A feature-length documentary about the 1983 Maze Prison escape is to receive its premiere at the Belfast Media Festival on 10 November. The film, 'Prison Break: Escape from the Maze', will be shown at the MAC in Belfast before screenings at Queen's Film Theatre on 11 and 12 November. It will then be shown at Omniplex cinemas in Newry, Londonderry, Downpatrick, Craigavon and the Kennedy Centre in Belfast, and broadcast on the BBC early next year.

The documentary includes interviews with escapees and former prison officers, many of whom are speaking publicly for the first time, according to a statement from the production. It combines archival material with first-hand testimony to describe the tensions within the prison before the escape, the events of the day, and the political and security situation that followed.

During the 1983 escape, 38 prisoners staged the largest breakout in British prison history. Prison officer James Ferris, 43, was stabbed with a chisel and died shortly afterwards from a heart attack. Other prison officers suffered life-changing injuries, with six suffering knife and gunshot wounds. Fifteen escapees were recaptured quickly, and another four were picked up within three days. Nineteen remained at large, including the PIRA leader in the H-Block, Brendan McFarlane, who was extradited from the Netherlands in 1986.

In 1988, eighteen of the original escapees received sentences of between five and eight years on firearms and other charges. Sixteen were found not guilty of murdering a prison officer. Gerard Kelly, who had also been extradited from the Netherlands, was found not guilty of attempted murder. Both he and McFarlane received five years for the escape attempt and other offences.

The documentary's director, Sian McIlwaine, said the escape was a significant and controversial moment in the history of the Troubles, with consequences still felt today. She said the film aimed to explore the events from all perspectives and give a voice to those directly involved, including people whose experiences have rarely been heard publicly. She added that the testimonies, alongside previously unseen material, offer new insights into an event that remains an important part of Northern Ireland's history.

'Prison Break: Escape from the Maze' is produced by Walk on Air.