Films made in Brighton & Hove: The sound era

Films made in the Brighton & Hove area
The sound era: from 2000

Chronological order
The Big Finish UK \| colour \| 94 mins \| 2000 Cast: Gary Moreline, Tom Woodman, Kevin Bishop, Barry McNicholl, Marcel McCalla, Jane Peachey, Simon Desborough, Ceri Loaring Devised and directed by The Heather Brothers for Slice Films • Low-budget black comedy in which a series of practical jokes at the end of term, filmed with a hand-held camera, go wrong. • Filmed at Varndean College, Surrenden Road, Brighton. • Available on DVD, released by Singa Home Entertainment in 2001.
Circus UK \| colour \| 95 mins \| 2000 (released 5 May 2000) Cast: John Hannah, Famke Janssen, Peter Stormare, Brian Conley, Amanda Donohoe, Eddie Izzard Written by David Logan Directed by Rob Walker for Circus Pictures/Columbia Pictures • Thriller that takes exaggerated liberties with Brighton topography, mixing scenes on the beach west of the Palace Pier, in the Lanes, at the Grand Hotel, Madeira Drive, the marina and elsewhere. The 'nudist beach' is moved to a new location with much greater exposure just below the West Pier and a handy telephone kiosk is found on the beach. The station is not Brighton but West Worthing in disguise. • Available on DVD
Me Without You UK \| colour \| 108 mins \| 2001 Cast: Anna Friel, Michelle Williams, Kyle McLachlan Directed by Sandra Goldbacher • Two London teenage girls grow up together and go to the University of Sussex, which is used as a location. Other Brighton settings include the inevitable seafront and Adelaide Crescent, although for budgetary reasons much of the film was shot in the Isle of Man. The 'pier' looks like a landing stage compared with the Brighton equivalents. • Available on DVD
Motion UK \| colour \| 65 mins \| 2001 Cast: Dean Robinson, Miguel Angel Plaza, Mark Little Written by Thomas Clay and Joseph Lang Directed by Thomas Clay for Pull Back Camera • Low-budget drama filmed about an aging unstable homeless man approaching Christmas on the streets of Brighton. Shot over a period of 18 months for £3,000.
Plato's Breaking Point UK \| colour \| 96 mins \| 2001 Cast: Joe Ferrera, William Halliday, Delphine Lanson, Nabil Elouhabi, Mark Mooney Directed by Nigel Barker for Robark • Low-budget digital video crime drama filmed in London and Brighton.
Redemption Road UK \| colour \| 108 mins \| 2001 Cast: Tony Bluto, Ken Sharrock, Stephen Marcus, with numerous cameos by (among others) Barbara Dickson, Pauline Quirke, Rowland Rivron, John Thomson Directed by Lloyd Stanton Produced jointly by Enterprise Films and Spice Factory, the prolific production company based in Peacehaven. • A comedy road movie with scenes in Brighton, Crawley, Eastbourne and on the South Downs. • Shown at the End of the Pier International Film Festival in Worthing, May 2009
Summer Rain UK \| colour \| 108 mins \| 2001 Cast: Clea Smith, Catherine Sampson, Lara Clancy, Charlie Watts, Paul Vaughan Evans Written by Jonathan Glendening and Chris Rieley Directed by Jonathan Glendening • 'Summer Rain is a colourful, contemporary romantic coming of age drama set against the backdrop of Brighton’s vibrant youth culture. Following three girls in their early 20s sharing a flat, the film observes their interweaving love lives, confused emotions and distant dreams and ambitions, set against a long hot summer, spectacular sunsets and a great soundtrack.' [Website synopsis] Shot on location in Brighton at sites including the Zap Club and the inevitable beach (in Hove as well as Brighton). • Winner of a number of awards at international film festivals, including the Grand Prize at the Director's View Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Roma Independent Film Festival. Shown as part of the fringe at the Brighton Festival 2004. • Available on DVD
Big Beach Boutique II—The movie UK \| colour \| 2002 • Feature-length video recording of a mammoth free concert ('Normstock') between the piers on Brighton beach by Fat Boy Slim (Norman Cook), attended by around 250,000 people. • Available on DVD
Ashes and Sand UK \| colour \| 108 mins \| 2003 Cast: Nick Moran, Lara Belmont, Victoria Scarborough Written by Judy Upton Directed by Bob Blagden for Matador Pictures/Open Road Films • A gang of teenage girls mug young men on the seafront in order to have enough money to get away from Brighton. The gang leader falls in love with a disturbed young detective transferred to Brighton from London. Seafront locations in Brighton but the pier scenes were shot in Worthing. • The film was shown at the Cannes Film Festival on 14 May 2003 and given its UK premiere at the Odeon Kingswest during the Brighton Film Festival on 25 November 2003. • The film has its own website • The film was released on DVD in Italy in 2005.
The Dark Hunter UK \| colour \| 75 mins \| 2003, released 2004 Cast: Mark Jackson, Duncan Cowan, Johnny Oddball Written and directed by Duncan Cowan and Mark Jackson for Digital Guerilla Filmmakers • Comedy about two student filmmakers (Cowan and Jackson, of course) searching for a black panther in the Englsh countryside; filmed in London and Shoreham • Released theatrically by Oddball TV and on DVD by Blackhorse Entertainment
The Blind Spot UK \| colour \| 91 mins \| 2003, unreleased Cast: Daniel Beales, Jerome Blake, Ray Bullock Jr, Michael Instone, Sarah Louise Young Directed, written and produced by Tim Kirkby for Avalon Motion Pictures and Cryptic Coloration •A low-budget feature (£15,000, shot on digital video) set on the coast in and near Brighton [right]. As well as on the beach, at the West Pier and the Marina, the film was shot at the Ocean Rooms club in Morley Street, the Candy Bar cafe in St James's Street and several houses in Kemp Town. • The film won Kirkby the award for best screenplay at the Milan Film Festival.
