Where is the film industry calling Mollywood

A.� The Isle of Man, would you believe For a couple of reasons I'll go into in a minute, it's becoming an increasingly popular film location. Perhaps the most well-publicised recently was a much-praised British entry at the September 2001 Venice Film Festival -�Me Without You, starring Anna Friel and Michelle Williams.

Director Sanda Goldbacher�took her crew to�Douglas, the Manx capital, to�shoot her story of two�girls trying to�stay friends through�the ever-changing pop culture of the 1970s; the�'real' setting was London's Hampstead Garden Suburb. But the Isle of Man has become�a top choice for shooting UK productions - hence the 'Mollywood' tag.

It is estimated applications to start the cameras rolling there are being couriered in from Hollywood at the rate of two a week. The island, once only famous for its no-tail cats, kippers, birching�and the TT races, is now rivalling Cornwall and the Caribbean for locations.

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Q.� Why is there such a sudden surge of interest

A.� The island boasts it can recreate the scenery anywhere between New York and Iceland. Its coastline became Ireland in Waking Ned, its palm trees have suggested the hotspots of the West Indies and even its ancient steam railway has become every child's image of Thomas the Tank Engine's home branch line on the island of Sodor.

The Manx Government has welcomed the interest and has offered a 25 per cent rebate on the budget if half of the film is shot on location. Already 34 films have been shot.

The films look set to boost a fairly stagnant tourist industry and provide much-needed income for the local economy in terms of infrastructure and resources. Many Manxmen have stood in as extras on the set.

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Q.� How big a part has the area played in British film history

A.� Until recently, very little. I See A Dark Stranger was filmed there in 1945, and it became a home for comic legend Sir Norman Wisdom when he retired.

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Q.� Where else in the UK has thrived as a film location

A.� Cornwall, Scotland and remote parts of Ireland have all lured the Hollywood set. Wales too had a once-thriving film industry, dubbed Valleywood. Lawrence of Arabia was shot amid the dunes of Merthyr Mawr and Carry on up the Khyber in Snowdonia.

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by Katharine MacColl