Cannes showing for small-budget movie
A Shropshire taxi driver will appear in a horror movie due to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival.
Actor Phillip Embrey, 57, of Monkmoor, Shrewsbury, won a part in low-budget indie horror film Molly Crows.
The movie, which has become an internet sensation with 15,000 views on YouTube, was written and directed by Ray Wilkes from Keele and was filmed in Staffordshire.
It features a cast of 70 actors and was recently sent to judges at the world famous Cannes Film Festival for approval.
Mr Embrey plays pub landlord Bill, described as a 'nasty piece of work' who gets a grisly comeuppance during the film.
It is the first major on-screen speaking part for the father-of-five, who was first bitten by the acting bug after appearing as an extra in the 1984 version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, which was filmed in Shrewsbury. Since taking up acting professionally two years ago, Mr Embrey has appeared in four films and a pop video.
He hopes the success of his latest project will allow him to give up his part-time job as a taxi driver to concentrate on his acting career.
He said: "Acting is always something that I wanted to do. I class myself as an actor but like a lot of actors I do a bit of part time work to get by."
Molly Crows is based on the life of Staffordshire 'witch' Molly Leigh, who died in 1746. Legend tells that her grave in Burslem churchyard was disturbed by local clerics who exhumed her body and threw a still-living blackbird into her coffin. Her spirit is still said to haunt the town.
The film, which is set in the modern day, sees a young girl become possessed with Molly's spirit to carry out terrible revenge on people who bullied her. Mr Embrey said horror fans on the internet had voted one of his scenes, during which his character cuts out his own tongue, as being the 'scariest' in the movie.
The film also stars actor George Newton who has appeared in cult films This is England and Dead Man's Shoes.
Cannes International Film Festival was first held in 1946 and is one of the most prestigious events of its kind in the world.
For more information visit the Molly Crows Facebook page.
