A MALVERN filmmaker is adding finishing touches to an ambitious action movie set and shot around the Malvern Hills in time for a premiere later this month.

Neil Oseman, a freelance cameraman now based in Hereford, wrote and directed The Beacon using £3,000 of his own money. Shot in locations around Malvern, it features 50 cast and crew members.

The former Chase pupil is waiting for the FX and score to be completed before the premiere at the end of the month in Hereford. A February 11 video release is planned, then a DVD version.

Distribution will be through the web, although several video stores in Worcester have expressed an interest in making copies for rent.

"I'd done a couple of short films, but a lot of people couldn't get into them," said Mr Oseman. "I worked out that if I made a feature I could make the money back by selling copies."

The idea for the story came to him in 1999 while at work.

"I was bored to death and had an image of a guy running in with a machine gun. The idea is to subvert everyone's idea of what Malvern is."

The plot features a plane full of terrorists crashing into a cinema, a storyline conceived before the September 11 attacks on the US. Despite potential sensitivities, Mr Oseman decided not to change the story.

"I was concerned about it at first but I think now there's a few months' distance I don't think it'll cause any problems," he said.

As part of shooting, Mr Oseman had planned to fly to Los Angeles, but the rising costs of flights post-attacks meant that was not possible.

Although it spoofs Hollywood action films, The Beacon is not in the Naked Gun style.

"The reference I always give is the Scream series. They make fun of the genre but you can watch them in their own right. It's a little bit tongue in cheek but it's firstly an action film."

The forthcoming release is the culmination of a lot of hard work.

"If I'd have made a typical low budget film of three or four characters in a caf all day, that would have been a lot easier!" he said.

For more information, film buffs can visit the website at www.the-beacon.com.