The Johnna Man UK \| colour \| 105 mins \| 2003, unreleased Cast: Adrian Foiadelli, Adam Pumphrey, Sara Abraham, Jim Briffett, Kevin Akehurst Directed by Kevin Akehurst Written and produced by Adrian Foiadelli for Jimbo Entertainment in association with Modern Life? and Big Cat Productions • 'A story of grief, friendship, love and unnecessary cruelty to goldfish.' When television comedy writer Chris Riseborough returns to his hometown of Brighton to pay his last respects he is brought face to face with the friends that he left behind.
Left for Dead UK \| colour \| 105 mins \| 2002-2004, unreleased Cast: Glenn Salvage, Andy Prior, Gordon Alexander Milne, Adrian Foiadelli, Kevin Akehurst, Adam Pumphrey, Phil Hobden, John Rackham Directed by Ross Boyask Written by Adrian Foiadelli Produced by Phil Hobden for Modern Life in association with Big Cat Productions/Jimbo Entertainment, wholly funded by Boyask and Hobden. • A feature-length martial arts film shot on digital video entirely on location in Brighton, representing 'a cold and unrelenting city called Hope'. The version shown in Cannes was subsequently re-made with three months of shooting, which replaced 45 per cent of the original footage. • Available on DVD
Wimbledon UK/France \| colour \| 98 mins \| 2004, released 24 September 2004 Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Paul Bettany, Sam Neill, Bernard Hill, James McAvoy, Eleanor Bron Written by Adam Brooks and Jennifer Flackett Directed by Richard Loncraine Produced by for Inside Track Films, Working Title Films and Studio Canal. • The main character, an aspiring tennis player (Paul Bettany), hails from Brighton. Scenes shot on Marine Parade and Madeira Drive in the first week of September 2003. • Available on DVD
Andrew and Jeremy Get Married UK \| colour \| 75 mins \| 2004 Features Andrew Thomas, Jeremy Trafford, Hanif Kureishi Directed by Don Boyd. Produced by BBC (Storyville strand) • Feature-length documentary, distilled from 100 hours of footage, about two middle-aged gay men from different social backgrounds who enter a civil partnership. • Nominated for the Joris Ivens Award, Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival 2004 and Best British Documentary at British Independent Film Awards 2005
MirrorMask UK/US \| colour \| 101 mins \| 2005, released 3 March 2006 Cast: Stephanie Leonidas, Gina McKee, Rob Brydon, Jason Barry, Dora Bryan, Andy Hamilton, Stephen Fry, Lenny Henry Directed by Dave McKean from a script by Neil Gaiman and McKean from Gaiman's television drama. Produced by Jim Henson Productions • Fantasy, mostly CGI. A 15-year-old girl from a circus family living in Brighton travels through a world in her imagination. Locations include the Peace Statue. • Won the Black Tulip Award for Best Feature debut at the Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival 2006 and the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the Sarasota Film Festival 2005. • Available on DVD
Richard III UK \| colour \| 54 mins \| 2005 Cast: Jamie Martin, Richard Hawley, Andrew Tiernan, Caroline Burns Cooke, John Rackham, Janet May Written and directed by Maximilian Day, based on Shakespeare's play. • Gang warfare on the Whitehawk estate in east Brighton.
Tan Lines UK/US \| colour \| 83 mins \| 2005 Cast: Nigel Chisholm, Leontine Hass Written and directed by Johnny Williams. • Three sisters go on a driving holiday in the south of France. Filmed in Brighton and London.
Tomorrow UK/US \| colour \| 101 mins \| 2005 Cast: Ben Sansum, Joelle Jane Marshall, Alastair Clayton Written by Stuart Laws Directed by Alastair Clayton for WindowSlaws Productions. • Unemployed and aimless man reviews his life. • Released on DVD by Direct Digital Pictures
The Da Vinci Code --> US \| colour \| 149 mins \| 2006, released 19 May 2006 Cast: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina, Jean Reno, Jürgen Prochnow, Paul Bettany Directed by Ron Howard • Includes scenes shot at Shoreham Airport
From Caliban to Taliban: 500 Years of Humanitarian Intervention US \| colour \| 85 mins \| 2006, released 5 November 2007 Cast: Rob Newman Directed by Dan Martin and Rob Newman for Low Key Productions • Recording of Newman's stand-up comedy performance at the Komedia Theatre in Gardner Street, Brighton. • Released on DVD by Spirit Entertainment
10,000 Cigarettes UK \| colour \| 90 mins \| 2006 Directed by Ross Boyask and Phil Hobden for Modern Life? • Making of a low-budget martial arts movie (Left for Dead, see above).
Fixers UK \| colour \| 85 mins \| 2006, unreleased Directed by Ross Boyask for Modern Life? • A feature-length crime film shot on digital video entirely on location in Brighton.
