WORK is about to begin on a new sci-fi feature film in Blackwood.

Director Terry Cooper and producer Adam Neal created the concept behind sci-fi film Offworld. The film is set 110 years in the future when a group of humans crash land on a new planet and have to travel 300 miles to the base before the 200 people in suspended animation on board the ship thaw out and die.

Mr Cooper from Ystrad Mynach is an author and actor who is stepping behind the camera as director for the first time.

He said: “We are about to start our filming this week and are building a set in someone’s garage. We will be filming on location from April around south Wales.”

Many of the actors in the films are people Mr Cooper has worked with in the past or are people he has met at sci-fi conventions. Some of the roles have been specifically for the actors. “In the lead we have Danielle Britten, I know she is a leader figure in real life so I cast her in that role and wrote the character for her.

“We get 10 emails a day from people asking to be extras in the film, but we don’t have need for many extras.”

People around the world have been offering their services for the film, including the music will be composed by Michael Frankenberger who is from Austria.

“People have offered us catering, and a guy in Blackwood gave us a double garage to use for free. Anyone who gets involved will get a credit in the film.”

In September the team behind the film set up a Kickstarter fund where they aimed to raise £2,000 to get the film started. They gained support from 200 people, with donations coming from Australia and Japan, and they were able to raise £10,000 to fund the project.

“With a project this ambitions we decided to and try go for feature film rather than make a short. We have £10,000 to make the same things the big studios do with millions.”

A trailer for the film will be released this summer, and upon completion the premier for the film will be premiered in Cineworld in Cardiff and the Maxime Cinema in Blackwood. The film will then be doing a small cinema tour.

To find out more about Offworld visit www.facebook.com/OffworldFilm.