A GROUP of friends aim to put a town on the cinematic map with an independent film.
Mark Timmins, 27, of Skinnergate, Darlington, wrote the script to dark comedy Medicine six years ago, but never found the money or the right time to make the film.
After saving up enough to buy camera and editing equipment, he has assembled a mainly local cast and crew and his vision is now becoming a reality.
He said: “There are not enough films shot in the North, and we are here to make a little project just to prove that it is possible.
“It is not something that is done very often – a crew of friends getting together to put something out there that is a bit different and truly independent.”
The story centres around two Darlington men, Tim and Tom, played by Mr Timmins and his friend Tom Langlands, 27, who wake up after a night out and cannot remember anything from the night before.
Once they realise their girlfriends have been murdered, they set out to track down the killers, unaware they are the ones responsible for the deaths. Mr Timmins said: “It is comic, but it is also dark, and we wanted to offset that with the beautiful scenery that we have got in the Darlington area.
“It is being filmed completely in the town, mostly in the West End, Hummersknott and Mowden areas, and it is going really well.
“It is great to see the words I wrote six years ago coming to life.”
Michael Altoft, a 25-year-old actor and former member of Darlington Operatic Society, is appearing in the film before starting a three-year acting degree at university in Buckinghamshire.
He said: “Mark has really captured the way that people talk around here. Compared to films that I have done down South, this is completely different.
“It is very Northern and also local to Darlington, and as it is my home town, that really appealed to me.”
The ten-strong cast and crew are filming until the end of the month, and Mr Timmins expects it will take him three months to edit the film, working it around his day job at HMV.
Once complete, he plans to enter Medicine in independent film festivals across the country in the hope that it will be picked up by distributors for release.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here