Director: Curtis Vowell
Writer: Andy Riley
Starring: Aimee Lou Wood, Nicola Coughlan, Lolly Adefope, Nick Frost, Jessica Hynes
Production Company: Entertainment Film Distributors
Kent Locations Used: Allington Castle
Seize Them! (2024) is a female-led comedy set in the Dark Ages. It follows Queen Dagan, who, after her reign is toppled by the revolutionary Humble Joan. Left a fugitive in the land she once ruled, Queen Dagan must embark on a dangerous voyage to win back her throne.
Allington Castle is a privately-owned 13th Century Castle situated on the River Medway. Once opening its doors to King Henry VIII, the Castle now plays host to film and TV crews, with productions such as The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood (1984), the 14th-century ABC drama Covington Cross (1992), and Series 2 of the American soap opera The Royals (2016), all making use of the Castle’s picturesque location.
Seize Them! (2024) will be released in UK Cinemas on Friday 5th April 2024.
Director: John Madden Writers: Michelle Ashford, Ben Macintyre Starring: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen, Johnny Flynn, Kelly Macdonald Production Company: See-Saw Films Kent Locations Used: The Historic Dockyard Chatham
Operation Mincemeat (2022) is a drama set during World War Two. The film is based on the true story on how British intelligence officers pulled off one of the most successful wartime deceptions of Nazi Germany.
Production visited The Historic Dockyard Chatham to film on HMS Cavalier and at Anchor Wharf. HMS Cavalier is hard to spot, but it features at the beginning and end of the film in a sequence where the Allied forces are approaching the coast of Sicily. Anchor Wharf doubles as the R.N. Submarine Base at Holy Loch, where Charles (Matthew Macfadyen) tells Ewen (Colin Firth) that he is going to travel with the dead body to Spain.
Writer: Harry Wootliff, Molly Davies, Director: Harry Wootliff Starring: Ruth Wilson, Tom Burke Production Company: BBC Films, The Bureau Kent Locations Used: Ramsgate, Margate Broadstairs, Kingsgate Bay
True Things (2022) follows Kate, a young woman living on the edge of society as she becomes intoxicated with a stranger who overturns her quiet lifestyle.
Production based themselves in Kent for the majority of their location filming.
The film is set in the seaside town of Ramsgate, and various locations in the town feature throughout. Roads, such as Military Road and the Ramsgate Harbour Approach Tunnel, feature in driving sequences. Notable landmarks such as the Ramsgate lifts, Royal Harbour and the Jacobs Ladder steps appear in short establishing shots. The exterior and lobby of the Ramsgate The Argyle Job Centre on York Street doubles as the job centre where Kate works. The Royal Harbour Parade car park features as the location in which Blond and Kate have their first tryst, and appears later on in a night-time scene.
Ramsgate is a thriving seaside town with beautiful Victorian terraced housing, a Marina, Port and Promenade. The location often doubles for period London streets and has been used in the productions such as The Flood (2019) and Hard Sun (2018).
The interior and exterior of Kate’s flat was filmed at a private residence in Margate. Nasza Biedronk convenience store on Northdown Road also features as the supermarket in which Kate buys breakfast ingredients for Blond. Margate is a seaside town complete with sandy beach, harbour, amusement park, period housing and the ultra-modern art gallery Turner Contemporary. Margate has previously featured in Above the Clouds (2020) and Jellyfish (2018).
Harpers Bar in Broadstairs features as the pub that Kate visits with Blond, and later with her friend Alison (Hayley Squires). The terrace of The Royal Albion Hotel appears in the scene where Blond and Kate have a romantic lunch date. The old Canterbury Christ Church University campus in Broadstairs was used to film the interior of the job centre that Kate works at. Broadstairs is a traditional seaside town and home to Charles Dickens’ Bleak House. It features a sandy beach lined with traditional beach huts, Morelli’s cafe bar complete with original 1950’s interior, band stand and large Victorian terraces. Previous productions to film here include Dracula (2020) and Juliet, Naked (2018).
Kingsgate Bay is used for a dream sequence in the film’s opening. Kingsgate Bay is a small sandy bay surrounded by chalk cliffs that connects at low tide through Whiteness cliff arch to Botany Bay. It features a Victorian castle on top of the sea defences which were turned into private residences. Sulphur and White (2020) and Bhikari (2017) have previously filmed here.
True Things was released in UK cinemas on Friday 1st April 2022.
Writer: Simon Farnaby Director: Craig Roberts Starring: Mark Rylance, Sally Hawkins Production Company: Baby Cow Kent Locations Used: Bedgebury Manor, Littlestone Golf Club, The Historic Dockyard Chatham.
The Phantom of the Open (2021) is a feature film about Maurice Flitcroft, the fraudulent golfer who managed to con his way into several championship games in the 70’s despite not being able to swing a club.
