Director: Alexander Milo Bischof
Starring: Dylan Edwards, Laura Haddock, Ben Aldridge, Natasha O’Keeffe, Shaun Dooley Production Company: Stave Hill Films
Kent Locations Used: Margate, Arlington House, Thanet District Council Offices, St Austin & St Gregory Church – Margate, Canterbury Prison
Tyger (2024) is a road movie which follows an ex-soldier who, upon his release from prison, embarks on a journey to reunite with his family.
The lead character’s journey starts in Margate, and filming was undertaken on various Margate roads, as well as at Arlington House, St Austin & St Gregory Church and the Thanet District Council offices. Filming also took place at Canterbury Prison.
Margate is a seaside town complete with sandy beach, harbour, amusement park, period housing and ultra-modern art gallery Turner Contemporary. Arlington House sits on Margate seafront and is an eighteen-storey residential apartment block and a great example of British Brutalist architecture. Other recent productions to have featured Margate include Empire of Light (2023), Dreamland (2023) and Series 4 of Killing Eve (2018-2022).
Now owned by Canterbury Christ Church University, the former Canterbury prison has wings with closed cells dating back to 1808. Though it is no longer available as a filming location, it previously played host to Series 2 of The Larkins (2021-2022), Deceit (2021) and Small Axe (2020) having filmed there.
Tyger (2024) is due to be released on Prime Video, AppleTV+ and the Google store on Monday 12th February 2024.
Director: Sam Mendes Starring: Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward, Colin Firth, Toby Jones
Production Company: Neal Street Productions, Searchlight Pictures
Kent Locations Used: Margate, Dreamland, Arlington House, Broadstairs, Cobtree Manor Park, Manston Airport, The East Kent Railway
Empire of Light (2023) is a dramatic love story centred around a beautiful old cinema on the South Coast of England in the early 1980s.
After seeing the art-deco Dreamland cinema, director Sam Mendes chose Margate as the film’s lead location, the Empire Cinema. A sound stage was erected next door to provide additional cinema interiors facing the beach. The amusement park and roller disco also make an appearance.
Filming took place across Margate from March to May of 2022. Margate Seafront, including the main sands, tidal pool, Nayland Rock Shelter, Marine Terrace and the promenade feature heavily throughout the film as the backdrop for the Empire Cinema.
The area around Fort Paragon, the old Lido, Ethelbert Terrace and Cliff Terrace appear as the streets around Hilary’s flat.
In the town centre, the old Mayor’s Parlour doubles as the interior of a doctor’s office, Arlington House as Stephen’s home and various shops and cafes feature, including Café Darcy as an old chemist, Sands Café, Marina Café and Wildes as themselves.
Margate Railway Station booking hall also features as itself and the vintage train carriage featured in the film’s closing was filmed on The East Kent Railway.
In addition to these locations, additional sets, including Hilary’s and Stephen’s flat interiors and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital were built up in the old aircraft hangers at the former Manston Airport site.
Have a look at what the cast and crew thought of their stay in Margate…
Margate is a seaside town complete with sandy beach, harbour, amusement park, period housing and ultra-modern art gallery Turner Contemporary. It is one of the most popular filming locations in Kent, having recently featured in True Things (2022), Above the Clouds (2020) and King of Thieves (2018).
Considered to be the oldest surviving amusement park in Great Britain, Dreamland dates back to the early 1870s and was revamped in 2017. The Park has a Retro Roller Room, vintage arcades, a fully restored Grade II listed Art Deco Ballroom and beautiful rides dating from 1920 to the present day. Dreamland is an increasingly popular filming destination, having recently featured in the final series of Killing Eve (2018-2022), Series 2 of Whitstable Pearl (2021-2022) and Two Weeks to Live (2020).
Arlington House is an 18-storey residential apartment block opposite Margate seafront. It was designed by architects Russell Diplock Associates in 1963 and is a great example of British Brutalist architecture. True Love (2012), Exodus (2007) and Last Resort (2000) feature Arlington House.
Laid out in 1892, the Victoria Gardens include charming features such as a rustic arbour and pergola. The Bandstand is a prominent feature within the gardens, as are the Clock Tower and an Anglo-Indian style shelter. Situated in the traditional seaside town of Broadstairs, the Gardens have also played host to Hurricane (2018).
Now closed to the public, Manston Airport is currently empty and awaiting redevelopment. It boasts a long runway, hangar, large modern warehouse as well as a disused tower and office space. The James Bond film Die Another Day (2002) features scenes shot at Manston Airport.
Cobtree Manor Park stands on the site of the old Maidstone Zoo (still with some buildings intact including Elephant House) and is part of the Cobtree Manor Estate. The park includes over 50 acres of parkland, a play area, café, bridleways for horse riding and a sculpture trail.
The East Kent Railway has a 2.5-mile railway line offering extensive views of the countryside, a 500-yard tunnel, level crossings, sidings and two country stations at Shepherdswell and Eythorne. They offer a variety of train interiors, from 1930s wood panelling, a 1960-1990 railway coach, to the present modern day intercity style coach, as well as a selection of small diesel locomotives. The East Kent Railway was used for a scene in Southcliffe (2013).
Empire of Light will be releasing in UK cinemas on Monday 9th January 2023.
Writers: James Gardner, Simon Lord Director: James Gardner Starring: Liv Hill, Sinead Matthews, Cyril Nri Production Company: Nik Holttum Productions Kent Locations Used: Margate, Thanet
Jellyfish (2019) is a drama about a teenage carer discovering an unlikely talent for stand-up comedy. Fifteen-year-old Sarah Taylor (Liv Hill) struggles to care for twin siblings and a bed-ridden, manic depressive mother (Sinead Matthews) as well as bullying from her school peers. Jellyfish tells the story of how stand-up comedy becomes an unlikely outlet for Sarah’s frustration and quick-tempered wit.
Jellyfish is a feature film directed by James Gardner, who co-wrote the piece with film producer Simon Lord. Gardner has won six awards for Jellyfish, including three for Best Film, and is known for directing other works such as Barry Glitter and Ferris and the Fancy Pigeon, for which he won the Royal Television Society (RTS) Award for Best Post-Graduate Drama. Simon Lord has worked with Gardner on previous projects including Barry Glitter, and wrote the screenplay for the 2020 film Above The Clouds.
Mostly filmed in Margate, a seaside town in Thanet in Kent, production shot on the seafront, Margate train station, Dreamland and Cedar Close as Sarah’s home and the Theatre Royal. The film also features landmarks such as The Lido, Arlington House and the Main Sands as its backdrop. Margate offers amusement, culture and luxury, and is part of the district of Thanet, a popular film location. Recent productions to film in Margate include Above The Clouds (2020) and Top Boy – Series 3 (2019).
Jellyfish was released on Friday 15th February 2019 in UK cinemas and is available to watch on Amazon Prime.