A FORMER Blackburn man's movie company is bidding to take the Cannes Film Festival by storm.

Independent production company Winchester Films, whose chief executive is Gary Smith, has already had a major hit with the comedy romance Shooting Fish.

Now Gary is hoping for similar success when the company promotes three new movies, Divorcing Jack, The Sea Change and Captain Jack, at the world's most glamorous film festival from May 13 to 24. Rovers fan Gary, whose parents Ray and Sylvia live in Ramsgreave Drive, Blackburn, is a former pupil of Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School and a former accountant in the town. He founded Winchester about five years ago in an attempt to compete with the successful US studios.

Now he will be taking them on in the sunny 'battleground' of the Cote d'Azure. Divorcing Jack, a drama set in Belfast and starring David Thewlis, Rachel Griffiths and Robert Lindsay, will be the subject of a major promotional campaign, including being advertised on the largest billboard in the resort. The Sea Change is a romantic comedy starring former Bond girl Maryam D'Abo and Ray Winstone, which has already premiered at Robert Redford's Sundance Film Festival in America, while Captain Jack is a comedy adventure starring Bob Hoskins. Gary and his team will also be promoting Shooting Fish abroad. It is due to be released soon in America on more screens than The Full Monty.

He said: "International distributors are looking forward to seeing our latest films at the Cannes Film Festival.

"We are delighted to be selling British, independent films at the world's most prestigious film event and have planned wide-ranging promotions for the films."

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