A BUDDING filmmaker will see one of his works – based around his grandad's life – aired on the small screen later this year.

Ronan Mackenzie was given the go ahead by the BBC to create the short film 'It's Raining, It's Pouring' as part of the broadcaster's New Creatives talent development scheme.

The 22-year-old, from Langho, designed the film to look into the distant well-worn memories of his grandad's childhood, family and personal moments which are recalled through fleeting fragments.

The former Blackburn College student sat down with his grandad, Frank Maher, 82, and discussed various moments of his life, such as his favourite memories of childhood, being a teenager, and working at the former Brockhall Hospital.

Mr Mackenzie, a Manchester School of Art graduate, said he really enjoyed the film-making process.

He said: "It was great to sit down with my grandad and talk about his life.

"It was completely unscripted and entirely improvised.

"It's in a non-narrative style so it doesn't go in chronological order, it can jump from a teenage memory, to a child memory, or elsewhere.

"Through various recollections of his being, the film conjures up a hauntingly beautiful portrait of memory, identity, nostalgia, life and death."

Mr Mackenzie has also screened his other short film, Infinity, from 2016, at several film festivals and was nominated for the north filmmaker award at the Aesthetica Short Film Festival.

The BBC film scheme focuses on giving opportunities to young people aged 16 to 30 from backgrounds that are underrepresented in arts and broadcasting.

It's funded by the Arts Council England and the BBC.

On getting commissioned, Mr Mackenzie said: "It was amazing to be selected. I really enjoy filmmaking and I'm really happy with the final version.

"The film is a mixture of hand-drawn animation and digital animation. It uses still images that move as well as old pictures of my granddad's life."

Mr Mackenzie hopes the film will be broadcast towards the end of the year on the BBC iPlayer and BBC Four.