A LANDLADY is celebrating after filmmakers chose her pub as a base for their blockbuster movie.

Angie South said producers of The Boat That Rocked scouted The Cove House Inn of Chiswell, Portland and now it has been booked as a potential filming base.

She said: "The director came in the pub and said they were doing a film at Portland Port and thinking about renting one room and the pub toilets.

"They had a look round and have booked out half the pub.

"The crew hope to build a mast outside on May 12 and then a couple of weeks later on May 22 start filming.

"We'll be putting a curtain up in one room for them to do make-up and they're going to be using the pub and our car park for two weeks."

The film will be directed by Richard Curtis, best known for Four Weddings And A Funeral and Love, Actually.

Set in the sixties, the romantic comedy is about a band of rogue DJs and stars include Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost and Kenneth Branagh.

Local filming will take place on a boat in Portland Harbour and 1960s street shots will be filmed in Castletown.

Mrs South said she and her husband Mark have only been in the pub for four weeks after taking over the reins along with Chaz Murray and his partner Kerri Brisbane.

She said: "It's very exciting and good for the area. We'll have all the top actors here.

"It'll do the whole of Portland some good."

The film crew is seeking permission from the council to build a mast on the sea wall.

Council communications manager Jacqui Gisborne said: "Because it's in a flood risk area we've got to go through various processes to get permission.

"We're working with people like the Environment Agency.

"We will know in a couple of weeks if we can erect the set."

She added: "It's really good to see another community and another area of Portland benefiting from this film."