Profile Description

Countrywide Productions is a local film company. Its director Michael Maloney has resided in Faversham for over 20 years.

Current projects are two nature series entitled “WILD EXPLORERS” and “LIFE ON THE EDGE”, designed for use in primary schools to encourage children to reconnect with nature, and understand the natural world around them.

In recent years, the company has made a number of documentaries of local interest, playing an active role in producing material to encourage and champion the Faversham community as a whole:

A Sideways Launch (40mns, 2008)
DVD. Tells the history of the shipyard established in Faversham by James Pollock & Sons (Shipbuilders) in 1916.

A Dream of Flight (48mns, 2009)
DVD. Documentary celebrating the centenary of the first flight by a British aviator over British soil, JTC Brabazon, on The Isle of Sheppey, Kent, in 1909.

Red Sails (48mns, 2011)
DVD. A documentary which explores through interviews and archive footage, the influence of the Thames Sailing Barge in the school homework help development of trade, and its contribution to the building of Victorian London.

Visions of a Creek (56mns, 2013)
DVD. The film explores the heritage of Faversham and its Creek, examining the Neighbourhood Plan in the context of proposed development which once decided will define Faversham for many years to come.

In previous years, Countrywide have dealt with a variety of subjects for TV and corporate films such as:

The Fingertip Phenomenon (52mns, 1984)
Television production. Ron Fawcett is a natural-born climber. In 1969, while still at school in his native Yorkshire, he tied into a climbing rope for the first time and was instatly hooked. In 1983 Ron Fawcett along with his wife Gill and friends decided to climb in the Gorges du Verdon, France.

The Great Martian Water Expedition (15mns)
An educational video aimed at primary schools dealing with the subject of water conservation and the environment.

Zulu – The Warriors Return (52mns, 2000)
Television production. Tells the true story of the remarkable adventures of a group of British history enthusiasts who in January 1999 – 120 years on, set out to walk in the footsteps of history, and to re-enact the events of Isandlwana on the battlefield itself.

SAGA – A Surprisingly Different World of Holidays (18mns)
A promotional video presented by Valerie Singleton (remember Blue Peter?) extolling the range and diversity of the holidays offered by SAGA.

The National Trust – Meet the Director General (9mns)
Corporate prodcution. With a variety of superb aerial footage of National Trust properties, this programme was used as a promotional tool to introduce Fiona Reynolds and explain the purpose and direction of the organisation.

Le Crossing (14mns)
Corporate production. An indepth look into the complexities of the management and operations of one of Europe’s busiest toll roads, the Dartford tunnel and Queen Elizabeth II bridge in London.

The Apprentice – Making Life Work (2015)
DVD. The objective of this production is to encourage young people to seek out career opportunities afforded by apprenticeships.

Art forms

Video Film TV

I really enjoyed it and found it quite moving. I loved to hear Don’s stories. I am quite used to Cambria stories myself and were delighted to know that they were accurate. […] The film cutting has been sympathetic to the people who have been interviewed and they all tell an honest story. The barges are of course gorgeous, and my association with the barging community fills me with pride at being in the presence of greatness.
I would like to thank you for telling a story so sympathetically but without being any way sentimental. Thank you Mike for a job incredibly well done.

David Walsh – Press Officer, Cambria Trust - About 'Red Sails'.

Bob and I –and many other people I talked to afterwards – thoroughly enjoyed ‘Red Sails’. It was well researched, beautifully filmed and put together. The film is a valuable contribution to the understanding of the Thames Barge.

Lena Reekie - About 'Red Sails'.

I thought the film was very well put together, a good mix of old and new and lots of history for the records. I think it should certainly stand the test of time as a good record of the ‘barging era’.

Jaspar Wright - About 'Red Sails'.

I enjoyed the production very much. You provided a good insight to a lot of the history of Thames Barges and introduced us to the passion of many of those involved. I would say it was more of a vocation than a job. You managed to convey this beautifully with some wonderful pictures from the archives and your own efforts and to produce a real slice of the Thames Estuary life at sea. I was sorry when it finished !

Bill Croydon CBE - About 'Red Sails'.

My maternal grandfather was a shipwright at Conyer and my paternal great-grandfather was a barge skipper. This film was delightful:enlightening, amusing, and extremely moving. Thank you for recording this important part of our history and for giving us the opportunity to see how our ancestors worked and lived on the barges.

M. Beavis - About 'Red Sails'.