Nature / Film project honouring Jan Bevington’s life ‘coming together’
The Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary documentary has grown in size and stature with the production team appealing for additional funding
A BROADCAST length feature film paying tribute to the late Jan Bevington, the founder of Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary, is making good progress – but more funding is needed.
Hillswick: Beyond the Tides, filmed during four weeks in summer of 2023 and narrated by Jan’s husband Pete, has now moved into the post-production phase with a view to pitching the 44-minute documentary to major broadcasters.
Jan Bevington died in November last year aged 77 following a long illness.
She spent over 40 years rescuing wild animals, nurturing hundreds of seals and otters back to health and releasing them into the wild, and founded the internationally known wildlife sanctuary in Shetland in 1987.
The sanctuary at the historic Booth in Hillswick has recently undergone a major refurbishment, securing its long-term future.
Using a wealth of personal archive material, the film captures Jan’s journey at Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary, weaving together wildlife sequences, archive footage, and key moments in Shetland’s conservation history, including the Braer oil spill of January 1993.
Wildreach Productions director Matteo Clarke said with Jan’s passing he and his co-producer Roman Willi were even more determined to make the documentary as special as possible and as a lasting tribute to Jan’s legacy.
“Initially planned as a 15-minute short film, the documentary has grown into a full 44-minute broadcast-length feature, a format that allows us to do justice to Jan and Pete Bevington’s incredible story and their legacy at the Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary,” he said.
“We’re very proud of how it’s coming together, and it’s shaping up to be a truly touching and impactful film.”
He added: “We are now in the final post-production stage, focusing on music composition, sound design, and colour grading to bring everything together at the highest quality.”
The production team plans to premiere the documentary at leading international film festivals such as Sheffield DocFest, Sundance or Wildscreen to gain critical acclaim and visibility.
They also plan community screening throughout Shetland and beyond.
However, with the extended runtime, costs have inevitably risen to an overall budget of around £60,000, and further funding needs to be secured.
“We truly appreciate all forms of support, whether it’s through our GoFundMe for smaller contributions or potential partnerships for larger-scale funding,” Clarke said.
“We’d also be happy to discuss ways to provide promotional opportunities for any businesses or individuals who help support the film.”
The GoFundMe page can be found here while Clarke can be directly be contacted by e-mail matteo@wildreachproductions.com or 07539 432073.
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