An up-and-coming filmmaker has won a grant from the foundation launched by Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey to support emerging artists.

David Toms will use the £500 award to market his short film to festivals across the UK in a bid to get it screened

Written and directed by Mr Toms, 'Facendon Avenue' was shot in a bookshop on the University of Birmingham's campus and utilised local cast and crew.

It tells the story of how a best-selling author ends up in a confrontation with one of the characters from his book and was inspired by a final-year project Mr Toms did for his degree based on 'Stationary Bike', a short story by Stephen King.

He told the Post: "I applied for the grant several months ago and, as I hadn't heard back, I just assumed I had been unsuccessful.

"I received an email the morning after the final day's shooting to say I had been successful and it took me very much by surprise.

"The original budget for the film was about £500 but with this additional money I am able to sort out a distribution plan to submit it to film festivals."

The Kevin Spacey Foundation has been helping emerging artists in the UK since 2010 with grants and scholarships and in the US since 2013.

Known for his roles in films such as Seven, The Usual Suspects and American Beauty, he has also been artistic director of the Old Vic Theatre in London since 2003.

Mr Toms is now applying to about 10 film festivals, including in Bath, Carmarthen Bay and the British Independent Film Festival in London to have the film screened.

"The dream scenario is that the film is picked up for distribution but the main goal of this is to get exposure and as many pairs of eyeballs as possible on my work," he said.

"At this level of the industry, it's all about reputation so if I can show that my films have been screened I am more likely to get commissions and interest in scripts I have written."

Earlier this year, Mr Toms' last work 'The Objects', which cost £600 to make, was nominated for best short film at the Pasadena International Film Festival in Los Angeles.

He currently works as a producer for the Jewellery Quarter-based IDM Media, along with writing and directing his own projects through his company Gwynplaine Films.

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