Golden Years, written by TV presenter Nick Knowles, Jeremy Sheldon and BAFTA award winning writer/director John Miller, filmed at The Bottle Yard Studios and across Bristol facilitated by Bristol Film Office, will be released in cinemas across the UK from 29 April 2016.
MoliFilms Entertainment based the production at The Bottle Yard Studios production offices and filmed in purpose built sets in Tank House 2, using local crew. The feature also filmed across Bristol with the support of Bristol Film Office who scouted and sourced locations including banks and private homes, and facilitated filming in the centre around Corn Street / Clare Street and at The Ardagh Sports Club bowling green. In excess of 100 extras were recruited via their social media platforms and they coordinated various unit basis throughout the city including Redcliffe Wharf and Horfield Common.
John Miller, Writer / Director said: ‘The temptation for so many film projects is to run the well-trodden route to the studios and facilities of London. From the start I was adamant that we would film Golden Years in Bristol using local talent and the fantastic facilities on offer here for film makers.
“I’m passionate about Bristol as a city to both live and work in and was keen to prove to London based MoliFilms that Bristol not only has everything needed for feature film but that it also can do it at a very competitive rate. Good old Bristol didn’t disappoint. The Bottle Yard Studios are getting quite a name and having worked there I can understand why. They have great studio space on offer at very reasonable prices and Fiona and her team know exactly what a production needs to make things run smoothly. They could easily accommodate our unit base and we were able to set up our production offices on site just minutes away from we were filming in one of the huge tank houses. With the lighting company 180° Rental, plus grips and props and scene building all on site you don’t have to go anywhere else. All round great experience, we’ll be back!
“Bristol has such a diverse range of locations within a small area which make it very attractive to film makers. In order to capitalise on them we worked closely with The Bristol Film Office. We couldn’t have made it without the help and invaluable knowledge of Natalie and her team. They are so well connected and willing to help that they should be the first port of call for any production looking to film in and around the area.’
Fiona Francombe, Site Director of The Bottle Yard Studios, said: ‘We were thrilled to host the production of Golden Years at The Bottle Yard Studios and to add another feature film to our catalogue. John Miller, who is from the region, is well known to us from his work on Andy’s Prehistoric series for CBeebies and it was a pleasure working with him again and to see local crew employed across the production. It’s another endorsement of the creative talent pool in the South West and further cements Bristol’s reputation for film production and its strong infrastructure.’
Natalie Moore, Bristol Film Office, said: ‘With the city’s reputation in providing period locations, we were delighted to see this home-grown independent movie utilising the wealth of modern urban settings that the city has to offer and to be able to assist the team from pre-production to the end of filming. Our call out for extras was a huge success and it was wonderful to offer this exciting opportunity to our local community – it’s not often you get the chance to star alongside the likes of Bernard Hill and Una Stubbs on the big screen.’
Golden Years, a comedy heist with a heart, features an all-star cast of some of the UK’s most established and respected actors from stage, screen and television including Bernard Hill (Lord of The Rings, Unforgotten), Virginia McKenna (Born Free, Sliding Doors), Alun Armstrong (New Tricks, Bleak House), Brad Moore (Montana, NorthvSouth), Sue Johnston (Downton Abbey, The Royle Family), Una Stubbs (Sherlock), Simon Callow (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Amadeus), Phil Davis (Whitechapel, Poldark), Ellen Thomas (Eastenders, Rev) and Mark Williams (The Harry Potter series).
Golden Years is produced by Mark Foligno (The Kings Speech, Moon, The Rise) and associate-produced by Lucy Selwood, Tanya Beadle and Jolien Buijs.
Fate, the financial crisis and a stubborn refusal to accept the injustices of old age have forced law-abiding, retired couple Arthur and Martha Goode into a life of crime (played by Bernard Hill and Virginia McKenna). Refusing to take the loss of their pensions lying down and simply fade away into their declining years, our characters decide to fight back and take back what’s rightfully theirs. Their plan is simple: hit a series of banks and steal back their pensions along with those of their similarly stricken friends. After all, no one would expect an elderly couple towing a caravan behind their sensible Rover of being a modern-day Bonnie-and Clyde? Pretty soon, their friends are recruited to form a motley band of unusual suspects and they prepare to take down the biggest bank of all.