Page still under construction; subject to revision

Listing for the silent era
Listing for the sound era

link to Internet Movie Database   link to BFI FIlm & TV Database

Change of Heart
UK | b&w | ?? mins | 1951
Directed by Peter Whale for British Movietonenews
• Dramatised documentary about farm animal welfare, sponsored by the RSPCA and made at Brighton Film Studios

London to Brighton in Four Minutes
UK | b&w | 6 mins | 1952
Produced by the BBC Film Unit
• Beloved of all who watched television in the 1950s—and especially of us young boys who enjoyed it more than most of the regular programmes (honest!)—this is the high speed journey from Victoria Station in London to Brighton. Shot at 2fps from the front of a Brighton Belle train, it was shown many times, unannounced, as an 'interlude'. The lines and the trackside are remarkably unchanged.
• The film was remade by the BBC in 1983 (see below).

The Mask
UK | b&w | 28 mins | 1953
Cast: Robert Ayres, Cecile Chevreau
Directed by Don Chaffey for Park Lane Films
• Crime thriller made at Brighton Film Studios.
• Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division in the USA holds a copy.

Playground Express
UK | b&w | 17 mins | 1955
Cast: Peter Butterworth, Humphrey Kent
Directed by John Irwin for Grendon Films and Children’s Film Foundation
• Distributed by British Lion
• A Brighton funfair manager leads children in their campaign against a killjoy who wants to shop them having fun. Filmed on location and at Brighton Film Studios.

The Brighton Story (aka Beside the Seaside)
UK | colour | 24 mins | 1956
Directed by Pamela Bower for Wardville Films
Cinematography: Walter Lassally
• Documentary narrated by Alec Clunes

Promenade
UK | Eastmancolor | 40 mins | 1968
Cast: Robert Morris, Kate O'Mara
Directed and written by Dominic Winter for Donwin Films.
• Set during the 1967 Arts Festival, locations include the West Pier, the Dome and the Lanes.
• Released as support for Planet of the Apes.

London to Brighton in 3½ Minutes (1983)
Produced by BBC Television
• A colour remake of the classic 1952 'interlude', shot on 15 July 1983 and timed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the electrification of the London to Brighton line. Contrary to the created impression, it is only the speed of the time-lapse cinematography that has increased, not the speed of the trains!

Within the Woods
UK | 1991
• Amateur chiller that was a finalist in the Opportunity Shocks competition run by Dark Side magazine. No further details

Boyz Gone Bad
UK | b&w | 23 mins | 1996
Cast: Glenn Salvage, Steve Scott, Richard Mounter, Tom Hay, P L Hobden
Written and directed by Ross Boyask and Phil Hobden
Produced by Phil Hobden for Modern Life
• Thriller. Filmed at Brighton Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College (BHASVIC)

Awayday
UK | colour | 30 mins | 1997
Cast: David Comerford, Tom Golding, Rachel Mail, Shanie Hanley, Daniel Coogan, Sya Linghan
Written and directed by Colin Finbow for the Children's Film Unit
• Two boys visit Brighton in August to pick up girls.

Dance of Shiva
UK | colour | 26 mins | 1998
Cast: Richard Branagh, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Julian Glover, Paul McGann
Directed by Jamie Payne for Epiphany Productions
• A short film, photographed by Jack Cardiff, about a British army chaplain who questions his faith as hundreds of Hindu soldiers risk their lives for the Empire in the First World War. Includes scenes of the Royal Pavilion. The film was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Short Film.

Fixing to Blow
UK | colour | 30 mins | 1998
Written by Ross Boyask and Phil Hobden
Directed by Ross Boyask for Modern Life
• Thriller.

Lone Wolf
UK | colour | 15 mins | 1998
Written by Ross Boyask and Phil Hobden
Directed by Ross Boyask for Big Cat Productions
• Martial arts movie.

Sleep
UK | colour | 10 mins | 2001
Written and directed by Matthew Thomson.
• 'Who can you turn to when no one can help?' Shot on Super 16mm. Winner of the 1st Triggerstreet short film festival.
• This film is available for inclusion on a Triggerstreet DVD

Whoosh
UK | colour | 10 mins | 2002
Cast: Deborah Asante, Amanda Ryan, Mark Wyman
Written and directed by Rozi Peters for Sweet Child Films

You're Gonna Wake Up One Morning
UK | colour | 28 mins | 2003
Cast: Cary Crankston, Robert Cohen, Don Letts, Julie Mayhew, Nick Miles Written and directed by Mark Jay
• Romantic comedy adventure story about punks and Goths.

