Lights, camera, action as Justin aims for title

The British Short Script competition is organised by the British Council and three winners will have their scripts professionally produced and seen in cinemas across the UK as a support feature to a major movie.

Judges for this year’s competition include actor Kenneth Branagh and award-winning director Sir Alan Parker.

It’s not the first time Justin has scribbled his way onto the shortlist - he has previously reached the semi-final of the same competition and has also hit the second round in the past.

But the budding big-screen scribe thinks this could be his year.

“I’ve got some experience of the competition now and I think that, of all my entries so far, this one, which is called Hurt Tennis, is the strongest,” he said.

“It’s fantastic to have professionals of that calibre reading my script. It’s a very exciting time for me.”

Justin’s script, which is set in the waiting room of a marriage guidance councillor, tells the tale of the disintegration of a relationship.

And, even if he doesn’t take the top prize in the competition, his story will still be seen on the screen - Justin filmed his own version of the script last month at the Rotherham offices of counselling charity Relate.

“We just got together a version of Hurt Tennis,” he said. “I shot it with a group of friends and its turned out really well. I’m going to be entering it in various short film competitions over the next few months.”

The winners of the British Council competition will be announced in the autumn.