Albert’s Memorial (2010)

Posted on February 4, 2010 by Kent Film Office

David Jason and David Werner stood on a road leant against a black cab, white cliffs and lorries behind them

David Jason and David Werner in Albert’s Memorial © ITV

Director: David Richards

Starring: David Jason, David Warner, Judith Hoersch, Micheal Jayston

Production Company: ITV

Kent Filming Locations: Port of Dover

Three old comrades reunite as Albert (Michael Jayston) is taken into hospital and calls on his two old friends to visit him before it’s too late. After his passing, Harry (David Jason) and Frank (David Warner) set out to fulfill their old friend Albert’s (Michael Jayston) dying wish; to be buried in Heidelberg where he fought as a solider and last felt alive.

Harry and Frank kidnap Albert’s body from the undertakers and set off on their journey across Europe. After picking up a German hitchhiker, Vicki (Judith Hoersch), the two men begin to come to terms with an old trauma that has driven a wedge between them since the war.

The series is directed by David Richards (Messiah 2: Vengeance Is Mine, Reckless; The Movie) and stars David Jason (Only Fools and Horses, A Touch of Frost), David Warner (Planet of the Apes, Titanic), Judith Hoersch (Mein Leben & Ich) and Micheal Jayston (Nicholas and Alexandra, Emmerdale).

Filming in Kent took place at the Port of Dover. It was the location where the two men smuggled Albert’s body into a van and then boarded a ferry on their way to Germany.

Dover is home to the infamous White Cliffs of Dover, Dover Castle and the Port of Dover, Europe’s busiest passenger port. Productions which have previously filmed in the Dover area include Marcella (2016), Great British Railway Journeys – Series 7 (2016) and On A Clear Day (2005).

Albert’s Memorial was first aired on ITV in September 2010 and is now available to buy on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

The Hide (2009)

Posted on February 4, 2009 by Kent Film Office

Alex MacQueen and Phillip Campbell in the wooden Bird hide out with binoculars

Alex MacQueen and Phillip Campbell in the Bird hide out © Poisson Rouge

Director: Marek Losey

Writer: Tim Whitnall

Starring: Alex Macqueen and Phil Campbell

Production Company: Poisson Rouge Pictures, Solution Films Limited

Kent Filming Locations: Elmley Marshes, Swale and Harty Ferry Inn

Based on the play by Tim Whitnall and starring Alex MacQueen and Philip Campbell, The Hide tells the story of a reclusive bird watcher who spends his time on desolate marshes. His peace is disrupted by the arrival of a stranger whose dishevelled appearance initially causes him some alarm. Surprisingly, the pair strike up a friendship, discovering that they have more in common than they first thought. However a shocking police announcement on the radio throws the two friends into a deadly fight for survival in this tense thriller.

The Hide - a wooden shed surrounded by filming equipment

Behind the scenes image of The Hide © Kent Film Office

Behind the scenes image - lighting equipment on the marshes

Behind the scenes image © Kent Film Office

The Hide was erected on the marshy shores just below the Harty Ferry Inn. Other footage was shot a little further along at the Elmley Marshes on the Isle of Sheppey. Exposed to the elements, the bleak and atmospheric coastal marshland was the perfect backdrop for this tense thriller.

Elmley Marshes is a little bit of wilderness located on the shores of the River Swale and is home to many unusual species such as the Avocet and the Marsh Harrier making it an ideal spot for twitching and indeed a film about a bird twitcher! The marshes have previously been used by productions such as Jekyll and Hyde (2015), Great British Railway Journeys (2014) and A Taste of Britain (2014).

The film was well received on the film festival circuit, making the official selection at the Dinard Film Festival and has recently been acquired by Film4.

