A FANTASY adventure film made by a Malvern filmmaker will launch this year's Borderlines Film Festival.

Soul Searcher, filmed locally by former Chase pupil Neil Oseman, is a fantasy about a street sweeper called Joe who is offered the job of Death by an ailing Grim Reaper.

The film was made on a budget of just £25,000 and local people will recognise parts of Hereford, Worcester and Much Marcle.

Neil, 24, who recently moved to London, has wanted to make films ever since he was given a camcorder as a teenager in Malvern.

Soul Searcher is his second full-length feature film and is in the final stages of production.

"We need to incorporate the score by the Worcester Symphony Orchestra into the sound track and add the final special FX," said Neil.

The film premieres at the two week-long Borderlines Film Festival, which opens on March 18.

The festival is the largest rural film festival in Britain with more than 100 events and screenings at arts centres, village halls and cinemas in Herefordshire and Shropshire.

Neil, who describes his film as being "in the spirit of The Crow and Ghostbusters", hopes to enter it into other film festivals including Cannes.

He is also looking at video and DVD distribution deals in the UK and America.

"Ideally I'd like to get it shown in cinemas. It's something I'll look into once I see the sort of response and publicity it gets at the various film festivals," said Neil.

Other films at this year's festival include Closer, which stars Jude Law and Julia Roberts, A Way of Life, a powerful portrait of poverty and prejudice, and Dear Frankie, about a Scottish single mum and her deaf son.