Northamptonshire movie filmed at gin distillery serves up dark comedy infused with body disposal
Fresh from the editing suite, a new short film produced and filmed in Northamptonshire is ready for release – and the team behind the project is very excited.
Mini movie Distill Bill used Harrington-based Warner’s – famed for its wide range of farm-produced gins – as the inspiration and location for the two-day shoot thanks to owner Tom Warner.
Fortunately not inspired by real events, the gin distillery in the idyllic village has provided the back drop for a grisly secret.
Star and producer of Distill Bill, Martyn Spendlove, has collaborated on the project with Daventry film director Luke Worrall following a successful project that came out of the Northampton Film Festival.
Kettering-based Martyn said: “It’s a black comedy. I had an idea for a location – quintessentially British. So I got in touch with Tom, and he said ‘yes’. I’m eternally thankful to Tom.”
But that’s where the similarity ends with Warner's botanical-infused artisan products ends.
The story developed by Martyn and Luke unfolds after a village police officer stumbles across an alternative use for the still – as a method of disposing of bodies.
Martyn, plays ‘dependable’ distillery worker Nigel Brown who lives a quiet life in a nearby town and always does what he is told to do.
So when the officer notices something strange, the gang is left with a difficult choice to hide or turn him into their newest product.
Director Luke said: “Filming in Northamptonshire, surrounded by stunning scenery and a talented crew, made this project truly special.
“Its amalgamation of parts create a story unique to the midlands.
“From the very beginning, I wanted to create a narrative that is as universal as it is absurd. Distill Bill delves into the depths of a shadowy underworld, navigating through the macabre and the relatable with a lens that is both sharp and compassionate.
"The film's humour is dark, yet it serves as a mirror to the realities we often shy away from, the inevitability of death and the way me deal with death as a collective.”
Shot over two weekends in September 2024, Warner’s head distiller Jeremy Stephens features in a very brief cameo driving a truck.
Using two cameras the footage has gone through a strict editing process and even features special effects.
Martyn admits he has been influenced by the dark comedies of filmmaker Edgar Wright, best known for his comedic film trilogy Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World's End.
With much of the dialogue improvised by cast members, from characters created by Martyn and Luke, the crew and actors, who are based across the midlands, will sit down to watch the 12-minute masterpiece together later this month.
Then the film will be submitted to film festivals including Coventry Phoenix Festival and Birmingham Film Festival.
Martyn said: “The goal of the film is to get it into film festivals to attract audiences to see our work with a view to finding opportunities to produce bigger projects soon.”
For more information about Warner’s range of products click here.