A MOVIE made in and around Southend and south Essex is set to be released on DVD and streaming services after a successful season on Hollywood’s festival circuit.

The Liberator, an action movie by Southend-born debut director Ben Lettieri, was filmed in locations across the seafront town - including The Railway Hotel, Southend Central Museum and Ocean Beach bar. Filming also took place at Wat Tyler Country Park, in Pitsea, and other south Essex locations.

The movie, which premiered to a packed house at the Southend Film Festival last year, is being released via Amazon from today.

It follows ex-special forces soldier Ben Silver, played by Ben Lettieri, who has just a few hours to help feisty reformed cat-burglar Melinda Page, played by Jessica Bayly, retrieve an invaluable vase from a gangster.

Actor and director Ben Lettieri, an accomplished martial artist, recruited a talented cast including local Southend Shakespeare Company actor Keith Chanter, who plays Ben’s mentor Nigel. The result is a film that has won a host of awards, including a Silver Award for Best Action Sequence at the celebrated annual Action on Film Festival, in Los Angeles.

Ben runs a production company called Improvise Films with The Liberator’s producer David Freedman, who grew up in Southend with Ben.

He said: “This film was a struggle to get made and I had to fight for nearly 5 years with just a very small budget to reach this day.

“I feel incredibly proud and fortunate for the support of the local community, including the abundance of talented actors, performers and film-makers in Essex, who have helped me create this exciting action-packed film and bring it to the screen.”

A new trailer will be released via facebook, and a music video for the theme tune will be released via youtube to coincide with the release today.