Places Features

We all like our moment of fame, but it seems Leicestershire has become a bit of a film star in its own right.

Locations around the county have been used for many Hollywood blockbusters. Films including The Hours starring Nicole Kidman and Enigma starring Kate Winslet.

The Great Central Railway was featured in Cemetery Junction, the eagerly anticipated directorial debut from comics Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.

BBC Leicester's Julie Mayer took a trip to the popular location with Dan Hodges, who's the Locations Executive for East Midlands Media...

Dan believes that GCR is still in its original form, which makes it a great location for period films.

"It's a perfect location for so many films that have been shot over the last few years, and most recently about two weeks ago.

"Ricky Gervais was here and filmed for nearly a week shooting his latest film."

The GCR has also been used for 'Bronson', 'The Hours', 'Enigma', and TV programmes like 'Miss Marple'.

EM Media has pledged to make the East Midlands the number one destination for film and TV productions.

Listen: Bell Foundry

Taylors, Eayre & Smith Bell Foundry in Loughborough has also been used as a location for the film Cemetery Junction.

BBC Leicester's Ben Jackson spoke Jill Clarke from the company about her experience...

Jill says that it was interesting, but disruptive to the running of the foundry. "It stopped production for a couple of days and it was more involved than I thought it was going to be."

However there can be advantages for film companies to use your business or home in their production. Jill is now an extra in the Ricky Gervais film.

"It's just a passing shot of the back of my head and all the guys at our place were extras in the day the film crews spent at the bell foundry."

Jill believes that the experience was a team building exercise.

Listen: Why Leicestershire?

EM Media is an organisation, which aims to facilitate film crews coming to the region to shoot and they have launched their campaign at the Great Central Railway to put Leicestershire on the top of location touts lists.

BBC Leicester's Martin Ballard spoke to Debbie Williams, the Chief Executive, to find out why the company chose Leicestershire to launch their Film Friendly campaign...

"So many of the films we finance are shot here at the Great Central Railway – it's a fantastic location. We have found that film crews do come into the region and do take to it."

Other films Debbie mentions that have been shot in Leicestershire are forthcoming films Pelican Budd and Skeletons.

"It has an incredible atmosphere here, and we always get so much positive feedback from the film crews about how well they're looked after, how well the location looks on screen as well.

"We've always found Leicestershire a great place to work and it felt fitting that we launched this initiative with Leicestershire promotions."

EM Media also co-funds some films. "We have a burgeoning film industry within this region anyway and there is exceptional talents already based in this region.

"So certainly we're seeing stars who live and work here everyday on the global stage.

"These other films coming in is all part of generating the industry and growing the industry here, which makes work for the crew, the facilities companies and also acting talent directors and writers.

"There's a real melting pot of talent here anyway and that's part of the attraction when crews come here. They know they don't have to bring a crew member to do every job, they know they can hire locally."

Debbie believes that the films EM Media have supported in 2007 and 2008 has contributed around 32 million to the local economy.

She also feels that it's a growing industry. "We absolutely welcome more and more Bollywood projects here, it's absolutely the right environment."

The organisation is always looking for unusual locations - it could be your home?