Lone Wolf 2: Break Time
UK | colour | 15 mins | 2003
Written by Ross Boyask and Phil Hobden
Directed by Ross Boyask for Modern Life?
• Martial arts movie shot at Sky Gym, Brighton.

Homecoming
UK | colour | 15 mins | 2003 (released 1 November 2003)
Cast: Andrew Greenhough, Gillian Kearney
Written and directed by Emma Farrell for Piper Films and Six Foot High Films
• Drama about a Kosovan refugee family.

Gone
UK | colour | 10 mins | 2005
Cast: Danny Young, Pippa Moss
Directed by Matthew Thompson for UK Film Council/Lighthouse/BBC Films
• Filmed on location in Brighton, mostly interiors, with opening and closing shots on the seafront at Black Rock.
• BBC Three Film Maker Award Winner 2003. The film can been viewed on the BBC website

You're Gonna Wake Up One Morning
UK | colour | 28 mins | 2003
Cast: Cary Crankson, Robert Cohen, Don Letts, Julie Mayhew
Written, directed and produced by Mark Jay.
• A romantic comedy

To Kill a Kieran
UK | colour | 40 mins | 2005
Cast: Zoe Buckby, Kieran Lyons, Mark Powell, Craig Williams, Laura Williams, Julius Zagon
Directed by Mark Powell for Lo' Cash Productions
• Comedy horror film about a serial killer escaped from an asylum.

Candy Bar Presents Lesbian Pop Idol!
UK | colour | 25 mins | 2005
Cast: Zoe Buckby, Kieran Lyons, Mark Powell, Craig Williams, Laura Williams, Julius Zagon Directed by Jo Gell and Rachel Venia Woodgate
• Documentary about a singing contest.

From the Top Down
UK | colour | 35 mins | 2006
Directed by Daniel Vockins
• Documentary alleging financial mismanagement at the University of Sussex. [Source: The Independent, 22 June 2006]
• The film can be viewed online and is (was?) available as a free DVD on request.

Peerless: Memories from the West Pier
UK | colour | 15 mins | 2006
Directed by Daniel Parkes for Brighton Film School & Studio
• Lyrical dramatised documentary about the now ruined pier.

Bird Feeder
UK | colour/b&w | 10 mins | 2007
Cast: Alex Davison, Mark Duncan, Olga Fedori
Written by Benjamin Pester
Directed by Jo Barnes Tidbury for Red Bag Pictures
• Dystopian fantasy about a city (Southampton) where seagulls have taken over. Made for Screen South as part of the UK Film Council's Digital Shorts project on a £10,000 budget.

Theatre of Souls
UK | colour | 9 mins | 2007
Cast: Brandy Doubleday, David Keyes, Dino Antonio, J P Turner
Written and directed by John Hoye for Operating Productions
• Horror film
• The whole film can be viewed online

Cregan
UK | colour | 11 mins | 2009
Cast: Ciaran FLynn, Brendan Mackey, Branwell Donaghey, John MacCrossan, David Irvine Written by Kefi Chadwick and David Irvine
Directed by Stephen North for Broadley Productions and Screen South
• Shot in Brighton and Larne, County Antrim.

Constable 027
UK | colour | 15 mins | 2009
Directed by Christopher Lee Ball
• Documentary about recently recruited police officer Llanden Gadd. Shot in Brighton and Haywards Heath.

Newsreels and other documentaries
These have yet to be fully logged. Among those already identified is a wartime film, possible for Movietone News or the Ministry of Information, of work being done at the Allen West & Co engineering works in Lewes Road.
Pathé News
1951 Memorial to Movie Pioneer—shows the unveiling of the plaque to William Friese-Greene at 20b Middle Street by Michael Redgrave in the presence of Graham Friese-Greene (his third son), John Boulting, director of The Magic Box, and the mayor.

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Films made in Brighton introduction