Piggy Film Poster

Kent locations used: Maidstone, Gravesend

Piggy is a dark thriller and is tough, shocking and utterly compelling, it is directed by Keiron Hawkes and produced by Danny Potts.

The story looks at the downward spiral of a young man, Joe, grieving over the murder of his brother. Joe, played by Martin Compston (The Disappearance of Alice Creed, The Damned United), finds solace with an old family friend, Piggy, played by Paul Anderson (Sherlock Holmes, The Firm, The Sweeney). Piggy helps Joe to cope with his grief, intent on saving him and helping him get justice for his brother’s killing.

However, Joe finds himself involved in a world of grit, violence and revenge and soon realises that Piggy isn’t who he first thought he was. Soon, Joe’s life begins to collapse around him culminating in a brutal, disastrous climax.

Piggy screen shot

Piggy was filmed in Maidstone. Situated in West Kent, it has plenty to offer, including thriving shopping areas, bars, clubs and restaurants, parks, and various nearby tourism attractions such as Leeds Castle and Kent Life museum . Maidstone is great for filming as it has great transport links and has the UK’s largest independent TV studio facility – The Maidstone Studios. The site is set over 11 acres and boasts 5 TV studios, a sound stage, post production facilities, storage and over 400 free parking spaces.

Gravesend is in North Kent and is only minutes away from London by the high speed train and it has some beautiful features including the Thames Riverside and the North Kent Downs. It is a historical town that has connections with famous people such as Charles Dickens, and Pocahontas,

The 2012 film premiered in Covent Garden on 1^st May and is screening in many cinemas – the film is also set for a DVD release on 21^st May soon after.

Links:

For more information about the film follow them on Twitter at: @piggythefilm

For more information about filming in Kent email: filmoffice@kent.gov.uk

For more information about Maidstone visit: http://www.visitmaidstone.com/

For more information about Gravesend visit:  http://www.gogravesham.co.uk/

 A big thank you to each and every one of our Twitter followers, as we have now reached over 1000!

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Twitter logo © Twitter

Come Dine With Me © Channel 4

Kent locations used: Dover, Folkestone

The renowned Channel 4 cooking show comes to Dover and Folkestone and sees four amateur chefs compete by trying to hold the best dinner party and scoop the £1,000 prize.

The Kent locals are self-confessed witch Lisa, eccentric 70-year-old Janet, parish priest Andy and businessman John. They each host a dinner party for the other contestants and pull out all stops by serving a three-course meal as well as providing entertainment to impress their guests. Watch out for an Abba tribute band, a song about cowboys, a 1950s-themed evening and a Downton Abbey dress code! At the end of each night, the guests score the event out of 10, and the winner takes home the £1,000 prize. The show, as always, has commentary from Dave Lamb, known for his witty take on the proceedings. The hit programme has been running since 2005 and is currently in its 26^th series.

Dover is home to Europe’s busiest passenger port, facing France across the narrowest part of the English Channel. The surrounding chalk cliffs have become known as the White Cliffs of Dover after “(There’ll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover”, a World War II popularised by Vera Lynn.

Folkestone is the principal town in Shepway. It has Edwardian architecture on The Leas, a sandy beach and an award winning coastal park within just an hour of London by High Speed Train.

Don’t miss out on the Kent episode of Come Dine With Me on Friday 27^th April at 20:00 on Channel 4.

Links:

For more information about filming in Kent please contact: filmoffice@kent.gov.uk

For more information about the programme: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/come-dine-with-me

For more information about Dover: http://www.whitecliffscountry.org.uk/  

For more information about Folkestone: http://www.discoverfolkestone.co.uk/  

The Our Food team l-r Lucy Worsley, Alex Langlands, Giles Coren, Alys Fowler and James Wong © BBC

Kent locations used: Upchurch, Chatham, River Medway, Isle of Sheppey, Queenborough,  Allington Lock, Maidstone, Kent Life Museum, Faversham, Whistable, Romney Marsh, Whitstable

In a brand new BBC series, well-known presenters and experts including food critic Giles Coren, take us on a journey around Britain to discover how food is grown around the country and explore how the landscape, history and climate shape what kind of food we grow.

The Kent episode sees Giles sail on the River Medway, following old trade routes as he and the team visit various places to discover the history of Kentish foods such as the hops and beer, cherries, Romney Marsh sheep, native oysters, lavender and cobnuts.

The presenting team is headed up by Giles Coren (Gordon Ramsay’s The F-Word), who is joined by some familiar faces including historian Lucy Worsley (If Walls Could Talk: The History of the Home), archaeologist Alex Langlands (Time Team), gardener Alys Fowler (Gardener’s World), and Ethnobotanist James Wong (Countryfile).

