I felt a huge responsibility to portray Mike’s life, which is so far removed from my own,” Dillane says.
With both Harris Dickinson and Frank Dillane attending, the closing night of Film Fest Gent promises to be a special occasion for press and audiences alike. The duo will walk the red carpet together and take part in an on-stage introduction and Q&A following the screening.
Urchin will be screened on 18 October as the Closing Film of Film Fest Gent 2025. The film will be released in Belgian cinemas by The Searchers on 4 March 2026.