And When Did You Last See Your Father UK \| colour \| 92 mins \| 2006-07, released 5 October 2007 Cast: Jim Broadbent, Colin Firth, Juliet Stephenson, Gina McKee, Sarah Lancashire, Claire Skinner Written by David Nicholls from Blake Morrison's novel Director: Anand Tucker for Archer Street Productions, Audley Films, EM Media, Father Features, Intandem Films, Number 9 Films • Production was supported by Film4, UK Film Council and Bórd Scannán na hÉireann (the Irish Film Board) • Shooting began in Brighton on 10 October 2006 at the crazy golf near the Palace Pier. • Available on DVD
The Penalty King UK \| colour \| 90 mins \| 2006 (released 7 November 2006) Cast: Nick Bartlett, Clare Grogan, Peter Lorimer, Samantha Beckinsale Written and directed by Chris Cook for Maverik Motion Pictures and Twin Track Films • Football comedy, filmed in Brighton and Leeds. distributed in the UK by Revelation Films. • Available on DVD
January 2nd UK \| colour \| 106 mins \| 2006 Cast: Josephine Butler, Andrew Colver, Rachel Fielding, Ruth Gemmell Written by Ellis Freeman, Robert Murphy, Tony Strong, Matt Winn Directed by Matt Winn for January Films and Globocine International Pictures • Romantic comedy, mainly filmed in Wales but apparently has scenes in Brighton and Storrington. • Exists in two versions of 105 minutes and 95 minutes. • Worldwide all media distribution by WonderPhil Productions. • Available on DVD, distributed by Guerilla Films
London to Brighton [right] UK \| colour \| 85 mins \| 2006, released 1 December 2006 Cast: Lorraine Stanley, Johnny Harris, Georgia Groome, Sam Spruell Written and directed by Paul Andrew Williams. • A prostitute and a young runaway girl escape from London to hide in Brighton. 'Innocence has nowhere to hide.' As The Guardian reviewer Peter Bradshaw put it: 'The journey from London to Brighton has become something else: a journey into the final circle of the inferno. ... It's the best British film of the year.' • The film has its own website. • Available on DVD
Cassandra's Dream US/UK \| colour \| 108 mins \| 2006-07, released (UK) 23 May 2008 Cast: Ewan McGregor, Tom Wilkinson, Hayley Atwell, Colin Farrell, Sally Hawkins, Clare Higgins, Phil Davis, Tamzin Outhwaite Original music by Philip Glass Directed by Woody Allen for The Weinstein Company. • Crime story. Shot in Brighton for two days in late July 2006 on the Palace Pier, the Beach and Black Rock. • The third film shot by Woody Allen in the UK and the first with a British cast. • Generally not regarded as one of his better films, its US release was deferred until after the deadline for Academy Award nominations. • Available on DVD
The Silencer UK \| colour \| 75 mins \| 2007 Cast: Glenn Savage, Maye Choo Written by Steve Lawson Directed by Steve Lawson and Simon Wyndham for Phoenix-i Productions • Low budget bionic-man revenge action thriller. Filmed in Brighton, Evesham and Loughborough • Released on DVD by Blackhorse Entertainment
Dolphins UK \| colour \| 106 mins \| 2007 Cast: Karl Davies, Frank Harper Written and directed by Mark Jay Produced by Mark Jay for Full On Film Productions in association with Carnaby International, Lipsync Productions and Piccadilly Pictures; distributed by Grindstone Entertainment Group • Romance story set against the local indie music scene (music by Roots Manuva, tracks from Fatboy Slim's Skint label) and boy racers. • Low-budget production, shot over two years (hence 12 producers!). Locations include London Road, Grand Junction Road, Madeira Drive, Marine Drive, BHASVIC, the seafront and two multi-storey car parks. • The original length was 112 minutes, the version shown at the European Film Market was 100 minutes, the version released in Brazil 89 minutes (the result of censor cuts). The running time given above is for the 'driector's cut' version • Available on DVD
Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging UK/US \| colour \| 100 mins \| 2007, released 25 July 2008 Cast: Georgia Groome, Alan Davies Written by Gurinda Chadha and Paul Mayeda Berges from a novel by Louise Rennison Directed by Gurinda Chadha Produced by Gurinder Chadha and Michelle Fox for Goldcrest Pictures, Internationale Filmproduktion Stella-del-Süd, Nickelodeon Movies, Paramount Pictures • Shot during late September 2007, locations including the beach and The Lanes [right: Camera operator Lucy Bristow tracks backwards along Meeting House Lane, past supporting artiste Celia Twining]. • Available on DVD
Brighton Wok: The Legend of Ganja Boxing UK \| colour \| 85 mins \| 2008, released 3 October 2008 Cast: Richard Forsyth, Randolph Barrington, Samson Byford-Winter, Laura Byford-Winter, Rue Barratt, Nathan Bellringer, Frederic Croizon, Sonny Hartley Directed by Jerry Rothwell for APT Films and Metfilm. • Micro-budget community-based production, filmed over four years on digital video. 'Ninjas are taking over a traditional seaside town. Terrorising locals, killing hippies, blocking supplies of marijuana. Can The Chosen One learn the ancient martial art of Ganja Boxing to save his home town and avenge his past? First he must find The Ganja Master... East meets West in a romantic seaside comedy. With ninjas.' [Film's website] • The film has its own website.
