A teenage film writer has got film industry movers and shakers on Tyneside talking – all he needs now is money to get his project off the ground. Entertainment Editor GORDON BARR has the details HE MAY be only 19 years old, but Martin Grant has big plans. The Newcastle lad has written the script for three short films he hopes to be shot in the North East with the plan of getting well-known TV names to appear in them. He already has a confirmed leading lady, in the shape of former Byker Grover Jody Baldwin, who spent most of her teenage years playing Cher in the hit children’s drama series. Supervising producer will be Camilla Fox-Lansley, who also worked on the Grove, as did co-producer Dominic Beebe. Camilla, started on the children’s series as a runner before becoming a production manager. “It just seemed so interesting and jumped off the page, basically,” she said. In The Hunted, a young lad, Karl Casey, 19, is on the run through the streets of Durham, starting on North Road, across the bridge, up Silver Street, across the Market Place, across the Prince Bishop Bridge, and concluding on the cricket ground by the university. During this fast-paced, pyrotechnic-ridden stunts-laden chase sequence, in which he is trying to escape from nine hitmen, viewers will be told the story, via flashbacks, of how Karl has stolen hundreds of thousands of pounds from a baddie, one of the country’s wealthiest businessmen, who owns a series of casinos. Karl has also proposed to his enemy’s beautiful daughter Gabrielle (Jody Baldwin), who accepts, and the pair are inseparable and madly in love – but she doesn’t know about Karl’s severe casino gambling addiction, and the fact he has stolen from her father. He in turn will be exploited as an abusive, possessive, over-protective father in parts two and three. “I touted the script around,” said Martin, a former Gosforth High pupil. “Camilla was very interested and now it is just a case of getting the finance for it. “The idea would be to attract some known TV names to it, and to have the film’s premiere in Newcastle.” Dominic Beebe, who played Luke Brett in Byker Grove, added: “The films are quite ambitious, but that is what has got us so excited about them. “It would be good to nurture homegrown talent here in the North East.” Martin is now looking for extra funding to see his dream realised. “I am trying to attract businessmen and private establishments to consider investing in the project, and front the financing. “We currently have £5,000 pounds, but we’re looking for at least another £10,000 to £15,000.” Anyone interested in finding out more about The Hunted should contact Martin via e-mail on martin@ brunton88.freeserve.co.uk or ring Camilla on 07949 235 150. | 
