Peak District villagers to star in Edale-set crime movie

The film is being shot by villagers in and around Edale

Villagers are the stars of a new crime caper film being shot in the Peak District.

About 80 people from Edale, Derbyshire, volunteered to be part of the project, both in front of and behind the camera.

The heist movie is based on a script by writer Mark Wallington, whose work includes 2007 film The Man Who Lost His Head, starring Martin Clunes.

Director Al Boyd said the volunteers were enthusiastic participants in the project.

"They are all there for the joy of doing it but they take it very seriously and want to give the best performance, either on camera or as a crew member, as they can," he said.

About 80 local people volunteered to be part of the project

"It's amazing and so rewarding doing this week-in and week-out."

Mr Boyd, who lives in the village and runs Edale General Store, is a documentarian and is currently studying for an MA in film-making at Manchester Metropolitan University. This is his first feature film.

Filming has started but some locations are still being chosen.

Edale is known to many as the start of the Pennine Way

Mr Wallington, who also lives in Edale, said the idea of making the feature film, which has the working title Just do Something, was born out of the frustration of having to cancel the village's annual pantomime during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said it used material he had, handily, already written.

"I dug out the script and it fitted the village perfectly," he said.

"It was about the school, about local people - and everybody just seemed very keen to be involved.

"We had one meeting and then we started."

Mr Wallington joked the team behind the film was "going to take it to Cannes next year".

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