A STOURBRIDGE film-maker hoping to put the town on the movie-making map premiered his long-awaited flick Ugly and in Love to much applause this week.

James Anderson Brown from Pedmore has spent the last 18 months working on his first feature offering, about downbeat loser Samuel J Jarvis whose life is turned upside down when he meets the gentle Louise Elizabeth Callum.

And on Tuesday May 20, he premiered a 15-minute teaser for the film at a glitzy red-carpet bash at Poppy Red in Birmingham's Arcadian.

It proved a sure hit with film fans - and James, of Fortunediablo Productions, told the News: "The premiere went absolutely amazingly and there was a lot of interest and people really enjoyed it."

He is now hoping to put the full feature-length film into production in September.

And in the meantime he hopes to take the trailer to major film festivals in the hope of securing substantial financial backing for the movie - which could cost hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Shot entirely on location at The Mitre in Stourbridge - which is perhaps best known for being the one-time haunt of pop bands The Wonder Stuff, Neds Atomic Dustbin and PWEI - the movie could well spread the pub's fame among film fanatics.

The Lower High Street boozer proved a cracking location for this dark yet quirky tale - which sees the likeable lead characters fall hopelessly in love and embarking upon a funny but ultimately tragic journey together.

It is writer and producer James's first stab at penning a feature - but judging by this witty, well-scripted, tightly put together trailer - the 31-year-old Kevin Smith fan has found his forte.

Well-drawn, enigmatic characters brought to life sparklingly by Stourbridge born actor Nick Clarke and Birmingham based actress Caroline Frewin really grab the viewer's attention, lighting up the dark and gritty shots that give this movie a sort of Trainspotting meets Fight Club style.

Graphic, coarse, edgy and shocking - this flick, which was directed and edited by Matt Cusworth, is a gem...and I can't wait to see the full feature.

To find out more about the film check out www.uglyandinlove.com