Chiswick in film
Oct 19, 2022
More than 30 feature films have sequences which were shot in Chiswick – several of them Oscar and BAFTA winning. There have also been a number of TV series and commercials shot in W4.
Dennis Firminger was the Film Officer for LB Hounslow for nearly 15 years (2003 – 2017), based in Chiswick Town Hall. He talked to The Chiswick Calendar about his time organising location shoots for production companies and spoke about it at the inaugural Chiswick In Film festival in October 2022.
Dennis’s role was to find and promote potential locations and, charging the film production companies fees on behalf of property owners, which included LB Hounslow.
The Town Hall is a good base as well as being central and in an attractive location. Other local venues include Chiswick House & Gardens, Chiswick Library and St Michael & All Angels Church and Strand on the Green.
Films include, from the 1960s – Goodbye Mr Chips, Help!, Darling, The Servant, Quatermass and the Pit – to the 2000s – Vanity Fair, Never Let me Go, Love Actually – film makers have chosen Chiswick locations.
TV series include Shell Seekers (2005) with Vanessa Redgrave, a local resident, Minder (1979 – 1994) and New Tricks (2003 – 2015) and The Thick Of It (2012).
The inaugural Chiswick In Film festival, held in October, celebrates this hive of cultural activity and is jointly organised by The Chiswick Calendar and Chiswick Cinema.
Opening the festival, Chiswick Calendar editor Bridget Osborne said, "If the festival breaks even we will be able to do it again and if it makes a profit we would be able to donate some money to charity as well".
The good news is the festival will return October 2023.
Image credit: Dennis Firminger
