MADE IN EAST ANGLIA

This showing will begin with a short introduction from filmmaker Tim Curtis.

Tim Curtis is an acclaimed Suffolk-based independent filmmaker whose work captures the rich history, landscapes, and human stories of East Anglia. Renowned for his evocative storytelling and immersive visual style, Curtis has directed a number of celebrated films that resonate deeply with local and wider audiences alike. His documentary Life On The Deben (2017) offers a compelling journey along one of Suffolk’s most iconic rivers, while Fire Over Shingle Street (2025) explores the enduring mystery and wartime lore of the Suffolk coast. In Stanley’s War (2018) Curtis brings to life the poignant experiences of a young Suffolk Regiment soldier during World War I, weaving drama and historical depth into a moving narrative. Through his work, Tim Curtis has established himself as a powerful voice in regional filmmaking, preserving the spirit and stories with authenticity and artistic flair.

Fire Over Shingle Street

Fact, Fiction, or Propaganda?

A new documentary by Suffolk-based filmmaker Tim Curtis (Life on the Deben, Stanley's War) delves into one of Britain’s most persistent Second World War mysteries, asking: Has this enduring enigma been fully accounted for, or are there still unanswered questions?

For decades the Shingle Street ‘Mystery’ has divided the views of locals, journalists and historians alike with incredible and unexplained stories of the sea being set on fire, dead soldiers bodies on the beach and strange happenings in the night.

Was this remote stretch of Suffolk’s coast the site of a German invasion attempt? Did British forces set fire to the sea with petroleum weapons to repel the enemy? Or could it have been part of an elaborate wartime deception, designed to maintain national morale?

The film examines how the Suffolk coast was a hub of military secrecy—home to radar development and experimental weapons testing. Did these classified operations (with some still under wraps) combined with wartime propaganda help create the perfect conditions for rumours to fuel a wartime mystery?

Director

Tim Curtis

Cast

James Hayward, Henry Creagh, Ron Clayton

We Fought Them in Gunboats

Felixstowe’s pivotal role in the protection of coastal convoys during the Second World War is highlighted in a new short film, We Fought them in Gunboats, based on the memoirs of war hero Robert Hichens who was killed in action in 1943.

We Fought Them in Gunboats tells the story of the Motor Gun Boats and Motor Torpedo Boats, based at HMS Beehive, which is now part of the Port of Felixstowe. These small craft and their volunteer crews, heroically engaged larger and more powerful German E-Boats, which sought to wreak havoc with Britain’s coastal convoys.

The film uses archive material and interviews to explain and highlight both the role of HMS Beehive and the crews, among them Robert Hichens, who risked their lives in what became known as the ‘Spitfires of the Sea’.

Director

Tim Curtis

Cast

Julia Jones

Made in East Anglia Festival is sponsored by