During his Kent visit, Giles discovers what British beer tasted like before hops arrived from Europe when he visits the Kent Life Museum, Alys investigates the origin of English cherries, and Lucy heads to Whitstable in search of shellfish. They also visit Romney Marsh to learn about the lives of shepherds.

Faversham is a beautiful, historic market town which boasts nearly 500 listed buildings and is set on the picturesque Faversham Creek. It has many restaurants, shops, attractions and beautiful walks.

The Isle of Sheppey is an island off the northern coast of Kent and has beautiful landscapes such as the RSPB Elmley Marshes and coastline.  Queenborough is a delightful harbour town on the Isle of Sheppey, with an impressive maritime history.

Chatham is part of historic Medway and has many unique filming locations including Fort Amherst and the Historic Dockyard Chatham. Previous productions that have filmed in Medway include Call the Midwife, Sherlock Holmes and The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

Maidstone is the county town of Kent. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town, linking it to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. The Kent Life Museum is situated by the M20, only 5 minutes away from Maidstone, and is a great family day out. It boasts 28 acres of land, hops, oast houses, some adorable animals, and fascinating historic buildings from various periods.

This programme is a must see for all foodies, don’t miss the Kent episode on BBC2 Wednesday 18^th April 2012 at 20:00.

Giles Coren © BBC

Links:

For more information about filming in Kent please contact: filmoffice@kent.gov.uk

For more information about the programme: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01flrfl

For more information about Faversham: http://www.visitkent.co.uk/explore/swale-faversham-sittingbourne-isle-of-sheppey.asp#Faversham

For more information about The Isle of Sheppey: http://visit.swale.gov.uk/isle-of-sheppey/

For more information about Chatham: http://www.visitmedway.org/destination-guide/chatham

For more information about Maidstone: http://www.visitmaidstone.com/

For more information about the Kent Life Museum: http://www.kentlife.org.uk/

Dominic Littlewood © BBC

Cowboy Traders presenters Dominic Littlewood and Melinda Messenger with the happy couple © Five

Kent locations used: Chilham, Ashford, Sittingbourne,Canterbury, Tunbridge Wells, Hever Castle, Sevenoaks

Popular Channel 5 series Cowboy Traders returns for series 7, and comes to Kent to help people who have fallen victims at the hands of rogue traders.

In the opening episode, presenters Dominic Littlewood (Don’t Get Done, Get Dom, The One Show) and Melinda Messenger (To Buy or Not to Buy, Live From Studio 5) help two couples who were conned by a wedding company. The shop promised to give them perfect weddings, they just had to pay for the package, and the company would deliver everything from dresses and suits, to the car and cake. Sadly, this did not happen for either couple and the shop subsequently shut down. They had paid several thousand pounds for their big day and received nothing in return.

While Dom sets to find the owners of the shop and get some answers, Melinda helps the couple who are in debt from paying for their wedding twice as well as  organise the wedding of a lifetime for a second couple who had to cancel their wedding altogether.

The Cowboy Traders team came to film in various locations in Kent as the wedding company had shops in Ashford and Sittingbourne. Ashford is a small market town, with historic buildings, lots of eateries and several shopping facilities. Ashford’s International Eurostar train station means that it is well connected with the rest of the country, as well as Europe.

Sittingbourne is also a market town which has historical houses, museums, beautiful gardens and fascinating nature reserves. For fans of action, it also has a Greyhound Racing track and Go Karting, as well as a skate park.

Hever Castle is a beautiful 13th century Tudor castle with moat, which has stunning formal gardens and beautiful lake. It was the original home of the Boleyn family and has been used as a filming location for 2008 film Inkheart which was based on the best selling novel by Cornelia Funke and starred Helen Mirren (The Queen) and Brendan Fraser (The Mummy).

Don’t miss the first episode of Cowboy Traders on 4th April 2012  on Channel 5 at 20:00.

Links:

For more information about filming in Kent please contact: filmoffice@kent.gov.uk

For more information about the programme: http://www.channel5.com/shows/cowboy-builders

For more information about Ashford: http://www.ashfordtourism.co.uk/

For more information about Sittingbourne: http://www.visitkent.co.uk/explore/swale-faversham-sittingbourne-isle-of-sheppey.asp

For more information about Hever Castle: http://www.hevercastle.co.uk/

DEADLINE REVISED 2 April 2012 before noon

Screen South is looking for 8 Creative Business Teams to develop their feature length scripts, entrepreneurial skills and businesses. The teams can be existing businesses or newly formed partnerships but with a minimum of 2 people maximum of 3 people per team.

