A MOVIE maker from Longridge has scooped a top prize at a New York film festival.
Mark Smith's horror flick Twisted Insanity won the award for 'best short film' at the festival held just before Halloween.
The low-budget film was shot in and around Longridge and is billed as a thriller about a serial killer.
Movie fan Mark has be
en shooting horror films about fictional grisly goings-on in Longridge for the past five years.
One of his spooky short tales has already made an appearance on
Richard and Judy's teatime TV show and his talent behind
the camera got two of his movies on the bill of New York's Schoharie Scary Horror Film Fest, a not-for-profit event which uses its proceeds to help amateur film-makers, after festival organisers spotted Mark's work on social networking website, MySpace.
Both Twisted Insanity and Mark's other film showcased at the festival, Becky, a supernatural chiller, were shot on shoestring budgets of just £100.
The gory 15-minute films are a far cry from Mark's early experiences behind the lens - filming weddings!
The 36-year-old says his family and friends are supportive of his unusual hobby – especially his wife Tracy, 34, who stars in the movies
in locations around Longridge and creates the make-up.
Mark said: "I used to film weddings but I've always been a massive
film fan and thought I would give horror movies a go.
"I was gobsmacked to have two of my films chosen for the festival. There's a lot of talent out there and it's a real kick in the teeth to Hollywood that people can make movies on a tiny budget.
"It was a major success for us to win a prize at the festival."
As his prize Mark won some filmmaking software titled Dramatica Pro.
Mark, a printer, is currently working on his first full-length feature film, No Rest for the Wicked.
