PROPS and production equipment from a new film about the death of Lawrence of Arabia filmed in Dorset have been sold for around £1,200.

Call sheets, storyboards, letters and documents used in production for Lawrence: After Arabia were among the items auctioned on eBay to raise funds for the new film’s sale and distribution.

Director Mark TJ Griffin said: “One day they could become quite valuable, especially if the film takes off.”

He explained: “We launched a Kickstarter page to try and raise roughly around £12,000.

“We have now completed post-production and are raising money for sales and distribution.

“That can be quite expensive, especially when entering film festivals, which help get the film’s name out there, and the travel costs associated.

“In the end we said - ‘ok why don’t we try and do this a bit differently?’ We had about three boxes full of props and things and thought - ‘why don’t we sell the props on eBay?’.

“We put up about 30 items and sold 22 or 23 of them.

“It raised around £1,200 for us, which is a good start. That means we can enter a film festival and it gives us money to get there.

“We are going to do another auction in March and again in May with what’s left.

“A lot of these things end up in a box in a storage room. One of the things we sold was a call sheet. It’s not a prop, but we used it every day of filming, it was a plan for the day and said who needs to be where.”

Mr Griffin said most of the props and production equipment auctioned online were bought by residents in Dorset.

He said: “We have been very keen to give back to the people of Dorset, who have been so supportive of the film.

“To be honest most of the props ended up back in Dorset.

“A lot of people saw them and thought let’s grab this.

“Only a quarter of the props sold have been bought outside Dorset.”

Mr Griffin added: “One of the things that can happen is that props are sold at auction houses, but they won’t sell them until after the film is released.

“They can go for ridiculous prices and the film doesn’t benefit in any way.

“But we put a fair price on each of our items. It was a nice way of raising some money and getting the props out there too."

Dorset residents can be among the first to see the new film

AS REPORTED, the people of Dorset will be the first to watch the new film as it gets pre-release screenings at venues in the county.

The story follows T.E Lawrence who has retired to his cottage in Dorset, hoping to escape his past but is ensnared in political intrigue.

While Lawrence has powerful friends, he has made some dangerous enemies. As they plot against him, he is involved in a motorcycle accident.

With such enemies the question is posed as to whether it could have been an assassination by the British Secret Service.

The film stars Brian Cox, Hugh Fraser, Michael Maloney, Nicole Ansari Cox and Tom Barber Duffy in the lead role.

The gala premiere will take place at the Lighthouse Poole on Tuesday, May 19. However, there will be a number of screenings at select cinemas in the lead-up to the gala premiere and afterwards.

They include: Friday, May 1 – Bridport, Electric Palace.

Saturday, May 2 – Mowlem, Swanage

Sunday, May 3 – Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis

Saturday, May 9 – Arts Centre, Shaftesbury

Sunday, May 10 – Dorchester Plaza (two showings)

Monday, May 11 – Exchange, Sturminster Newton

Tuesday, May 12 – Rex, Wareham

Tuesday, May 19 – Poole Lighthouse