A FILM maker from Newport is celebrating after his latest project picked up two gongs at the Bafta Cymru Awards.

Julian Richards, 42, was delighted to see Summer Scars, which was produced through his Christchurch Road-based company Prolific Films, recognised at the event which took place at the Wales Millennium Centre on Sunday.

It received three nominations. And while it was beaten to Best Film by Daddy's Girl, its screenwriter Al Wilson from Barry was voted Best Newcomer and Craig Wilkinson, originally from Whitley Bay, scooped the award for Best Titles.

Mr Richards, who splits his time between South Wales and London said: "I am really pleased they got the awards. This film was all about the newcomers."

It was shot in Barry and Tondu in 2006 over a three week period using a £350,000 grant from the Arts Council for Wales. It features as one of its main characters 18-year-old Darren Evans from Tredegar.

Mr Richards said: "It's a dark, coming of age thriller about a gang of kids who ditch school and steal a moped. But they crash into a drifter while riding it in a wood and befriend him.

"While they intitially think he's on their side, he changes and turns aggressive. It is based on real life experiences of me growing up in Newport."

The film has been shown at 40 film festivals around the world, including Newport Beach and Hollywood in the USA and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

"A company called TIA has picked it up and will release it in North America this September and there are three UK distributors interested in releasing it in Europe on DVD. We will speak to them when we show it at the Cannes Film Festival and will hopefully tie a deal up then," said Mr Richards.

Mr Richards is a former director of Brookside and worked on the "body under the patio" episodes. He set up Prolific Films in 2001.