A Christmas Eve Snowfall

A wintry winner... by Kevin Emery, Clevedon Mercury

As the lights came up, rapturous applause filled the theatre - telling everything about how Portishead filmmaker Paul Dudbridge's brand new film The Christmas Eve Snowfall was received.

The premiere of the self-funded film took place at Vue Cinemas, Cribbs Causeway, on Tuesday evening and it went down a storm to an expectant almost-capacity audience. The eveing started with a mince pie, donated by Asda at Cribbs Causeway and then a short carol service from the Clevedon Salvation Army.

If Paul was hoping this would get everyone in the Christmas spirit, he needn't have worried, because once the short film started the magic of Christmas shone through.

The film, narrated by actor Joss Ackland, is based on a poem, all in rhyme, of the same name by writer Will Griffin and it tells the story of how two people are brought together by the magic of Christmas.

Christmas is a time of magic and wonder - and every aspect of the film captured these things and more perfectly. The poem was truly amazing, Paul's directing meant every shot had a story to tell, Joss Ackland's deep, soothing voice grabbed you, and the music by Portishead composer John Tippet meant you just wished it was Christmas Eve there and then.

It made you remember what Christmas was like when you were a child and how the joy of Christmas can bring people together, and the cast, local actors Ben Pavord, Lisa Ruthven, Emma-Jane Portch and making her debut, 12-year-old Claudia McNally of Portishead, were excellent.