Heavy Load UK \| colour \| 91 mins \| 2008, released 3 October 2008 Cast: Heavy Load (Jimmy Nichols, Michael White, Mick Williams, Paul Richards, Simon Barker) Directed by Jerry Rothwell for APT Films and Metfilm. • Documentary shot over two years about punk band Heavy Load ('Lewes' answer to the Ramones'), which includes some musicians with learning difficulties. • Premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas on 10 March 2008. It won the audience prize at the BritDoc 2008 festival. Also shown at film festivals in Brooklyn, USA; Edmonston, Canada; and Monterrey, Mexico. • Available on DVD
Man in a Box UK \| colour \| 75 mins \| 2008 Cast: Alister O'Loughlin, Claudine Sinnett, Julian Jones, Marisa Abela, Helen Lewis Written by Steven Rhys Lewis, Helen Reade and Mark Bowen Directed and produced by Steven Rhys Lewis for MBX Productions • Low-budget psychological thriller about a kidnapped man confined to an empty concrete room, watched by a security camera and broadcast live on the internet. Filmed in Bexhill-on-Sea, Brighton and Hove.
Ten Dead Men UK \| colour \| 90 mins \| 2008 (released in France 25 January 2009) Cast: Brendan Carr, Terry Stone, Pooja Shah, John Rackham, Keith Eyles Written by Chris Regan from a story by Ross Boyask and Phil Hobden Directed by Ross Boyask for Modern Life, Vitascope Filmed Entertainment and David Hannay Productions • Action crime thriller. Locations include Hove beach, Brighton Marina, Coral Greyhound Stadium, Hove • Premiered in the UK at the End of the Pier International Film Festival in Worthing on 31 March 2009
Conversations with Dead Men UK \| colour \| 62 mins \| 2008 (released 3 August 2008 in Ireland) Written, edited and directed by Peter Regan for Modern Life Produced by Ross Boyask and Phil Hobden • Documentary about the making of Ten Dead Men
The Intimate Strangers are Here UK \| colour \| 94 mins \| 2008 Cast: Matthew Rose, Harry Charrington, James Thomas, Sarah Akokhia, Chris Markham, Monty Burgess Written by Matthew Rose Directed by Chris Markham for Confugium Film • Spoof documentary filmed in Brighton, Worthing and London
Ambleton Delight UK \| colour \| 114 mins \| 2008 Cast: Jos Lawton, Brian Capron, Ernest Worthing, Kristina Ann Howell, Samantha Bolter, Andrew Elias, Duncan Armitage, Judith Ellis-Jones, Sofia Sanchez, Shirley Jaffe, John Hayden Written by Itsuka Yamasaki and Daniel Parkes Directed by Daniel Parkes for Parkes Productions and Ferguson Pictures • Drama about village intrigue, shot mainly in Alfriston, Sussex with actors and crew mainly from the region; scenes also shot at in Brighton at the Marina, Marine Square Gardens and Manor Way, Whitehawk • Premiered at the End of the Pier International Film Festival in Worthing on 25 April 2009.
Bomber UK/US \| colour \| 85 mins \| 2009 Cast: Shane Taylor, Benjamin Whitrow, Eileen Nicholas Written and directed by Paul Cotter for Boris Films • Drama about an old man visiting a German village he accidentally bombed during the Second World War. Filmed mainly in Germany with some scenes in Brighton and Crawley. • Paul Cotter was born in Brighton. • The film has its own website.
Breathe UK \| colour \| 86 mins \| 2009 Cast: Ricci Hartnett, Zara Dawson, Tom Bennett, Lee Otway Directed by Nicholas Winter for Porcelain Film • Action drama shot in London and Brighton.
The Young Victoria UK/US \| colour \| 100 mins \| 2009 (released 6 March 2009) Cast: Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent, Paul Bettany, Harriet Walter Written by Julian Fellowes Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée for GK Films • Dramatisation of the early years of the queen's life and her romance with Prince Albert. Includes scenes shot in Brighton.
The Boat that Rocked UK \| colour \| 129 mins \| 2009 (released 1 April 2009) Cast: Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Nick Frost, Rhys Ifans Written and directed by Richard Curtis for Working Title and Medienproduktion Prometheus Filmgesellschaft in association with Portobello Studios and Tightrope Pictures • Comedy about the pirate radio broadcasters of the mid 1960s. Includes scenes on Brighton beach and seafront.
Heathen UK \| b&w \| 90 mins \| 2009 Cast: Amber Coombs, Tom Rudd, Thomas J Grube, John Hoye, Steve Lorrigan, Grant Tulley Written and directed by Ross Shepherd from a story by Shepherd and Tom Rudd • Low-budget thriller shot in Brighton, Hassocks and Burgess Hill. Locations include Western Road, Grand Parade/Old Steine, Palace Pier, Powis Square, St Bartholomew's Church, Brighton Station, New England Road, Upper North Street, Seven Dials, Sealife Centre.
No Direction Home UK \| b&w \| 64 mins \| 2012 (November) Cast: Juno Jakob, Sophie Ormshaw Directed by Juno Jakob for Straw Lane Productions • Romantic drama, shot in Brighton and Bournemouth for c£1,000.
Once Upon a Crime UK \| colour\| 105 mins \| 2013 (March) Cast: Ray D James, Max Day Written and directed by Christian J Hearn for Jump Start Productions • Crime thriller.
Palace of Fun UK \| colour\| 80 mins \| 2016 (released October 2017) Cast: Andrew Mullan, Phoebe Naughton, Holly Shuttleworth, George Stocks Written by Eadward Stocks and George Stocks Directed by Eadward Stocks • Romantic crime thriller made for a budget of £15,000. Shown at the Raindance Film Festival September 2016.
