Posted by tourdemars to Entertainment at July 21, 2011 06:59 PM

Coastal retreat or galatic getaway? If Mars was a place on earth, it would be Herne Bay. Filmmaker Damon Keen has turned the picturesque Sentinel Rd Reserve at Herne Bay into the planet Mars for his sci-fi flick, Last Flight. The Westmere graphic designer's 15-minute movie makes its debut at the New Zealand International Film Festival this weekend. The self-confessed techno-geek spent countless hours editing footage to turn sleepy Auckland reserves and North Island countrysides into harsh Martian landscapes.