Production visited Kent to film at Bedgebury Manor, Littlestone Golf Club and The Historic Dockyard Chatham. Littlestone Golf Club features as the course where Maurice competes in the 1978 British Open Qualifying disguised as a Frenchman called Gerard Hoppy, and Anchor Wharf at The Historic Dockyard Chatham features throughout the film, doubling as Vickers Shipyard where Maurice and his son work. Bedgebury Manor was used as the interior of a hotel and a golf club, although unfortunately this doesn’t seem to have made the cut.
Bedgebury Manor is a former boarding school set in 200 acres of parkland in the Weald of Kent. There are many facilities available for filming including a theatre and gymnasium suitable for set building, outdoor swimming pool, tennis courts, cricket and football pitch. In 2007, Series 3 of Tittybangbang (2007) filmed at this location.
Littlestone Golf Club is a traditional links golf course on the Romney Marsh with views across the English Channel to France. The course sits on 300 acres of the Romney Marsh and is a site of special scientific interest for flora and fauna and location for the CL Junior Open 2021.
Writer: Will Sharpe, Simon Stephenson Director: Will Sharpe Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Claire Foy, Andrea Riseborough, Aimee Lou Wood, Toby Jones Production Company: Amazon Studios, Film4, Shoebox Films, StudioCanal, SunnyMarch Kent Locations Used: Botany Bay, Kingsgate Bay, Deal, Walmer, Kingsdown Leas
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2022) is a biopic of the English painter who rose to fame at the end of the 19th century. Known for his unique paintings of anthropomorphised cats, Wain suffered from poor mental health in his later years and was hospitalised when his family could no longer care for him.
Botany Bay in Thanet is a popular filming location in Kent. The sandy bay is set against a beautiful white cliff backdrop which is popular with tourists. Previous productions to have made use of this stunning location include Sulphur and White (2020) and Series 2 of Humans (2016).
Kingsgate Bay is a small sandy bay surrounded by chalk cliffs that connects at low tide through Whiteness cliff arch to Botany Bay. The Victorian Kingsgate Castle is perched on top of the sea defences; it has since been turned into private residences. Other productions to have filmed at Kingsgate Bay include True Things (2022), Mr Selfridge (2013-2016), and Bhikari (2017).
Deal is a town on the south coast of Kent with a long naval history as one of the major Cinque Ports. Deal’s seafront has a large green, promenade, small fishing fleet, huts, sailing boats, lifeboat station as well as an extensive pebble beach. Liar Series 1 & 2 (2017 – 2020) and Baptiste (2019) both recently filmed here.
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain was released in UK cinemas on Saturday 1st January 2022.
Director: Vijay Kumar Arora Starring: Neeru Bajwa, Gippy Grewal, Rene Costa Production Company: Dara Films Entertainment Kent Locations Used: Canterbury, Herne Bay, Ramsgate Marina
Paani Ch Madhaani (2021) follows the story of Gulli (Gippy Grewal), a rising star in the music world in 1980, who is waiting for his big break. Eventually, Gulli decides that the secret to success is becoming a duo and teams up with another singer, Gazal (Neeru Bajwa). The film follows the ups, downs and hardships of trying to make it in the business, and a burgeoning friendship that may turn into romance.
Scenes at Herne Bay include shots of the Clock Tower, Pier and Central Parade. Herne Bay is a coastal seaside town near Canterbury and is known for its 2-mile-long coastline, colourful beach huts, promenade, pier, and historical bandstand. Many productions have filmed here before including High End Yaariyaan (2019) and Two Weeks to Live (2020).
Production filmed a romantic song at Ramsgate Marina. Ramsgate is a thriving seaside town with beautiful Victorian terraced housing, a Marina, Port and Promenade. It often doubles for period London streets. Productions such as The Flood (2019) and Juliet, Naked (2018) have previously filmed here.
Scenes were also filmed in Canterbury City Centre. Canterbury is a historic cathedral city; the Cathedral is amongst the oldest in England. The city is a popular tourist destination which boasts a modern shopping complex with many restaurants and bars. Canterbury Prison is a popular filming location, with recent productions including Break (2020) and Avengement (2019).
Paani Ch Madhaani was released in select UK cinemas on Friday 5th November 2021.
Writer: Paul Andrew Williams Director: Paul Andrew Williams Starring: Neil Maskell, David Hayman, Tamzin Outhwaite Production Company: Giant Productions, Tea Shop Productions, Signature Films, Signature Entertainment, Particular Crowd Kent Locations Used: Dartford, Dartford Working Men’s Club, Holy Trinity Church, Temple Hill, Forge Farm Meats in Tunbridge Wells, Gravesend
Bull (2021) depicts the story of ex-gang member Bull, who, after mysteriously disappearing 10 years ago, has now returned to his old hunting ground with only one thing on his mind: Revenge. Embarking on a search for his missing son, Bull will stop at nothing to ensure that those who double-crossed him pay for their sins. A brutal and suspenseful revenge thriller, at its core, Bull (2021) is the story of a father’s eternal love for his son.