Brighton & Hove Film & Cinema home page Films made in Brighton introduction

Chronological order
The Big Finish UK \| colour \| 94 mins \| 2000 Cast: Gary Moreline, Tom Woodman, Kevin Bishop, Barry McNicholl, Marcel McCalla, Jane Peachey, Simon Desborough, Ceri Loaring Devised and directed by The Heather Brothers for Slice Films • Low-budget black comedy in which a series of practical jokes at the end of term, filmed with a hand-held camera, go wrong. • Filmed at Varndean College, Surrenden Road, Brighton. • Available on DVD, released by Singa Home Entertainment in 2001.
Circus UK \| colour \| 95 mins \| 2000 (released 5 May 2000) Cast: John Hannah, Famke Janssen, Peter Stormare, Brian Conley, Amanda Donohoe, Eddie Izzard Written by David Logan Directed by Rob Walker for Circus Pictures/Columbia Pictures • Thriller that takes exaggerated liberties with Brighton topography, mixing scenes on the beach west of the Palace Pier, in the Lanes, at the Grand Hotel, Madeira Drive, the marina and elsewhere. The 'nudist beach' is moved to a new location with much greater exposure just below the West Pier and a handy telephone kiosk is found on the beach. The station is not Brighton but West Worthing in disguise. • Available on DVD
Me Without You UK \| colour \| 108 mins \| 2001 Cast: Anna Friel, Michelle Williams, Kyle McLachlan Directed by Sandra Goldbacher • Two London teenage girls grow up together and go to the University of Sussex, which is used as a location. Other Brighton settings include the inevitable seafront and Adelaide Crescent, although for budgetary reasons much of the film was shot in the Isle of Man. The 'pier' looks like a landing stage compared with the Brighton equivalents. • Available on DVD
Motion UK \| colour \| 65 mins \| 2001 Cast: Dean Robinson, Miguel Angel Plaza, Mark Little Written by Thomas Clay and Joseph Lang Directed by Thomas Clay for Pull Back Camera • Low-budget drama filmed about an aging unstable homeless man approaching Christmas on the streets of Brighton. Shot over a period of 18 months for £3,000.
Plato's Breaking Point UK \| colour \| 96 mins \| 2001 Cast: Joe Ferrera, William Halliday, Delphine Lanson, Nabil Elouhabi, Mark Mooney Directed by Nigel Barker for Robark • Low-budget digital video crime drama filmed in London and Brighton.
Redemption Road UK \| colour \| 108 mins \| 2001 Cast: Tony Bluto, Ken Sharrock, Stephen Marcus, with numerous cameos by (among others) Barbara Dickson, Pauline Quirke, Rowland Rivron, John Thomson Directed by Lloyd Stanton Produced jointly by Enterprise Films and Spice Factory, the prolific production company based in Peacehaven. • A comedy road movie with scenes in Brighton, Crawley, Eastbourne and on the South Downs. • Shown at the End of the Pier International Film Festival in Worthing, May 2009
Summer Rain UK \| colour \| 108 mins \| 2001 Cast: Clea Smith, Catherine Sampson, Lara Clancy, Charlie Watts, Paul Vaughan Evans Written by Jonathan Glendening and Chris Rieley Directed by Jonathan Glendening • 'Summer Rain is a colourful, contemporary romantic coming of age drama set against the backdrop of Brighton’s vibrant youth culture. Following three girls in their early 20s sharing a flat, the film observes their interweaving love lives, confused emotions and distant dreams and ambitions, set against a long hot summer, spectacular sunsets and a great soundtrack.' [Website synopsis] Shot on location in Brighton at sites including the Zap Club and the inevitable beach (in Hove as well as Brighton). • Winner of a number of awards at international film festivals, including the Grand Prize at the Director's View Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Roma Independent Film Festival. Shown as part of the fringe at the Brighton Festival 2004. • Available on DVD
Big Beach Boutique II—The movie UK \| colour \| 2002 • Feature-length video recording of a mammoth free concert ('Normstock') between the piers on Brighton beach by Fat Boy Slim (Norman Cook), attended by around 250,000 people. • Available on DVD
Ashes and Sand UK \| colour \| 108 mins \| 2003 Cast: Nick Moran, Lara Belmont, Victoria Scarborough Written by Judy Upton Directed by Bob Blagden for Matador Pictures/Open Road Films • A gang of teenage girls mug young men on the seafront in order to have enough money to get away from Brighton. The gang leader falls in love with a disturbed young detective transferred to Brighton from London. Seafront locations in Brighton but the pier scenes were shot in Worthing. • The film was shown at the Cannes Film Festival on 14 May 2003 and given its UK premiere at the Odeon Kingswest during the Brighton Film Festival on 25 November 2003. • The film has its own website • The film was released on DVD in Italy in 2005.
The Dark Hunter UK \| colour \| 75 mins \| 2003, released 2004 Cast: Mark Jackson, Duncan Cowan, Johnny Oddball Written and directed by Duncan Cowan and Mark Jackson for Digital Guerilla Filmmakers • Comedy about two student filmmakers (Cowan and Jackson, of course) searching for a black panther in the Englsh countryside; filmed in London and Shoreham • Released theatrically by Oddball TV and on DVD by Blackhorse Entertainment
The Blind Spot UK \| colour \| 91 mins \| 2003, unreleased Cast: Daniel Beales, Jerome Blake, Ray Bullock Jr, Michael Instone, Sarah Louise Young Directed, written and produced by Tim Kirkby for Avalon Motion Pictures and Cryptic Coloration •A low-budget feature (£15,000, shot on digital video) set on the coast in and near Brighton [right]. As well as on the beach, at the West Pier and the Marina, the film was shot at the Ocean Rooms club in Morley Street, the Candy Bar cafe in St James's Street and several houses in Kemp Town. • The film won Kirkby the award for best screenplay at the Milan Film Festival.
