BLACKBURN film director Michael Winterbottom is clearly a man who doesn't stand still for long.

As his latest big screen offering -- 24 Hour Party People -- goes on national release, the talented 41-year-old film maker is already hard at work filming his next project, The Silk Road, in Turkey.

Winterbottom has won many admirers for his uncompromising attitude to film making and his varied output. His films include the controversial Welcome to Sarajevo and Jude, starring Kate WInslet, but it is 24 Hour Party People which could bring him a wider audience.

Starring Steve Coogan, it is the tale of Factory Records and the rise of the Manchester music scene which began with bands such as Joy Division and continued into the era of the Happy Mondays.

Winterbottom -- a former pupil at Lammack Primary School and Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School -- got the idea for the film while in a country and western bar in Canada with Andrew Eaton, who was to become the film's producer.

"We were just catching up on things we'd like to do in the future and we both thought it would be good to do a film about music," said Winterbottom.

Covering two decades, the film centres around Steve Coogan as Tony Wilson, the TV presenter and the man behind Factory Records.

As soon as Coogan heard that Winterbottom was directing, he agreed to be in the film.

"When I heard Michael Winterbottom was doing the film I decided I'd do it if the script was good, as I wanted to make a film with him," he said.

In typical Winterbottom style many of the scenes were improvised with the camera being allowed to run for long periods.

"The idea was that the film would have the same spirit (as Factory Records), that anyone who was working on it would be as free as possible to do what they wanted to do," said Winterbottom.

"Loads of great things came out of Factory, and some rubbish. I'm sure the film will be the same -- a patchwork of different bits and pieces."

More entertaining guide than definitive history, 24 Hour Party People has been accused of re-writing the events of the Madchester music scene.

Steve Coogan is quick to defend it.

He said: "There's an inherent problem in trying to do any biopic. If you try and say this is how it was, you're almost bound to make a hash of it because people will say 'It wasn't like that'.

"Everyone's got a different story but the film is only one perspective. It also meant that we had artistic licence. We're trying to entertain as well as tell a story."

Winterbottom has been keen not to upset any of the main players from the Manchester scene who are portrayed in his film.

"All we've tried to do is talk to as many people as possible and point out what went on. It's not an attack on anyone.

"It's really a celebration of that time and those people, so hopefully thay means most people will feel OK about the film when they see it."

Winterbottom is now based in London but still has family in Blackburn.

24 Hour Party People (cert 18) goes on national cinema release from Friday, April 5.