Apple picked up Canvey satire inspired by Rise of the Footsoldier

Best Geezer follows a group of friends running a failing video production business on Canvey.

It’s so named after they decide to make a “geezer” movie in the vein of Guy Ritchie flicks and the Rise of the Footsoldier series.

Now the film, created on a modest £5,000 budget, has been picked up by Apple for international distribution. Producer and screenwriter, Caroline Spence, 57, has spoken of her delight at the decision.

The film closed out last year’s Southend Film Festival and Ms Spence believes it has given her company, Raya Films, the notoriety is has long sought.

Cast and crew - The ensemble of ‘Best Geezer’ (Image: Caroline Spence)

Ms Spence said: “We chose Essex because our director, James Smith, grew up on Canvey and we were watching the trailer for one of the Rise of the Footsoldier films and we were thinking about how it occupies such a specific genre.

“Our film is a satire, we are poking a little bit of kind-hearted fun at it but it is a feel-good and heart-warming film and there is a lot of human emotion in it, besides the dry comedy and ridiculous situations our cast end up in.

“We were predominately based in Billericay while shooting but then we used a studio in Southend for the interiors and we used the Seven Hotel in Clifton Terrace for the finale, it was a real laugh and such a great experience.”

Ms Spence added that all the money for the film was raised through crowdfunding, which totalled £5,000, and most of the crew chose to volunteer.

She said: “£5,000 is a ridiculously small sum of money for a film and our cast and crew volunteered with such enthusiasm, it was all a big team effort and we relied on Southend-based cast members and crew.

“I came into this job in my 40s and thanks to this we are finally able to do what we want, which is feature films.”

Best Geezer can be streamed on Apple TV, Tubi and on streaming service Wooco.