Anton Corbijnstarted filming today for Control, hisbiopic of late Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis. Thisshoot starts before a rival Curtis project, Jamie Thraves'All The Time,goes into production with US-based Washington Square Films.

The Control film-makers have set up a studio and production base in Nottingham, with additional shooting on location in Nottingham and Macclesfield.

Orian Williams and Todd Eckert, under the productioncompany NorthSee, will be producing the film alongwith first-time feature director Corbijn, who isknown for his photography and music videos.

As previouslyreported, newcomer Sam Riley has signed on to play Curtis, with Samantha Mortonto play his wife Deborah Curtis and German actress Alexandra Maria Lara to playhis girlfriend Annik Honore. The cast also features James Anthony Pearson, Joe Anderson, Harry Treadaway, Toby Kebbell and Craig Parkinson.

Executive producing will be Becker International, EM Media, Warner Bros Music UK, Film I Vast and Cinema Investment Japan in association with Three Dogs and a Pony and Kate Ogborn.

Ian Curtis' widow Deborah -whose book, Touching From a Distance,provides the basis for Matt Greenhalgh's screenplay -will be co-producing alongside former Joy Division manager Tony Wilson, Peter Heslop and Helena Danielsson fromHepp films.

Spanning thelast few years of Curtis' life, Control willchart the enigmatic singer's relationship with the band, his division betweenhis wife and his girlfriend and his struggle with epilepsy.

New Order, theband formed by Joy Division members after Curtis's death, will compose thescore for Control. The soundtrackwill also feature David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Roxy Music, Lou Reedand the Buzzcocks.

Corbijnhas previously taken photographs of Joy Division as well as filming the videofor Atmosphere, shot after Curtis'death.

"If I only evermake one movie, Control would have tobe that," Corbijn said. "I simply feel that as JoyDivision and Ian Curtis played a big part in my life, I cannot think of abetter combination of subject and director."

"I've alwaysbeen a fan of Anton's work and have forever associated him with the look andfeel of Joy Division," producer Williams added. "It's impossible to overstatethe influence of Joy Division's music. Bands like U2 and Nirvana have drawnupon their atmosphere and emotion for many years. Their mystery and the factthat no full video or film documentary footage currently exists to representJoy Division, makes Control one ofthe most anticipated films of recent times."

BeckerInternational is handling international sales and has done deals with Momentum forthe UK, Paradisofor Benelux, Dendy for Australia and La Fabrique de Films for France.

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