Tourist spot given a starring role

HIGH above the Derbyshire tourist honeypot of Matlock Bath a film crew are working against the clock to complete an intense shoot on a low-budget film.

Writer-director Nick Whitfield has only six weeks to shoot his debut feature Skeletons, based on his own acclaimed short film.

The Bonsall film-maker secured backing from East Midlands screen agency EM Media and has gathered together a cast that includes Harry Potter actor Jason Isaacs and Andrew Buckley (who played Gobbler in the BBC's Extras) and his comedy partner, Ed Gaughan.

Bonsall has been one of several Derbyshire locations for the movie, but Qt caught up with filming in the midst of three weeks at an isolated farmhouse, perched high above the tourist attractions of Matlock Bath.

The private house was discovered by location manager Vicky Chapman. Left unoccupied and allowed to slowly decay, its overgrown gardens and musty interiors are perfect for the other-wordly atmosphere being created by the film-makers.

Line producer Wendy Bevan-Mogg explained: "Nick came up with this short film and said 'this is the type of feature I want to do'. And the film has grown out of that short using the same actors and with Andy and Ed becoming an integral part of the project. And now it's great to have Jason on board too."

Isaacs, who plays Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies, agreed to spend time in the wilds of Derbyshire after being wowed by the Skeletons short.

"It was fantastic," he says. "The perfect short. It intrigued me and entertained me. It was done with real style and panache so I said 'yes'."

Isaacs is having his microphones sorted out by the sound engineer when Qt arrives on set and is enjoying the unexpected warmth of a perfect spring day.

But the heat is really on for the film crew, with money scarce and a tight schedule to keep to.

"It's been really hard today," says Wendy. "And there's not much margin for error on a low-budget film like this."

But she is delighted with the out-of-the-way location at the far reaches of a dead-end track.

"We are so lucky to have found it," she says. "The great thing about it is that the house in the story is lived in, but although it was once grand, the family are now struggling to keep it together. The real house hasn't been lived in for about five years but it has just been sold and the new owners are taking over once we get out.

"We are doing three weeks filming here. We did 10 days in Bonsall, where Nick lives, as he wrote it for that area. And there are some shots on the moors in and around Bonsall. Then we went to Loughborough train station, Peak Rail and Redhill Marina."

Shooting ends tomorrow, but it will be a while before we see Skeletons – described by Wendy as "a mystical, dramatic, black comedy" – at cinemas.

"There will then be an eight-week picture edit and then we go into sound post and music and so on. We are looking to have a totally finished picture by September. Then we have several sales agents who are very interested so it's very early days regarding the distribution."

We can then expect to see Skeletons at the major film festivals, which play a key role in promoting low-budget movies.

"This is a cracking festival film," says Wendy. "It feels like a very special project so we want to get it right and not rush it.

"It's very unusual. It felt like it could have been whimsical but it's not. It's very heartfelt and moving and also mad and funny at the same time and unlike any other script I have read."

So far, few Matlock folk have noticed the film crew in their midst.

"We filmed a bit in the cafe and park in Matlock, but tucked away up here I don't think anyone knows what we have been up to," says Wendy. "That's what's great about this location. Although there is a footpath that occasionally somebody wanders along and wonders what's going on."