Film action for Marlborough

A Marlborough filmmaker has his sights set on the silver screen again as filming for his team’s latest idea gets underway.

Award-winning director Aaron Falvey from Blenheim and his team are putting together a showcase for prospective financiers and distribution companies.

The opening sequence to A Special Force was shot by Aaron alongside his good friend and writer/producer Justin Eade on Saturday.

Aaron says he and the team are determined to prove themselves themselves on an international level.

“We’re not resting on our laurels; we want to prove ourselves and our vision on the smell of an oily rag.”

Following the release of the Marlborough-made feature action film debut Northspur, Aaron and Justin have been working hard.

Aaron says he was determined to push forward with A Special Force with the help of what he describes as his “Marlborough’s film family.”

“Short projects help to workshop ideas and help with larger form pitches like we’re doing for A Special Force.

“We’re shooting the opening three minutes to introduce our main character through a tense encounter followed by a fast-paced action sequence.

“This means we can present it to interested parties on screen and portray our vision and the competence our team brings”.

The pair’s dystopian action themes from Northspur and their many other acclaimed short films carry over into the new production, along with an almost entirely local crew.

“Survival films where someone’s trying to stay alive at all costs are my favourite - essentially that’s a great model to build any story on because there’s no higher stakes and it’s about enhancing that to match your locations”, says Aaron.

“There’s a dystopian, apocalyptic feel to quite a lot of my work and I feel like that whole example of society breaking down has always been of creative interest to me. For the longest time I couldn’t quite pinpoint why, but it all links back to my enjoyment of survival films”.

Alongside making films, Aaron has also been a leading figure in building the collaborative organisation Top of the South Filmmakers. He understands first-hand the nurturing film community that continues to develop, with three interns on the crew over the weekend.

“Marlborough’s got a great film family that understand how each other operate and all get on well”, Aaron says.

“I’m a big advocate of showcasing Marlborough on the big screen, so having enthusiastic Marlborough filmmakers collaborate, bouncing ideas off one another and drawing on each other’s expertise is great.

“Through more projects using locals as part of the cast, crew and post-production, we can continue to see Marlborough and Marlburians on the silver screen”.

Aaron would like to give special thanks to Sawmill Studios and Screen Marlborough for their fantastic backing in filming the “A Special Force” opening scene.