The Brent Magazine issue 87 February 2009
Brent on film
Every year movies, programmes and music videos are filmed across Brent, including some romantic dramas and shows.
If you are settling down to watch a romantic film on Valentine's Day there is a chance some of the scenes could be familiar.
The borough has been growing in popularity as a place to film many popular dramas, comedies and films - including three shows on the theme of love and relationships.
One of the most well-known romantic comedies filmed in Brent was the Richard Curtis film 'Love Actually'.The film, released in 2003, included interior scenes between the characters Karen, played by Emma Thompson, and Harry, played by Alan Rickman, which were shot in a house in Mowbray Road, Brondesbury Park.
Another programme familiar to many residents was the BBC1 show 'Love Soup' which starred the Kensal Rise-based actress Tamsin Greig. It was first shown in 2005 and returned for a second series in 2007.
The comedy was filmed at locations across the borough including inside shots of the Willesden Working Men's Club in Villiers Road, and interiors in Mapesbury Road, Stanley Gardens and Aylestone Avenue.
The comedy-drama looked at the love lives of three women working in the make-up department of a central London department store, and focussed on the mixed love life of Tasmin Greig's character Alice Chenery.
More recently was the ITV1 drama 'Talk to Me' starring Max Beesley as Mitch Moore.The show was shot in Kempe Road, Kensal Rise, Pember Road, Chevening Road, and in Kensal Green Cemetery in Harrow Road.
Brent Council's Business Development Assistant Louise Inder said : "There are many excellent film spots in Brent.The borough has everything from terraced Victorian houses and thatched cottages to high-rise housing blocks.
"The borough has a bustling and vibrant atmosphere and a multi-cultural feel which complements many of the film locations which contemporary producers look for."
The film office arranges licenses and parking for film crews and makes sure that filming can be undertaken smoothly and cause minimum disturbance to residents.
They also help location managers to find the right location for their filming and has a database of residents who are willing for their homes to be used. Residents are paid by agreement with the film company, which sometimes make a donation to local residents' associations.
For more information, take a look at www.brent.gov.uk/film or call or contact Brent Council's Film Office on 020 8937 1076 or email filming@brent.gov.uk