A new film starring Mark Benton is set to premiere in the North East later this year.

The film, titled "Please Come Home,” will feature the actor, who was seen during its filming in Thornaby, and will be screened at ARC in Stockton as part of this year's Tees Valley International Film Festival on November 9.

The short film will explore themes of loss, family relationships, and grief, and came about through last year’s Tees Valley International Film Festival Scholarship.

(Image: TVIFF)

The scholarship saw filmmaker and actor Charlotte Fenton produce the film with £3,000 Mark Benton to star in the film itself, and an award presented by Robson Green

Ms Fenton said: "Winning the scholarship enabled me to maintain momentum in my work. After attending the festival in 2023 and screening my debut short film, “Internal Abyss”, I was keen to begin my next project. However, filmmaking is costly, and funding is challenging. This scholarship helped me overcome those obstacles, making my vision a reality."

“Working with Mark Benton, both as a producer and an actor, was a dream come true. He’s an amazing actor and a pleasure to spend time with. His involvement in “Please Come Home” will significantly boost the film's visibility.”

(Image: Broken Illusion)

The premiere will include a screening of the "Making Of" documentary, followed by a live interview with Mark Benton, Charlotte Fenton (writer, producer and actor), Daymon Britton (director) as well as festival director Michael Luke.

Mr Luke, who was born in Darlington, said: "While TVIFF is known for great entertainment, its core mission is to nurture new talent. The film industry in the Tees Valley is unfortunately underrepresented, with few opportunities available. To help change that, we partnered with Altberg in Richmond to create this Scholarship."

“Working with Charlotte has been an absolute pleasure. Both her creative ability and business acumen are breathtaking. The entire TVIFF team is confident that her film will achieve success at BAFTA level festivals."

(Image: Broken Illusion)

This year's TVIFF Scholarship includes a £3,000 grant for film production, £500 worth of technical equipment rental from Focus Canning, and the opportunity for acting legend Stephen Tompkinson to star in the winner's film.

To enter, aspiring filmmakers need to submit a short film script, a pitch deck, and a detailed breakdown of how they plan to use the funds. More details can be found here.

“Please Come Home” will premiere at the Tees Valley International Film Festival on 9th November at ARC Stockton. Tickets are free of charge and can be reserved here.