The Hide was released in cinemas in 2008 and is now available on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

Missing (2009)

Posted on February 4, 2009 by Kent Film Office

Pauline Quirke and Mark Wingett looking through a white wooden window, the sea can be seen behind them

Pauline Quirke and Mark Wingett in Missing © BBC

Director: Laurence Wilson

Writers: Roy Boulter, Matt Leys, Ann-Marie Di Mambro, Karen McLachlan

Starring: Pauline Quirke, Felix Scott, Pooja Shah, Mark Wingett, Adjoa Andoh

Production Companies: Leopard Films

Kent Filming Locations: Maidstone and Dover – Port and White Cliffs.

Mark Wingett, Pauline Quirke, Pooja Shah and Felix Scott near the Port of Dover with signs and a bridge behind them

Mark Wingett, Pauline Quirke, Pooja Shah and Felix Scott near the Port of Dover © BBC

Missing is a new daytime crime about a small and under-sourced Missing Persons Unit (MPU) based in Dover which is headed up by DS Mary Jane Croft.

The 5 part drama was made to accompany the second series of

Missing: Live

which examines real life cases and attempts to reunite people with their love ones.

Starring Pauline Quirke (Broadchurch, Birds of a Feather), Felix Scott (Inception, Blitz Blitz), Pooja Shah (EastEnders, Bend It Like Beckham), Mark Wingett (The Bill, Snow White and the Huntsman) and Adjoa Andoh (Invictus, Casualty).

The production visited Kent where they transformed the old Maidstone Borough Council offices on the London Road into their Police Headquarters. The programme also filmed at various locations in and around Maidstone as well as visiting Dover including the Port and White Cliffs.

The county town of Kent, Maidstone boasts shopping areas, bars and restaurants and is home to The Maidstone Studios which is the UK’s largest independent High Definition TV studio facility. Productions which have filmed in the area include Children in Need – The Rickshaw Challenge (2015)Later… with Jools Holland (2015) and Couples Come Dine With Me (2014).

Dover is best known for the world famous White Cliffs of Dover along with the Port of Dover and Dover Castle. The Dover area has previously featured on screen in The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016), Wolf Hall (2015) and Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows (2011).

The first episode aired on BBC One on the 16^th March 2009 at 14:15.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

Is Anybody There? (2009)

Posted on February 4, 2009 by Kent Film Office

Is Anybody There? Film Poster- a man and a child stood in front of a white wooden bus shelter with a blue bench. Is Anybody There? written in yellow underneath

Is Anybody There? Film Poster © Optimum Releasing

Director: John Crowley

Writer: Peter Harness

Starring: Michael Caine, Bill Milner, David Morrissey, Anne-Marie Duff, Ralph Riach

Production Company: Heyday Films, BBC Films, Big Beach

Kent Filming Locations: Hythe, Folkestone Central Train Station and St Peter’s CEP School in Folkestone

Set in the 1980’s, Is Anybody There? is about a young boy called Edward (Bill Milner) growing up in an old people’s home. Whilst his parents struggle with their personal problems, Edward becomes obsessed with ghosts and the afterlife. Arming himself with his trusted tape recorder and camera, he tapes the residents in his quest to find out more about what happens to people when they die.

Living a fairly solitary existence, Edward strikes up a friendship with resident magician and rebel Clarence (Michael Caine). The pair become good friends, teaching each other to live each day in the present and how to come to terms with the past.

In 2007, the production visited several Kent locations including Folkestone Central Train Station which doubled as a Yorkshire train station Princes Parade in Hythe was turned into Yorkshire for two days where they used the sea-shelter as a bus shelter (see the movie poster!) and the road was used for the scenes where Clarence (Michael Caine) and Edward (Bill Milner) are pushing the vehicle along the sea road after the crash.

Filming on Princes Parade in Hythe © Kent Film Office

Produced by the same company who bring Harry Potter to the big screen, the film also visited St Peter’s CEP School, Folkestone where the children themselves were extras for a day! To thank them for their time and help they were rewarded with signed posters from the main cast of Harry Potter and Michael Caine signed their school mural.

