CALIFORNIA awaits a group of Ipswich filmmakers whose work has been selected for an American film festival. Red Rose Chain Film and Theatre Company beat off competition from thousands of entrants from across the world when their seven-minute film Valentine's Day was chosen for the Newport Beach Film Festival.

CALIFORNIA awaits a group of Ipswich filmmakers whose work has been selected for an American film festival.

Red Rose Chain Film and Theatre Company beat off competition from thousands of entrants from across the world when their seven-minute film Valentine's Day was chosen for the Newport Beach Film Festival. It will be screened twice at the festival later this month.

The film is set in a primary school and follows the story of Jason, a six-year-old boy with behavioural difficulties. It is being used across Britain to raise awareness of the challenges that are faced by many children and to encourage teachers and other professionals to work in a child-centred way.

Director Joanna Carrick said: "From the very beginning we were aware that this story had potential, but the most powerful element that really singles it out is its roots in research and real life experiences.

"It's great to be sharing this with audiences from the US and filmmakers from across the world."

Accompanying Valentine's Day on its journey to the Newport Beach Film Festival will be actor Jimmy Grimes, who plays Mr Valentine in the film.

He will be attending the screenings of the film and helping to promote it to the festival goers.

He is thrilled to be spending ten days in Orange County and said: "I'm really excited about showing this film to audiences in the USA.

"It's a powerful, gritty, English story and I'm sure there will be an emotional response."

Screen East, the regional office of the UK Film Council, was one of the film's funders and is equally pleased to see it helping to place filmmaking in the east of England on the international map.

A spokesman said: "We congratulate Red Rose Chain in producing Valentine's Day, both as a short film drama and as a resource to help teachers."

Valentine's Day's inclusion in the Newport Beach Film Festival marks the second time Red Rose Chain's work has been selected for screening at an international level.

It's previous short film Moving On Up was selected for the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival in 2001 and won an award for outstanding achievement at Newport Beach in 2002.

The company, based in Fore Hamlet, Ipswich, is fast building a reputation for innovative, high quality productions, producing up to three films a year and staging ambitious and unique theatre events such as the forthcoming UFO The Musical, to be staged in Rendlesham Forest this summer.

Weblink: www.redrosechain.com