The Johnna Man UK \| colour \| 105 mins \| 2003, unreleased Cast: Adrian Foiadelli, Adam Pumphrey, Sara Abraham, Jim Briffett, Kevin Akehurst Directed by Kevin Akehurst Written and produced by Adrian Foiadelli for Jimbo Entertainment in association with Modern Life? and Big Cat Productions • 'A story of grief, friendship, love and unnecessary cruelty to goldfish.' When television comedy writer Chris Riseborough returns to his hometown of Brighton to pay his last respects he is brought face to face with the friends that he left behind.
Left for Dead UK \| colour \| 105 mins \| 2002-2004, unreleased Cast: Glenn Salvage, Andy Prior, Gordon Alexander Milne, Adrian Foiadelli, Kevin Akehurst, Adam Pumphrey, Phil Hobden, John Rackham Directed by Ross Boyask Written by Adrian Foiadelli Produced by Phil Hobden for Modern Life in association with Big Cat Productions/Jimbo Entertainment, wholly funded by Boyask and Hobden. • A feature-length martial arts film shot on digital video entirely on location in Brighton, representing 'a cold and unrelenting city called Hope'. The version shown in Cannes was subsequently re-made with three months of shooting, which replaced 45 per cent of the original footage. • Available on DVD
Wimbledon UK/France \| colour \| 98 mins \| 2004, released 24 September 2004 Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Paul Bettany, Sam Neill, Bernard Hill, James McAvoy, Eleanor Bron Written by Adam Brooks and Jennifer Flackett Directed by Richard Loncraine Produced by for Inside Track Films, Working Title Films and Studio Canal. • The main character, an aspiring tennis player (Paul Bettany), hails from Brighton. Scenes shot on Marine Parade and Madeira Drive in the first week of September 2003. • Available on DVD
Andrew and Jeremy Get Married UK \| colour \| 75 mins \| 2004 Features Andrew Thomas, Jeremy Trafford, Hanif Kureishi Directed by Don Boyd. Produced by BBC (Storyville strand) • Feature-length documentary, distilled from 100 hours of footage, about two middle-aged gay men from different social backgrounds who enter a civil partnership. • Nominated for the Joris Ivens Award, Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival 2004 and Best British Documentary at British Independent Film Awards 2005
MirrorMask UK/US \| colour \| 101 mins \| 2005, released 3 March 2006 Cast: Stephanie Leonidas, Gina McKee, Rob Brydon, Jason Barry, Dora Bryan, Andy Hamilton, Stephen Fry, Lenny Henry Directed by Dave McKean from a script by Neil Gaiman and McKean from Gaiman's television drama. Produced by Jim Henson Productions • Fantasy, mostly CGI. A 15-year-old girl from a circus family living in Brighton travels through a world in her imagination. Locations include the Peace Statue. • Won the Black Tulip Award for Best Feature debut at the Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival 2006 and the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the Sarasota Film Festival 2005. • Available on DVD
Richard III UK \| colour \| 54 mins \| 2005 Cast: Jamie Martin, Richard Hawley, Andrew Tiernan, Caroline Burns Cooke, John Rackham, Janet May Written and directed by Maximilian Day, based on Shakespeare's play. • Gang warfare on the Whitehawk estate in east Brighton.
Tan Lines UK/US \| colour \| 83 mins \| 2005 Cast: Nigel Chisholm, Leontine Hass Written and directed by Johnny Williams. • Three sisters go on a driving holiday in the south of France. Filmed in Brighton and London.
Tomorrow UK/US \| colour \| 101 mins \| 2005 Cast: Ben Sansum, Joelle Jane Marshall, Alastair Clayton Written by Stuart Laws Directed by Alastair Clayton for WindowSlaws Productions. • Unemployed and aimless man reviews his life. • Released on DVD by Direct Digital Pictures
The Da Vinci Code --> US \| colour \| 149 mins \| 2006, released 19 May 2006 Cast: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina, Jean Reno, Jürgen Prochnow, Paul Bettany Directed by Ron Howard • Includes scenes shot at Shoreham Airport
From Caliban to Taliban: 500 Years of Humanitarian Intervention US \| colour \| 85 mins \| 2006, released 5 November 2007 Cast: Rob Newman Directed by Dan Martin and Rob Newman for Low Key Productions • Recording of Newman's stand-up comedy performance at the Komedia Theatre in Gardner Street, Brighton. • Released on DVD by Spirit Entertainment
10,000 Cigarettes UK \| colour \| 90 mins \| 2006 Directed by Ross Boyask and Phil Hobden for Modern Life? • Making of a low-budget martial arts movie (Left for Dead, see above).
Fixers UK \| colour \| 85 mins \| 2006, unreleased Directed by Ross Boyask for Modern Life? • A feature-length crime film shot on digital video entirely on location in Brighton.