The seaside town of Folkestone has an elegant clifftop promenade, a lower coastal park, a fishing harbour and Victorian cliff-top lifts. Hythe is a small coastal town situated between Folkestone and the Romney Marsh. The area has featured in a wide range of productions including Future Tense: The Story of H.G. Wells (2016), The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016) and Everyone’s Going To Die (2013).

The film was released on 1st May 2009 and is now available to buy on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

The Boat that Rocked (2009)

Posted on February 4, 2009 by Kent Film Office

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Nick Frost at a table with other people clapping and raising their glasses off screen. Posters and paper on the wooden walls behind

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Nick Frost in The Boat that Rocked © Universal Pictures

Writer/Director: Richard Curtis

Production Company: Working Title Films

Starring: Bill Nighy, Nick Frost, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Tom Sturridge

Kent Filming Locations: Squerryes Court

Brought to our screens by Richard Curtis, famed for Four Weddings and a funeral Notting Hill, The Boat that Rocked is a comedy focusing on the Rock and Roll antics of Pirate Radio DJ’s.

Carl (Tom Sturridge), recently expelled from school is sent to spend time with his Godfather Quentin, played by Bill Nighy, in the hope that he will find some much-needed guidance. As it turns out, Quentin is the manager of ‘Radio Rock’, a sea bound Pirate Radio Station. On the boat is a motley crew of eccentrics, including The Count (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), Dave (Nick Frost) and Midnight Mark (Tom Wisdom) who are all more than willing to impart their advice on life to the impressionable young man.

Life on the water is anything but smooth with the return of the ‘Greatest DJ in Britain’ (Rhys Ifans) he Count is forced to compete for the title he feels he rightly owns. In addition, Radio Rock has fallen foul of the Government who are determined to put a stop to the station and the rock and roll lifestyle it promotes.

The DJ’s on the boat © Universal Studios Rhys Ifans as Gavin in the studio © Universal Pictures

The Boat that Rocked captures the essence of the swinging sixties and a generation for whom music was not just a passion, but a way of life that must be protected at all costs. The tale has echoes of the legendary Radio Caroline which first broadcasted its radio channel in 1964 in foreign waters not far from Felixstowe in Suffolk. Today the Radio Caroline is synonymous with Pirate Radio and continues to broadcast, now legally, out at sea.

The film is directed by Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill) and featuring an all-star cast: Bill Nighy (Love Actually, I Capture the Castle), Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz), Phillip Seymour Hoffman (The Big Lebowski, A Most Wanted Man) and Tom Sturridge (Being Julia, Far from the Madding Crowd)

The production visited Kent in 2007 to film scenes at Squerryes Court, a 17^th Century manor home in Westerham. The house is set in 20 acres of land which include beautiful gardens and a lake. The rooms that were used during the filming are open to the public.

The Boat that Rocked was released in cinemas on the 1st April 2009 and is now out on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

Summertime Blues (2009)

Posted on February 4, 2009 by Kent Film Office

Francois Goeske and Sarah Beck sat on a kitchen counter top having a conversation holding tea cups.

Francois Goeske and Sarah Beck as Alex and Faye © Boxfish Films

Director: Marie Reich

Writer: Frederike Kopf

Production Company: Boxfish Films

Kent Filming Locations: Faversham, Stodmarsh, Dover

Alex is a teenager whose life is thrown into turmoil following the announcement that his father’s new girlfriend is pregnant and his mother intends to move to England with her new partner and himself in tow.

Karoline Eichhorn and Alexander Bayer in Summertime Blues smiling at the camera through an orchestra pit,. Audience can be seen smiling behind

Karoline Eichhorn and Alexander Bayer in Summertime Blues © Boxfish Films

Summertime Blues chronicles Alex’s exile to a sleepy English village and his determination to return to his home-town of Bremen at the earliest opportunity. It’s not long, however, before he begins to make friends, notably Louie and Faye, who show him that life in the middle of nowhere isn’t all that bad. At a crossroads, Alex is torn between his life in Bremen and his new life in England.

