Movie Magic Magazine: October/November 2004

The Oggywood Hills

Cornish film has a bright future. Film producers have long enjoyed an affair with the county and the looming Cornish Film Festival is set to debut the cream of our local filmmaking talent. Becky Matthews investigates Cornwall’s trendiest industry.

Imagine Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston relaxing on board a yacht in Mount’s Bay, Ben Affleck swigging a pint of Cornish scrumpy, the sight of a stretch limo becoming as common as a tractor on local roads. Picture Nicole Kidman donning a Cornish smock or Renee Zellwegger nibbling on a saffron bun. It could happen. The glittering lights and dazzling glamour of the Hollywood hills may seem a long way from those of Cornwall but our own rugged slopes and dramatic coastline are inspiring film makers within the county and beyond.

The versatile landscape of Cornwall appears made to be captured on the screen. The sweeping beaches, historic fishing villages and moorland strewn with the relics of our prehistoric ancestors and mining forefathers have an atmosphere to stir the most unimaginative amongst us. And filmmakers know it. Ladies in Lavender, due to be released in October, was filmed at a number of local locations including Helston and Cadgwith. The picturesque settings are surely as impressive as the cast that boasts Dame Maggie Smith and Dame Judi Dench amongst its stars.

Filming on location in Cornwall is nothing new. A number of films have been made locally, Straw Dogs and Blue Juice being just two examples. More recently, the domes of the Eden Project were used to striking effect in the Bond movie, Die Another Day. What is new, however, is our very own film studios that can offer production facilities for international projects in breathtaking surroundings.

London-based film producer Alex Swan, who secured European Objective One funding to back the ambitious project, masterminded South West Film Studios in St Agnes. Nicknamed ‘Aggywood’ by locals, the studio enjoys strong links with Falmouth College of Arts and the facilities at its media centre. Scenes from the forthcoming horror movie, Cold and Dark, were recently made there; the crew also shot at locations such as Falmouth Docks and Truro.

Cornwall’s most important location, however, is Charlestown Harbour. As well as an idyllic setting, Charlestown boasts a magnificent harbour steeped in maritime history and facilities for film and TV crews. Square Sail Shipyard have been involved in the film industry for over 25 years and their ships are used in many far-flung locations as well as Charlestown.

With an atmosphere to get directors frothing at the mouth, the quaint location has been home to many historic dramas including the Hornblower series and the BBC’s Scarlet Pimpernel, as well as films such as Rebecca and Moll Flanders. Productions of this scale undoubtedly give a welcome boost to the economy. Southwest Screen estimates that film production generated £2.5 million for the region in 2003.

But A-list movie stars and enormous film crews aside, it seems Cornwall is nurturing a plentiful supply of homegrown film making talent. O-Region, a production company founded in 2002 by Carl Grose, Simon Harvey and Oliver Berry, was established to support the aspirations of local creative talent, be it in acting, directing, writing, art or film making. Having observed that films were being made by locals but lacked a venue to screen them, the founders decided to launch a night to show the work of new directors. Named Roughcut, the event’s open submission policy means a wide range of films are shown, from dramas and animation to documentaries. Such is the appetite for emerging filmmaking talent, Roughcut is now a regular monthly event at bar 200 in Truro.

Have you got visions of settling into a director’s chair and bellowing orders through a megaphone? The prospect of making your own film need not be such a distant dream. Cornwall Film Fund was established with the aim of boosting the Cornish film industry. In distributing financial support from Objective One, Cornwall County Council and South West Screen, the body has provided local filmmakers with the backing to make these visions a reality.

Cornwall Film Fund has launched a bid to secure Objective One funding until the end of 2006. If successful, the funding will invest in media development and production in Cornwall and the marketing and distribution of Cornish films. Development Executive Pippa Best comments, “We want to support Cornwall’s fantastic talent and encourage filmmakers to use Cornwall as a location.”

Since 2001, the body has financed the development of 45 screenplays and the production of ten short films. A screening of local films in London caught the attention of some notable figures in the industry earlier this year. As well as the visual delights, a feast of pasties and mead made this quite a unique event for producers in the capital.

South West Screen, the film, television and digital media agency, offer further opportunities for local filmmakers and scriptwriters. As well as providing information for film crews hunting for specific locations, the agency encourages both scriptwriters and directors by offering guidance and funding in furthering their ambitions. Aspiring scriptwriters can receive critical feedback from the Scripts Consultant Bank. There are also training courses and bursaries with the aim of developing scripts for film and TV to the standard of attracting production financiers.

So whether you want to write or direct, there’s no excuse not to give it a shot. And this year’s Cornish Film Festival will be screening the work of those who have done just that. After the success of last year’s event, this year’s festival promises more great films including international premieres, an impressive list of inspirational guest speakers and the winner of last year’s Govynn Kernewek award to produce a film in the Cornish Language, The Kernow Kick-Ass Kung Fu Kweens by Carl Grose. Offering a wide range from feature films, short films and documentaries to animation and student work, there really is entertainment to suit all tastes.

The event takes place from 12-14 November at Falmouth Arts Centre with some workshops taking place at Falmouth College of Arts. The next issue of Movie Magic will be reviewing this highlight in the Cornish film industry’s calendar.

So the films are flocking and our county is the star. Whether you want to be making films or watching them, making the most of Cornwall’s time in the spotlight could be a major factor in the regeneration of the county. Whether the attention lasts fifteen minutes or the county becomes a future legend in cinematic history remains to be seen. But if nothing else, it should inspire a little more of that Cornish pride.

It is advisable to book tickets for Roughcut. For more information call (01872) 274347
More information on South West Screen can be found on their website www.swscreen.co.uk

Article kindly supplied by Movie Magic Magazine