Gwent film-makers hope to make the cut at Cannes

9:44pm Thursday 15th May 2008

GWENT film-makers are hoping make it big at the world's most important film festival this year.

Newport residents Catherine Linstrum and BAFTA Cymru award winner Julian Richards are both at the Cannes International Film Festival festival promoting their work.

As well as featuring the latest blockbuster movies and celebrity stars, Cannes is a magnet for film-makers looking for funding or distributors.

Mr Richards is at the festival looking to sell his picture 'Summer Scars.' The film features six 14-year-old children who truant from school to play in the woods.

While out on their adventures, they are befriended by a drifter whose behaviour becomes increasingly abusive.

Held hostage, the group are forced to embrace the dark side of human nature if they are to survive the ordeal.

It's screenwriter Al Wilson from Barry picked up an award awards for Best Newcomer, while Craig Wilkinson won Best Titles.

The cast includes 18-year-old Darren Evans, from Tredegar, and has already been shown at 40 festivals around the world.

Meanwhile Newport-based Catherine Linstrum's is looking for backers for her latest film script "Perish".

Mrs Linstrum produced the script with her husband David-John Newman. She made her Cannes debut in 2007 with the Romanian feature film 'Californian Dreaming,' which was selected for the sought-after Directors' Fortnight screenings.

The script is the first formal production by the pair. Newman is a successful artist and life-coach with work being held in private and public collections at in Paris, London, New York and Tokyo.

Other Welsh productions at the festival include Anthony Smith's Nocturne, and Phil Charles' Mr Manchester.

More than 30 companies from Wales will be attending the festival, promoting a range of feature films, documentaries, comedies, thrillers and shorts, among other genres.

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