In the height of summer 2008, Kent played host to the German production Summertime Blues. Looking for some of Kent’s most idyllic and romantic countryside locations, the crew came to the Film Office to aid them in their search. After weeks of deliberation the production company chose the beautiful market town of Faversham and the picturesque village of Stodmarsh for Alex’s quintessentially English home. Released in Germany this summer, there are unfortunately no current plans to bring the film to the UK.

The coastal town of Dover is home the port, connecting the UK with the European mainland, Dover Castle which towers above the town, signalling Dover’s strategic importance in the defence of the country and the White Cliffs of Dover, one of the most recognised landmarks in Britain. Dover has been used for filming productions such as The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016), Great British Railway Journeys – Series 7 (2016) and On A Clear Day (2005).

Stodmarsh is a small village on the outskirts of the historic City of Canterbury. The Canterbury area has previously featured on screen in projects such as Rustom (2016), Terry and Mason’s Great Food Trip (2015) The Apprentice (2014).

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 Faversham area has been used as a film location for productions such as Great British Railway Journeys (2014) and Channel 4 drama Southcliffe (2013)

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

Emma (2009)

Posted on February 4, 2009 by Kent Film Office

Romola Garai in a pink dress and bonnet staring towards the ground with a smile in front of bushes with flowers on

Romola Garai © BBC

Director: Jim O’ Hanlon

Writer: Sandy Welch

Starring:Romola Garai, Jonny Lee Miller, Michael Gambon, Tamsin Greig, Rupert Evans, Robert Bathurst

Production Company: BBC

Kent Filming Locations: Chilham, Squerryes Court, Westerham.

This Autumn Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’ will once again grace our screens with a four part adaptation from the BBC. The new series sees Romola Garai (Atonement) starring as the incomparable Emma Woodhouse, with Michael Gambon (Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince) as her father.

Jane Austen describes Emma as ‘handsome, clever and rich’ and confessed that Emma is a heroine which no-one but her will like. Emma is determined not to marry. However, she cannot help but play matchmaker to all her friends, often with disastrous consequences. Will she ever learn to let love run its true course?

Behind the Scenes at Squerryes © Squerryes	Behind the Scenes at Squerryes © Squerryes
Market in front of Chilham Castle © Kent Film Office	Meat Market Stall © Kent Film Office

Squerryes Court in Westerham with its grand Georgian rooms was the perfect location to double as the Woodhouse family home. The country house is located in 20 acres of beautiful grounds which include a spectacular garden and an 18^th Century Dovecote. Squerryes Court has been used for productions such as The Hollow Crown: Henry V (2012) and The Boat That Rocked (2009).

The production also chose the beautiful village of Chilham near Ashford to feature as Highbury. Chilham village retains much of its original features, which makes it perfect for period dramas. During filming the square was closed off and all signs of modern life, from the double yellow lines to the burglar alarms, were gently erased. In its place a vibrant market was installed to capture the essence of village life in Jane Austen’s time.

Chilham village has been used for a variety of filming projects including BBC’s Emma (2009), Channel 4 comedy Chickens (2011) and Miss Marple – The Moving Finger (2005).

The series was shown on BBC One on October 2009 and is now available to buy on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

Invisible Eyes (2009)

Posted on February 4, 2009 by Kent Film Office

close up of Pia Mechler staring away from the camera in front of a black backgroun. Invisible Eyes is written in white on top.

Writer/Director – Olivier Cohen

Producer – Liz Rosilio

Production Company: HiDe Films

Kent Filming Location: Old Romney

‘Invisible Eyes’ follows successful model Gaby (Pia Mechler) as she tries to begin a new life away from the glamour and glory of the catwalk. Reluctant to accept her career is on a downward spiral, Gaby retreats to a country house to cheer herself up. Soon she begins to feel observed by invisible eyes. Is there truly someone watching her, or is she sliding into madness? Co-starring Simon Merrells (The Wolfman and ITV’s The Bill) and Michael Mears (The Colour of Magic and Sharpe) this thriller promises to surpise you!

