Now this of course is a very new film – so technically not a Fifties Film but it’s theme is one that might well have been plucked right out of the era.

Made In Lincolnshire – actually at the film studios of Tin Hat Productions in Sleaford.

ABOVE – A Lancaster Skies Day held at Freiston Nr Boston very recently. Looks like the Production Team and the Actors were there. 

Callum Burn has juts had his feature film Lancaster Skies released in 40 cinemas (including Vue) up and down the country from  Feb 27. with further showings  scheduled over the coming weeks at various venues.

The film is almost a throw-back to the classic British war films of the 1940’s and 50’s, and it is being released by Kaleidoscope Entertainment. For those who cannot catch the big screen release,  the film will receive a DVD release in May, and it will be marketed on a Worldwide Scale.

Speaking  about the production, Callum Burn explained how important it was for the film to capture an authentic look and feel of the era, with scale models used for the majority of the visual effects.

“The result is a film with the power to make an audience feel that they have been transported back to the picture houses of the past.” 

From next month, it will be screened in cinemas (including Boston’s Savoy) and the very famous Kinema In The Woods at Woodhall Spa – and from May it will be available to take home on DVD and Blu-ray in countries as far afield as the US, Japan, and Australia.

Another scene from the film. features East Kirkby’s Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre and its surviving Lancaster Just Jane.

Tin Hat Productions is owned by Andy Burn, son Callum Burn, both of Sleaford, and Sam Parsons, of London, who attended film school with Callum. The trio have also had loyal support from Lincoln’s Scott Ellis.

Lancaster Skies  was originally titled Our Shining Sword.

Above: A farewell Scene at a Railway Station

The production team overcame numerous obstacles in their path to get the film finished last year. They made costumes, built sets (including a replica Lancaster), crafted models for special effects sequences, and held fundraising events   – achieving a number of high profile endorsements along the way, including from TV personality Stephen Fry.

Stephen’s endorsement helped pave the way for the distribution deal, said Andy, which he described as ‘a dream come true’.

He said: “We are really, really pleased. The hope was we would get some sort of DVD deal. We would never had dreamt we would get a cinema release. That kind of thing doesn’t happen and it certainly doesn’t happen for films that cost £80,000”

On the advice of the distributors, the picture has been transferred back from black-and-white back to colour to give the film its best chance of success in America.

Andy says they have been told they should at least make their investment back, and one encouraging sign of this is that three screenings are already sold out.    Andy paid tribute to everyone who has supported the project, saying: “Thanks to all the people who are buying tickets, and thanks to all the people in the community who helped because there were lots of them, whether they were actors or local businesses that put money in.

For much of the production, the film went by the name Our Shining Sword, but at the start of the year gained a new title. This was done to take full advantage the world-famous star involved in the picture, The Lancaster Bomber.

The filmmakers looked to the nearby East Kirkby Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre and its surviving Lancaster Just Jane to help bring their story – one inspired by the missions of Bomber Command – to life.

Having been involved in the production, the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre has also had the chance to see the film.

Andrew Panton, from the centre, said: “The film has a wonderful story line with great depth and intricacy highlighting many factors of wartime service life.

“We are proud to have been involved with supporting the film both due to its subject matter and the fact that Tin Hat Productions are a local company.”

The Film had a Premier  Type showing at The Kinema In The Woods in Woodhall Spa – home base for the Dambusters in real life of course. Also close to the Lincolnshire Aviation Centre where some of this was filmed and home to a working – but not yet flying – Lancaster Bomber which was used in the film.  So the choice for this event was very apt.

Some of the comments after this showing :

With great anticipation the much awaited film began and we were not disappointed with a few unexpected twists it is a great representative of how these young men dealt with day to day life and death. For a small cast and budget an amazing achievement

Lancaster Skies is different – it has excellent production values and tells the story of a single Bomber Command crew at the height of the war. It would seem to capture the mood of life and death on a Bomber base perfectly.