And When Did You Last See Your Father UK \| colour \| 92 mins \| 2006-07, released 5 October 2007 Cast: Jim Broadbent, Colin Firth, Juliet Stephenson, Gina McKee, Sarah Lancashire, Claire Skinner Written by David Nicholls from Blake Morrison's novel Director: Anand Tucker for Archer Street Productions, Audley Films, EM Media, Father Features, Intandem Films, Number 9 Films • Production was supported by Film4, UK Film Council and Bórd Scannán na hÉireann (the Irish Film Board) • Shooting began in Brighton on 10 October 2006 at the crazy golf near the Palace Pier. • Available on DVD
The Penalty King UK \| colour \| 90 mins \| 2006 (released 7 November 2006) Cast: Nick Bartlett, Clare Grogan, Peter Lorimer, Samantha Beckinsale Written and directed by Chris Cook for Maverik Motion Pictures and Twin Track Films • Football comedy, filmed in Brighton and Leeds. distributed in the UK by Revelation Films. • Available on DVD
January 2nd UK \| colour \| 106 mins \| 2006 Cast: Josephine Butler, Andrew Colver, Rachel Fielding, Ruth Gemmell Written by Ellis Freeman, Robert Murphy, Tony Strong, Matt Winn Directed by Matt Winn for January Films and Globocine International Pictures • Romantic comedy, mainly filmed in Wales but apparently has scenes in Brighton and Storrington. • Exists in two versions of 105 minutes and 95 minutes. • Worldwide all media distribution by WonderPhil Productions. • Available on DVD, distributed by Guerilla Films
London to Brighton [right] UK \| colour \| 85 mins \| 2006, released 1 December 2006 Cast: Lorraine Stanley, Johnny Harris, Georgia Groome, Sam Spruell Written and directed by Paul Andrew Williams. • A prostitute and a young runaway girl escape from London to hide in Brighton. 'Innocence has nowhere to hide.' As The Guardian reviewer Peter Bradshaw put it: 'The journey from London to Brighton has become something else: a journey into the final circle of the inferno. ... It's the best British film of the year.' • The film has its own website. • Available on DVD
Cassandra's Dream US/UK \| colour \| 108 mins \| 2006-07, released (UK) 23 May 2008 Cast: Ewan McGregor, Tom Wilkinson, Hayley Atwell, Colin Farrell, Sally Hawkins, Clare Higgins, Phil Davis, Tamzin Outhwaite Original music by Philip Glass Directed by Woody Allen for The Weinstein Company. • Crime story. Shot in Brighton for two days in late July 2006 on the Palace Pier, the Beach and Black Rock. • The third film shot by Woody Allen in the UK and the first with a British cast. • Generally not regarded as one of his better films, its US release was deferred until after the deadline for Academy Award nominations. • Available on DVD
The Silencer UK \| colour \| 75 mins \| 2007 Cast: Glenn Savage, Maye Choo Written by Steve Lawson Directed by Steve Lawson and Simon Wyndham for Phoenix-i Productions • Low budget bionic-man revenge action thriller. Filmed in Brighton, Evesham and Loughborough • Released on DVD by Blackhorse Entertainment
Dolphins UK \| colour \| 106 mins \| 2007 Cast: Karl Davies, Frank Harper Written and directed by Mark Jay Produced by Mark Jay for Full On Film Productions in association with Carnaby International, Lipsync Productions and Piccadilly Pictures; distributed by Grindstone Entertainment Group • Romance story set against the local indie music scene (music by Roots Manuva, tracks from Fatboy Slim's Skint label) and boy racers. • Low-budget production, shot over two years (hence 12 producers!). Locations include London Road, Grand Junction Road, Madeira Drive, Marine Drive, BHASVIC, the seafront and two multi-storey car parks. • The original length was 112 minutes, the version shown at the European Film Market was 100 minutes, the version released in Brazil 89 minutes (the result of censor cuts). The running time given above is for the 'driector's cut' version • Available on DVD
Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging UK/US \| colour \| 100 mins \| 2007, released 25 July 2008 Cast: Georgia Groome, Alan Davies Written by Gurinda Chadha and Paul Mayeda Berges from a novel by Louise Rennison Directed by Gurinda Chadha Produced by Gurinder Chadha and Michelle Fox for Goldcrest Pictures, Internationale Filmproduktion Stella-del-Süd, Nickelodeon Movies, Paramount Pictures • Shot during late September 2007, locations including the beach and The Lanes [right: Camera operator Lucy Bristow tracks backwards along Meeting House Lane, past supporting artiste Celia Twining]. • Available on DVD
Brighton Wok: The Legend of Ganja Boxing UK \| colour \| 85 mins \| 2008, released 3 October 2008 Cast: Richard Forsyth, Randolph Barrington, Samson Byford-Winter, Laura Byford-Winter, Rue Barratt, Nathan Bellringer, Frederic Croizon, Sonny Hartley Directed by Jerry Rothwell for APT Films and Metfilm. • Micro-budget community-based production, filmed over four years on digital video. 'Ninjas are taking over a traditional seaside town. Terrorising locals, killing hippies, blocking supplies of marijuana. Can The Chosen One learn the ancient martial art of Ganja Boxing to save his home town and avenge his past? First he must find The Ganja Master... East meets West in a romantic seaside comedy. With ninjas.' [Film's website] • The film has its own website.
