YOUNG filmmakers from Herefordshire and Shropshire are to attend their very own Oscar ceremony in London's Leicester Square.

Three locally-made shorts are up for prizes in three categories at the First Light Film Awards, with a panel of celebrity judges deciding on the winners.

All the films were produced in collaboration with the Rural Media Company, with a budget of around £10,000 each.

The nominated films are Extreme Granny Switch (best comedy) - Ludlow Youth Centre; Screwball (best special effects) - Kington Youth Centre; and Battery Life (best horror/thriller) - Teme Valley Youth Project, Wigmore and John Masefiled School, Ledbury - all of which were made by young people aged between 12 and 17.

The awards celebrate the best short films made by children and young people and films were created through the UK Film Council's First Light initiative, using National Lottery grants.

Nic Millington, director of the Rural Media Company said: "These nominations demonstrate the huge potential of rural young people.

"It shows that you don't need to live in a major city to take part and achieve success in such a contemporary art form."

Among the stars attending the ceremony is Sir Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.