Invisible Eyes premiered at this years Cannes Film Festival and has just been selected in the ‘Breakthrough Strand’ of the London UK Film Focus (LUFF) taking place on the 28 June to 1 July at the BFI Southbank.

Old Romney is in the Shepway district of Kent where the area has welcomed filming from The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016), The Only Way is Essexmas (2014) and The Harry Hill Movie (2013).

For further information regarding screenings and festival submissions please see the Invisible Eyes website below.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

The Last Word Monologues (2008)

Posted on August 19, 2008 by Kent Film Office

Three cast members standing posing for the camera against a black background. The women in the centre is wearing a blue jumper, the men either side of her are wearing dark clothes.

Writer: Hugo Blick

Director: Hugo Blick

Starring: Bob Hoskins, Rhys Ifans and Sheila Hancock

Production Company: BBC Worldwide Ltd

Kent Locations Used: Puxtye Farm, Sandhurst

The Last Word Monologues is a comedy drama series depicting the lives of three different people which only have one thing in common: they are about to kill or be killed.

The dying woman who wants euthanasia is portrayed by Sheila Hancock (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Carry on Cleo, Bedtime). A man named Hugh who desperately wants to be free from his over bearing mother will be played by Rhys Ifans (The Amazing Spider-Man, Notting Hill, Snowden). An assassin who is waiting for a target in a lavatory is played by Bob Hoskins (Snow White and the Huntsman, The Long Good Friday, Who Framed Roger Rabbit). This series is written, produced and directed by Hugo Blick (The Honourable Woman, The Shadow Line, Sensitive Skin).

The Last Word Monologues features the Kentish location of Puxtye Farm in Tunbridge Wells.

Puxtye Farm has an Oast house and barn, both of which are listed as historical properties with Historic England. The Oast house offers a simplistic setting inducing a feeling of isolation within the quietness of the house and area. The barn has a rustic feel with it being filled with farm equipment; which is perfect for a character of a farmer to be placed.

The Last Word Monologues TV series was broadcast from Monday 25^th August 2008 on BBC One.The episode ‘Six Days One June’ featuring the Kent locations aired on Tuesday 26^th August 2008.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

Greetings (2008)

Posted on February 4, 2008 by Kent Film Office

Kirsty (Kirsty Cox) looking at a mirror that has misted up

Director and writer: Ken Colley

Production Company: Dunne Productions

Kent Filming Location: Shepway

Greetings is a psychological horror, written and directed by Ken Colley, who lives in Kent. Ken Colley financed the project entirely on his own, with a budget of just under £100,000. Filming took twenty days and it was shot with a small cast and crew at Ken’s house in Shepway.

4 men with their hands on a Oujia Board in a living room

Ken Colley’s wide and varied career as an actor spans over 40 years and he is best known for his portrayal of Admiral Piett in the original Star Wars trilogy.

At Cathy’s (Mel Stephenson) party the lads (Ben Shockley, Matthew Reynolds, John Rackham, Henry Dunn) decide to liven up the atmosphere by playing the Ouija board. When strange things start to happen they blame each other. But is there something else in control?

Greetings previewed at the Odeon cinema in Canterbury and at various festivals, including Kent’s own Swale Film Festival 2008. Ken is currently seeking a distribution deal for the film.

Greetings will have a special screening at the Folkestone University on Wednesday 4^th February 09 at 7.30p.m.

The film now has a DVD distribution deal through Brain Damage Films and is also available for online purchase.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

Kent's Premier Film Commission

TV Drama

Albert’s Memorial (2010)

The Hide (2009)

Missing (2009)

Is Anybody There? (2009)

The Boat that Rocked (2009)

Summertime Blues (2009)

Emma (2009)

Invisible Eyes (2009)

The Last Word Monologues (2008)

Greetings (2008)