Heavy Load UK \| colour \| 91 mins \| 2008, released 3 October 2008 Cast: Heavy Load (Jimmy Nichols, Michael White, Mick Williams, Paul Richards, Simon Barker) Directed by Jerry Rothwell for APT Films and Metfilm. • Documentary shot over two years about punk band Heavy Load ('Lewes' answer to the Ramones'), which includes some musicians with learning difficulties. • Premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas on 10 March 2008. It won the audience prize at the BritDoc 2008 festival. Also shown at film festivals in Brooklyn, USA; Edmonston, Canada; and Monterrey, Mexico. • Available on DVD
Man in a Box UK \| colour \| 75 mins \| 2008 Cast: Alister O'Loughlin, Claudine Sinnett, Julian Jones, Marisa Abela, Helen Lewis Written by Steven Rhys Lewis, Helen Reade and Mark Bowen Directed and produced by Steven Rhys Lewis for MBX Productions • Low-budget psychological thriller about a kidnapped man confined to an empty concrete room, watched by a security camera and broadcast live on the internet. Filmed in Bexhill-on-Sea, Brighton and Hove.
Ten Dead Men UK \| colour \| 90 mins \| 2008 (released in France 25 January 2009) Cast: Brendan Carr, Terry Stone, Pooja Shah, John Rackham, Keith Eyles Written by Chris Regan from a story by Ross Boyask and Phil Hobden Directed by Ross Boyask for Modern Life, Vitascope Filmed Entertainment and David Hannay Productions • Action crime thriller. Locations include Hove beach, Brighton Marina, Coral Greyhound Stadium, Hove • Premiered in the UK at the End of the Pier International Film Festival in Worthing on 31 March 2009
Conversations with Dead Men UK \| colour \| 62 mins \| 2008 (released 3 August 2008 in Ireland) Written, edited and directed by Peter Regan for Modern Life Produced by Ross Boyask and Phil Hobden • Documentary about the making of Ten Dead Men
The Intimate Strangers are Here UK \| colour \| 94 mins \| 2008 Cast: Matthew Rose, Harry Charrington, James Thomas, Sarah Akokhia, Chris Markham, Monty Burgess Written by Matthew Rose Directed by Chris Markham for Confugium Film • Spoof documentary filmed in Brighton, Worthing and London
Ambleton Delight UK \| colour \| 114 mins \| 2008 Cast: Jos Lawton, Brian Capron, Ernest Worthing, Kristina Ann Howell, Samantha Bolter, Andrew Elias, Duncan Armitage, Judith Ellis-Jones, Sofia Sanchez, Shirley Jaffe, John Hayden Written by Itsuka Yamasaki and Daniel Parkes Directed by Daniel Parkes for Parkes Productions and Ferguson Pictures • Drama about village intrigue, shot mainly in Alfriston, Sussex with actors and crew mainly from the region; scenes also shot at in Brighton at the Marina, Marine Square Gardens and Manor Way, Whitehawk • Premiered at the End of the Pier International Film Festival in Worthing on 25 April 2009.
Bomber UK/US \| colour \| 85 mins \| 2009 Cast: Shane Taylor, Benjamin Whitrow, Eileen Nicholas Written and directed by Paul Cotter for Boris Films • Drama about an old man visiting a German village he accidentally bombed during the Second World War. Filmed mainly in Germany with some scenes in Brighton and Crawley. • Paul Cotter was born in Brighton. • The film has its own website.
Breathe UK \| colour \| 86 mins \| 2009 Cast: Ricci Hartnett, Zara Dawson, Tom Bennett, Lee Otway Directed by Nicholas Winter for Porcelain Film • Action drama shot in London and Brighton.
The Young Victoria UK/US \| colour \| 100 mins \| 2009 (released 6 March 2009) Cast: Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent, Paul Bettany, Harriet Walter Written by Julian Fellowes Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée for GK Films • Dramatisation of the early years of the queen's life and her romance with Prince Albert. Includes scenes shot in Brighton.
The Boat that Rocked UK \| colour \| 129 mins \| 2009 (released 1 April 2009) Cast: Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Nick Frost, Rhys Ifans Written and directed by Richard Curtis for Working Title and Medienproduktion Prometheus Filmgesellschaft in association with Portobello Studios and Tightrope Pictures • Comedy about the pirate radio broadcasters of the mid 1960s. Includes scenes on Brighton beach and seafront.
Heathen UK \| b&w \| 90 mins \| 2009 Cast: Amber Coombs, Tom Rudd, Thomas J Grube, John Hoye, Steve Lorrigan, Grant Tulley Written and directed by Ross Shepherd from a story by Shepherd and Tom Rudd • Low-budget thriller shot in Brighton, Hassocks and Burgess Hill. Locations include Western Road, Grand Parade/Old Steine, Palace Pier, Powis Square, St Bartholomew's Church, Brighton Station, New England Road, Upper North Street, Seven Dials, Sealife Centre.
No Direction Home UK \| b&w \| 64 mins \| 2012 (November) Cast: Juno Jakob, Sophie Ormshaw Directed by Juno Jakob for Straw Lane Productions • Romantic drama, shot in Brighton and Bournemouth for c£1,000.
Once Upon a Crime UK \| colour\| 105 mins \| 2013 (March) Cast: Ray D James, Max Day Written and directed by Christian J Hearn for Jump Start Productions • Crime thriller.
Palace of Fun UK \| colour\| 80 mins \| 2016 (released October 2017) Cast: Andrew Mullan, Phoebe Naughton, Holly Shuttleworth, George Stocks Written by Eadward Stocks and George Stocks Directed by Eadward Stocks • Romantic crime thriller made for a budget of £15,000. Shown at the Raindance Film Festival September 2016.
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