BUDDING actors and film technicians are being given a chance to work on a movie that begins filming in Cumbria next week.

Western Rose Films, a production company based in Lancaster specialising in promoting Cumbrian acting and production talent, is to begin shooting Bettaway Place, a 90-minute feature film, at various locations throughout the county.

The film is about the trials and tribulations of a young boy from the south of England who moves to the Lake District, and covers themes such as belonging and drug abuse.

The script was written by students from Lancaster University and the majority of the 50-strong crew have been recruited from Kendal College.

Alex Lewis, 17, from Yealand Redmayne, is in his second year of the National Diploma of Performing Arts Production course at Kendal College and he hopes that working on the film as a stage designer will help to provide him with a route into the highly- competitive film industry.

"I have been assigned a back stage technical role. It is my job to get a working brief from the director as to the kind of scene he wants to shoot, visit locations to visualise scenes and then create them," he said.

After he finishes his course, he plans to look for a job in the film industry and hasn't ruled out moving to London to pursue his dream.

"This project has given the students on the course a real boost and some valuable first-hand experience," he said.

Director of photography Simon Peaple believes the project is an excellent opportunity for young people interested in the film industry to get in on the ground floor.

"The project aims to get young people interested in a career in the film industry, especially in places like Cumbria which are far removed from the big cities and traditional centers of the industry, like London," he said.

"Young people looking to get into the industry are often caught in a Catch-22 situation in that you can't get a job without experience and can't get experience because they can't get a job. This project will hopefully give them the boost that they need," he added.

There are still openings in a variety of roles including cast and crew, for details, call 01524-66910 or email admin@westernrose films.com.