may 2010 news 

Thanks to your votes Screen East can now say "Congratulations" to Jon Dunleavy and Keith Wilson Singer. Three weeks ago they asked for your help and now their Digital Short, 'Crash! Bang! Wallow?' won the National Film Board of Canada Online Competition – Cannes 2010! The film was shortlisted to 10 from 1300 short films entered into the Cannes Short Film Corner and was voted for on YouTube by the public – well done to everyone involved in the film!

Ridley Scott’s medieval epic Robin Hood, which filmed on location in Hertfordshire, has the honour of opening the 63rd Cannes Film Festival this year and is released nationwide on May 14th

Oscar winner Russell Crowe stars as the legendary crusader of the people, Robin Hood, whose exploits have long been immortalised on the silver screen. Set in 13th century England, Robin (Russell Crowe) and his band of marauders confront corruption in a local village and lead an uprising against the crown. Robin must also win the affection of the recently widowed Lady Marian (Cate Blanchett) while leading his Merry Men of Sherwood Forest to victory and fairness. The film reunites English director Ridley Scott and Hollywood great Russell Crowe whose previous collaborations include multi Oscar award winning Gladiator.

The National Trust’s Ashridge Estate located in Dacorum Borough of Hertfordshire on the edge of the Chiltern Hills took a starring role in the Hollywood epic. Extensive scenes were filmed at Thunderdell Wood, a 17th Century plantation featuring a range of mature trees where the woodland depicted the road to London. A medieval farmstead was also constructed to film scenes where Robin and his Merry Men stopped to ask directions. A field in the park immediately adjacent to the wood was used to house an enormous unit base of over 600 cast and crew who were on location at the Ashridge Estate for four months, equating to six days worth of shooting.

Graeme Cannon, Property Manager at Ashridge Estate, said: “The income the filming generated to the property was very important, however it was also great fun and hard work to be involved in such a major production with such a high profile director and cast”.

The film friendliness and diverse range of locations available in the East of England means that Hollywood blockbusters such as Robin Hood are regularly filming on location in the region. Screen East, the regional screen agency for the East of England, estimates £38.5 million has been generated in the regional economy during 2009/10 as a result of film and television location filming, which includes films such as Robin Hood, Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Part I, Inception and Gulliver’s Travels, all of which are due for release later this year.

Kerry Ixer, Head of Locations and Inward Investment at Screen East, said: “Despite the challenging environment for television, which has had an impact on location filming activity in some areas, feature film is alive and well. This has resulted in a record year for location filming in 2009/10 giving local East of England businesses a valuable economic boost through location fees and the purchase of local skills and services”.

Robin Hood is the latest release to feature on Scene on Screen – www.sceneonscreen.co.uk – an interactive movie map promoting accessible locations that have appeared in popular film and television programmes in the East of England. From the early silent and first ‘talkies’ produced by Directors such as Hitchcock to well know war time classics such as 633 Squadron and the Battle of Britain, leading attractions in the region have appeared on both big and small screens around the globe. Blockbusters such as George Lucas’ Indiana Jones trilogy and the first four Star Wars movies have all been filmed here. As a result leading locations have played host to some of the world’s best known screen characters including James Bond, Batman, Bridget Jones, Blackadder, Dr Who, Harry Potter, Del Boy and now Robin Hood!

ReAnimate the new 12 months development programme for female animators and screenwriters by Birds Eye View and Warp Films is now accepting application. Focussing on the worlds of screenwriting and animation, we will select up to 20 exceptional British women and equip them with the contacts and creative support they need to produce smart, commercial, animation ideas for the international marketplace. Apply now!

Find detailed information about the programme and the application process at:
http://www.birds-eye-view.co.uk or www.warp.net/films

Screen East animation in online competition – VOTE NOW!
Jon Dunleavy and Keith Wilson Singer’s animation Crash! Bang! Wallow? Is in the final ten films shortlisted for the National Film Board of Cananda’s on line short film competition.
Now in its sixth year, the contest is organized by the National Film Board of Canada in collaboration with the Cannes Short Film Corner and in association with YouTube. It features ten short films from Canada, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Iran, the United States, the Czech Republic, Algeria and Italy, selected from the numerous Short Film Corner entries. The Short Film Corner is the meeting place for young creators at the Cannes Film Festival, attracting entries from around the world. The ten films from last year’s contest were viewed close to 180,000 times on the NFB’s English and French YouTube channels.

May 4 to 17 is your chance to vote online for your favourite short among the finalists of the 6th NFB Short Film Contest – Cannes 2010. Just go to www.nfb.ca/cannes or www.youtube.com/nfb