A CUTTING-EDGE movie starring a Pendle actress has scooped a prestigious award at an American film festival.

‘Re-Evolution’, which has Charis Deighton in the lead role, won the Gold Remi at the Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival.

In the film, the 23-year-old plays Dana Finney, a troublesome youngster who is sent to a revolutionary school to correct her behaviour.

She appears in the British Youth Film Academy production opposite vociferous thespian Brian Blessed, who plays her father.

Charis, of Ellesmere Avenue, Colne, said: “It was amazing because he’s always been one of my idols.

“I’ve always loved watching Shakespeare plays so I knew who he was and then to find out he was going to be playing my dad in a small feature film was amazing.”

Charis, who is studying performing arts at the University of Salford, has tasted success before, appearing in the BBC Three show ‘Drop Dead Gorgeous’.

The former Colne Park High pupil has also appeared in Colne Dramatic Society and Pendle Youth Theatre productions.

Another of her films, a version of William Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’, is set to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival later this month.

After being signed up by Cooper Searle Personal Management, she is now hoping to land more film and TV roles in the near future.

She said: “It was amazing in America, I want to move there. Everybody’s so much more polite and I got to speak to loads of directors and contacts.

“Randal Kleiser, who directed Grease, videoed me and the boy who plays my brother on his iPhone, so I’m on that now.

“I would like to do more TV and film, but if theatre work comes along I’m happy to do more of that.”