Local Video Makers Win Five Stars, (l-r) Lindsay Townley, and Darren Lalonde from St Neots

IT may not be an Oscar but a five-star rating is one of the top accolades available for amateur film makers – and a St Neots group has achieved it.

The Channel 7 Video Making Club has been awarded the maximum five stars by the Institute of Amateur Cinematographers – previously known as the Film and Video Institute – for its production of The Letter.

The film was judged at the British International Amateur Film Festival which ran from April 13 to April 15.

The two-minute piece, which is set to music, tells the story of a girl who receives a letter and struggles to open it for fear of what may be inside.

The film stars 13-year-old Elissia Styles, of Great Paxton, and has been chosen to represent the UK at UNICA – an international festival in August.

Darren Lalonde, production manager, told The Hunts Post: “The film was an experiment for us in using some new filming techniques and certainly paid off.”

The club is currently working on its next production – Just Friends.