Spitfire Over Berlin: Lincolnshire firm’s second feature film in cinemas this spring

Sleaford-based company Tin Hat Productions filmed their second feature film – Spitfire Over Berlin – in the county and it will premiere in cinemas this spring.

The film tells the story of Flight Lieutenant Edward Barnes who must fly a life and death mission over Berlin in his unarmed Spitfire to obtain photographic evidence and save the lives of 1,200 airman. Edward is played by Kris Saddler, who was in Lancaster Skies and also featured in the ITV comedy Kate & Koji.

Spitfire Over Berlin shines a light on the “incredible, and often overlooked role” the RAF Photo Reconnaissance Unit played during World War II, who flew alone and provided invaluable photographic intelligence for the allies. Sadly, of the 1,287 men who flew in the PRU, 378 were killed.

Callum Burn with the film’s lead actor Kris Saddler. | Photo: Tin Hat Productions

The film will be screened at selected cinemas throughout the UK from Friday, May 13. On that date it will premiere at the Kinema In The Woods in Woodhall Spa, and it will also be showing at other cinemas still being confirmed.

It will be available on DVD and on the digital platform Amazon Prime in the early summer of 2022.

Father and son duo Andy and Callum Burn are the writers and producers at Tin Hat Productions, while Sam Parsons is the cameraman and cinematographer.
Tin Hat Productions.

Andy told The Lincolnite: “It feels very different to the last time as the first feature film unexpectedly went to the big screen. This time we knew early on that we would get distribution for the film so that was a different experience and feels like a job well done.

“It is important for us to include Lincolnshire in films. Lincolnshire gets overlooked a lot and for a little production company based here it feels right to use as much of the county as we can. The aviation centre at East Kirkby have been really good to us.”

The cast and crew filming in Lincolnshire. | Photo: Tin Hat Productions

The filming for Spitfire Over Berlin was all done in Lincolnshire, predominately at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre in East Kirkby, but also in and around Sleaford and the nearby villages.

It was shot on the ground with cameras, and in the air with a drone, with a CGI Spitfire added in. The internal shots of the spitfire was done from a section of the cockpit built to scale by Andy in his back garden during lockdown.

A CGI version of the spitfire was used in the film. | Photo: Tin Hat Productions

In addition to the lead actor Kris Saddler, the film also features David Dobson from Lancaster Skies who this time plays a Group Captain, while Sleaford-based Archie Blankley stars as ground crew Lofty.

The film is the second feature film from Tin Hat Productions after the success of their debut Lancaster Skies, which was also primarily filmed in Lincolnshire and was released in selective cinemas in 2019.

Andrew Burn, Sam Parsons, and Callum Burn, pictured filming Spitfire Over Berlin, are the trio that make up Sleaford-based Tin Hat Productions. | Photo: Tin Hat Productions

Filming with the lead actor Kris Saddler. | Photo: Tin Hat Productions

Tin Hat Productions has already started work on its third feature film, which will be about the Battle of Britain and filmed partly at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre.

The local firm also has plans for other war films, as well as a movies in the sci-fi and comedy genres.