The chosen teams will be invited to seminars, master classes and have access to hot desks, phones, and a meeting space which is available at the Studio Creative Business Base over the programme. The programme concludes with all 8 teams pitching (both your Projects and Businesses) in London with top industry Financiers, Producers and Business Angels.

The teams will also have access of up to a £500 bursary available for a variety of expenditures during the programme and have free access to the four live public events that will also be running over the same 6-month period at Maidstone Studios as well as opportunities to meet with the guest industry panellists.

The Creative Business Base programme will be delivered by current industry practioners and will cover subjects including:

• Script and Project Development

• Legals and contracts

• Entrepreneurial mind-set and skills

• Planning and Pitching

• Creative Business – planning and development

• Sources of Funding and Finance

• Single project and Business Investments

• Ways to market (Traditional vs. new media inc social networks)

• Sales Distribution Exhibition – what are they looking for?

• Working with the global marketsUKand International

• Understanding exploitation potentials of projects (IP)

• Use of new medias and IP

• E-marketing and promotion

Don’t miss out on this great opportunity, and apply before noon on Monday 2nd April 2012. For more information and to apply please visit http://screensouth.org/newsarticle.aspx?newsid=2369

Don’t miss the 2 Day Laughter festival where you can see 15 Kent film entries and a cameo by comedy legend Harry Hill on Saturday 31^st March at the Theatre Royal Margate 2:30pm

Kent Media Company Beeping Bush Productions bring back 2 Day Laughter for its fifth year. The quirky film festival is a must for all fans of comedy, and aims to have you screaming with laughter!

The competition was open to all filmmakers, comedians and writers and the challenge was simple: to produce a five minute comedy short in a total of only 48 production hours and on a minimal budget.

However, the films also had to include several comedic props, elements or phrases including: a mouse, a rubber glove, a wedding dress, an unusual sport, a current political event, or the phrase “I’m too tired to do that again!”.

 Competition is fierce, and there are 15 entries from Kent–based filmmakers alone. Keep your eyes peeled for a cameo from comedian Harry Hill, who makes a guest appearance in The Thora Hird Man; a chaotic comedy by the Whitstable filmmaking comedy team of Nick Wilty and Maxine Pearson.

Still from Thora Hird Man

 The films will be screened in the beautiful Theatre Royal Margate. They will be judged by a panel of industry professionals from film and media & entertainment which include actress Brenda Blethyn, Time Out’s comedy editor Ben Williams, BBC television and Radio 4 comedy writer and presenter Jon Holmes, University of Kent’s own lecturer in stand-up comedy Dr Oliver Double, and Dave Clark, of Covent Garden advertising agency Inferno.

The programme includes two sections; Just For Laughs, which is non competition shortlisted films, followed by the Competition Screening and awards :

Just for Laughs
2.30pm Doors Open

3.00pm Welcome

3.10pm Screening One

4.00pm Screening Two

5.00pm Screening Three

2 Days Laughter 2012 Screening & Awards
6.30pm Doors Open

7.00pm Welcome

7.15pm Competition Film Screening One

8:00pm Intermission

8:30pm Competition Film Screening Two

9.15pm Intermission

10.00pm Awards Ceremony

10.30pm – Late Afterparty @ The Westcoast Bar, Margate Harbour

For more information and to book your free ticket visit www.2dayslaughter.co.uk

The preview screening of Watermark © DAD

Watermark is a documentary feature film about Buckland Mill, the historical paper mill inDover. It was produced by Dover Arts Development (DAD) and part-funded by the Kent Film Office through the Kent Development Fund.

The preview took place on 6^th March 2012 at and the audience included various people involved in making the film; the Vice Chairman of Dover

District Council and the Town Mayor, as well as many former Mill employees.

Cllr Paul Le Chevalier said “I would like to congratulate DAD and everyone connected with the production of the excellent film Watermark. I found it to be an exceptionally interesting piece of social history, highlighting the importance of Buckland Paper Mill to the people ofDover. The mixture of archive pictures and real interviews really brought it to life”.

The Mayor said “I thought the film was absolutely brilliant, a wonderful piece of social history and it’s a pity we haven’t got more of this type of work to keep for future generations”.

The 90-minute film was written and edited by Marianne Kapfer and Dominic de Vere. It has an original soundtrack that was composed by Robert Jarvis. The documentary explores the history of the mill that was closed in 2000 and resulted in 300 job loses.

Screen South, the region’s creative development agency for film said that Watermark was “One of the stand-out success stories of the region”.  Dr Tim Strangleman, Professor in Sociology at theUniversityofKent, calls it “A filmic paean to work and working class culture: richly evocative, thought provoking and profoundly moving.”

There will be another screening of the film on May 9^th 2012 at 4pm at the Gulbenkian theatre,Canterbury.

For more information about the film: http://www.watermark-film.com/home.html