New British coming of age feature Access All Areas will be released in cinemas from tomorrow, after being filmed in Bristol with the help of Bristol Film Office.
Access All Areas is directed by BAFTA-nominee Bryn Higgins (Unconditional, Electricity), written and produced by Oliver Veysey (The Railway Man) and co-produced by band manager, music and film producer Bill Curbishley (Railway Man, Quadrophenia). The feel-good tale follows an unlikely gang of teens who run from their dysfunctional parents to an island festival to lose themselves in the crowd and find themselves in the music.
Festival scenes were filmed in crowds of 50,000 at Isle of Wight music festival Bestival before production moved to Bristol for a five-week shoot, assisted by Bristol Film Office. Bristol locations featured include the city’s Harbourside area (in particular Princes Wharf and The Balmoral ship, where crowd boarding scenes were shot), Clifton Suspension Bridge, Redland’s Warwick Road and Robertson Road, Stokes Croft/Picton Street area, Ashton Bridge/Brunel Way and Bedminster’s Alfred Road and Eldon Terrace. Locations used in the wider region include Portishead Lido and Clevedon Pier.
Led by a talented young cast starring Ella Purnell (Never Let Me Go, Kick-Ass 2, Maleficent), Georgie Henley (The Chronicles of Narnia trilogy), Edward Bluemel (The Halcyon) and Rizzle Kicks star Jordan Stephens (Glue, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), the film also features veteran British character actors Jo Hartley (Eddie The Eagle, This Is England), Nigel Lindsay (Four Lions), Phil Daniels (Quadrophenia) and Jason Flemyng (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, X-Men).
Having grown up in the West Country, the area was always in my mind as I wrote the script, so I was very happy we could shoot the film in and around Bristol. From Bristol’s city streets and beautiful surrounding countryside, to the vivid colours of the Portishead Lido and the iconic Clevedon Pier, we were able to access an amazing range of locations that would have proved nearly impossible inside the M25. We were not surprised, but nonetheless delighted to find a huge amount of local talent and wonderful crew to work with us.
Writer/Producer Oliver Veysey
It was a pleasure to assist Camden Film Company in the making of this vibrant and dynamic independent British film. Bristol has been the location for a number of films and TV shows featuring young emerging talent, like Skins, Teachers and The Inbetweeners Movie. We’re also a city that celebrates festival culture so it felt very apt that we could support the making of this film with Bristol locations, local crew and facilities, which were all integral to its production.
Natalie Moore, Bristol Film Office
When hapless Heath gets caught up in Mia’s desperate bid for freedom, it catapults them and their friends on a wild road-trip through the beautiful British countryside to the Isle of Sounds festival and the greatest show on earth. Nothing goes to plan, but if they can get hold of some tickets and survive the crowds, toilets, aerial acrobats, chaos, Swedish hipsters, as well as the unwelcome appearance of their maniacal parents, it promises to be an unforgettable weekend.
The Access All Areas soundtrack, set to be released on Universal, features music from Faithless, Tame Impala, Future Islands, Royal Blood and Disclosure plus live performances from The Who and Underworld.
Access All Areas is in UK cinemas from 20th October 2017.