The production visited several locations across Kent for their shoot. The Temple Hill housing estate in Dartford appears throughout the film, as the location of Gemma’s (Lois Brabin-Platt) house and Dave’s (Jay Simpson) flat. Dartford Working Men’s Club also features as the pub where Norm (David Hayman) warns Bull (Neil Maskell) to stay away from Gemma. Holy Trinity Church in Dartford features at the end of the film, as Bull carries a teenage Aiden (Matthew Castle) into the church for salvation. Various roads in Dartford also appear, including an M25 underpass which features as the homeless camp Bull finds Aiden living in.
Located on the border of Kent, Dartford is a historic market town which boasts one of the largest shopping centres in Europe. Perhaps best known for the Dartford Crossing and Bluewater Shopping Centre, Dartford’s combination of industrial and historical landscapes makes for a popular filming location. Previous productions that have filmed in Dartford include the SKY series Gangs of London (2020-2022), and The Escape (2018).
Set in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Tunbridge Wells is a historic spa town that offers a mix of independent shops and restaurants set alongside the colonnaded Pantiles and the picturesque High Street. The area is renowned for its historic houses and gardens and has been a place of interest for over 400 years. Previous productions to shoot in Tunbridge Wells include the BBC sitcom The Cleaner (2021), Rupert, Rupert & Rupert (2019), and series 3 of Britannia (2021).
The maritime town of Gravesend is a popular filming location, due to its picturesque setting and rich history, including an unspoilt promenade, high street and two shopping centres. Other productions that have filmed here include the BBC TV spy thriller Killing Eve (2018-2022), which featured Nell’s Café in the first Series and the popular Netflix anthology TV series Black Mirror (2018), which used several locations across Gravesend for the hostage sequences in Series 5, Smithereens.
Bull was released in UK cinemas on Friday 5th November 2021.
Director: Aleem Khan Starring: Joanna Scanlan, Nasser Memarzia, Nathalie Richard Production Company: The Bureau Kent Locations Used: The White Cliffs of Dover, Kingsdown, Port of Dover
The film also stars Nathalie Richard (Never Let Me Go, Caché) and focuses on the beauty of cultural differences and the effects of physical distance on people’s relationships.
Production visited The White Cliffs of Dover whilst filming, as well as a private residence in Kingsdown, near Dover which doubles as Mary’s home. One scene was filmed showing Mary boarding a ferry at the Port of Dover, as she travels to the Continent.
Writer: Francis Lee Director: Francis Lee Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Kate Winslet, Fiona Shaw, Gemma Jones. Production Company: See-Saw Films, British Film Institute, BBC Films Kent Locations Used: Romney House, School Road, Charing, The Historic Dockyard Chatham
Ammonite (2020) is a film loosely based on the life of the acclaimed English fossil hunter Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) in 1840s England. Widely known for her contribution to prehistoric geology, she made ground-breaking Jurassic period discoveries as she spent time investigating the cliffs at Lyme Regis and Charmouth in Dorset. Whilst the film addresses Anning’s professional life, it also explores her private affairs and her struggles to make ends meet.
A couple of scenes for the film were shot in Kent. Romney House, a grade II listed building in Charing, was used to stand in for a Lyme Regis property belonging to Dr. Lieberson (Alec Secareanu) where Mary and Charlotte attend an evening party. A further scene was filmed at The Historic Dockyard Chatham, in which Mary Anning alights a boat just arrived to London Docks from Lyme Regis.
Charing is a quaint, traditional and beautiful village in the Ashford district of Kent and is situated on the historic Pilgrim’s way that stretches from London to Canterbury. The high street has many old whitewashed buildings comprised of brick and tile, some also exhibiting exposed timber frames. It is also home to the famous building the Archbishop’s Palace, a large manor house historically belonging to the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Historic Dockyard Chatham was established in the mid-16th century and is located on the River Medway. A location with an extensive history, evident through its numerous buildings and exhibitions open to the public. The site offers maritime, industrial, Georgian and Victorian architecture and cobbled streets, an ideal set for many film productions. Recent feature films that have shot dockside scenes at the Dockyard include Red Joan (2019) and The Mercy (2018).
Ammonite is scheduled for release on Amazon Prime Box Office on Friday 26th March 2021.
Writer: Jessica Swale Director: Jessica Swale Starring: Gemma Arterton, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Penelope Wilton, Tom Courtenay Production Company: British Film Institute, Quickfire Films Kent Locations Used: The Historic Dockyard Chatham, Dover Castle
Production for Swale’s directorial feature film debut visited The Historic Dockyard Chatham, making use of multiple areas at the location including; the exterior of the Captain’s House, Officers’ Terrace, Old Pay Office, Sail and Colour Loft and the Fitted Rigging House cellars on Anchor Wharf. The exterior of the medieval Dover Castle makes a small cameo in the film in a dream-like scene.