A POIGNANT film on the life of football star George Best produced by an Enniskillen born journalist has premiered at the London Film Festival.
George Best: All By Himself explores the the life and times of Best, growing up in East Belfast to becoming an international football legend with Manchester United.
Best himself is heard throughout the documentary, narrating his own story as if from beyond the grave by using archive material featuring the footballer, taken from past interviews, commentary, speeches and public and private sources.
Mr. Birney of Fine Point Films, the company behind Bobby Sands: 66 Days, worked on the project for over two years. 

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It delves deep into Best’s periods of significant success and the dark moments from his alcoholism which defined most of his later life.
The BFI London Film Festival, where the film premiered, is one of the most celebrated festivals in the world and Mr. Birney, a former journalist with The Impartial Reporter, was joined by his wife Sheila, their daughters Ella and Mia, his brother Nigel and his wife Marion and friend Denzil McDaniel and his son, David. Best’s former wife Alex Best and Ted Beckham, David Beckham’s father, also attended the screening in Leicester Square.

Impartial Reporter:

Trevor Birney with Denzil McDaniel and his son David at the screening of his film on George Best in London.

Speaking to this newspaper, Mr. Birney described working on the project as “a real passion.”
“I was working at UTV in 2000 when George and Alex came into the studio for a special show with Gerry Kelly. Van Morrison played that night and George talked about his career. 
“It was a fantastic night. Little did I know that only five years later, I would be in charge of UTV’s coverage of his funeral. We made a documentary at the time about George but I always felt I wasn’t finished with his story,” he said.
“We now look forward to a premiere in Manchester and Belfast, probably early next year, before the film will go into cinemas throughout UK and Ireland in February. It will be seen on the BBC, around May next year,” concluded Mr. Birney.