winning Borley Rectory film champions Essex talent
The film 'Borley Rectory: The Awakening' won best thriller at the National Film Awards, with the production team emphasizing their commitment to using local Essex talent and locations. The director highlights the difficulty of breaking into the film industry and the value of regional community support.
Why it matters
Highlights the importance of regional film production and the economic impact of localizing creative industries.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Henry Godfrey-Evans Essex Catherine Frawley Samantha Anderson played the ghost nun, which required several hours in the make-up chair An award-winning film crew have stressed the importance of shopping local for movie-making.
Borley Rectory: The Awakening is a story based on the famous Victorian mansion in Essex also known as "the most haunted house in England" and it won best thriller at the National Film Awards on 1 July.
While the building itself, in the village near Halstead, burned down in the 1930s, the crew stayed in the county to film at Ingatestone Hall instead, another place renowned for its ghost stories.
It was a very intentional move by director Steven M Smith, 52, who said his production company was "specifically set up" to prioritise Essex filming locations and crew.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in