Meet an up-and-coming actor and filmmaker from Northampton, who believes perseverance is key

Haris Salihovic, who was born and raised in the town but is proud of his Bosnian heritage, has had supporting roles in This is England ‘90, Sky’s Django and the upcoming Paramount series The Gray House.

His debut short film Black Vultures Over Britain, which is the first time he has taken on the role of writer and director, stars Joseph Marcell who played Geoffrey in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

Haris went to the University of Sheffield to study physics and astrophysics, but was interested in acting at the time – which led him to a filmmaking society and partaking in student films and plays.

After his supporting role in This is England ‘90 and finishing his studies, he took on a masters degree in acting in London and used this opportunity to hone his craft before landing a role in Sky show Django.

Haris has taken to producing short films in the past year, with three created and the opportunity to finally co-direct and star in his own film as a writer-director.

He explained the concept behind Black Vultures Over Britain, which focuses heavily on the question of whether you can separate art from the artist.

By looking at people throughout history who have done wrong and been shut down for their actions, Haris has taken this scenario to the extreme in a hypothetical world.

The story follows two perspectives on a novel written by a dictator – with a young person who wants it disposed of, and the older individual who wants to see it published. The film explores the repercussions of this fictional narrative.

Haris is currently applying for Black Vultures Over Britain to be shown at film festivals next year. He would love to see it premiere in Northampton before undertaking runs across the UK and Europe and breaking the US – but these remain hopes for the time being.

The creative was born in Northampton and left the town to go to university at the age of 18. Haris was asked what it has been like to break into the industry as someone from Northampton.

“It’s tough, and I’m still breaking into it and finding my footing,” he told the Chronicle & Echo. “It’s a lot of work to find and make connections, and there’s some sort of luck involved.”

Haris looks forward to The Gray House premiering on Paramount at the end of the year or early 2025, as he felt this was a step up in his career.

Having produced three short films, he would also like to scope out the potential of creating feature films in the near future.