A MOVIE maker whose career took off after winning a Keighley film contest has backed a pop-up cinema in the town.

Danny Hardaker is supporting the temporary cinema in the Airedale Shopping Centre, part of this year’s RATMA film festival.

Danny created zombie video Eat Brains with local youngsters, taking the Keighley News People’s Choice Award at last year's River Aire Ten Minute Amateur film festival (RATMA).

The 29-year-old has since turned full-time videographer and runs a production company, and he has also worked in TV and filmed the Tour de France Grand Depart.

He will be among those visiting a pop-up cinema on April 18 in an empty unit at the Airedale Centre, which is showcasing this year's RATMA entrants while raising cash for Cancer Research UK.

This will be the third year running that RATMA will be showcased in the Keighley mall, with a mix of past entries, guest films and teasers for the big day.

Organisers have shortlisted 60 films to be screened at the main event on April 25, when the Keighley Campus of Leeds City College is turned into a multiplex, and the winners will be screened in the evening at Keighley Picture House in North Street.

Organiser and college tutor Marcus Gregg said: “It is a whole different art form and the filmmakers need to be very clever.

“There is no time to build up character and there have to be various mechanisms in place for the viewer to properly buy into the movie in such a short time.

“They’re extraordinarily good Hollywood quality films where the story is told very quickly and precisely.”

Danny made the video Eat Brains with a team of young people who were not in education or employment, through the local Smallworld arts charity in Russell Street, Keighley. The project aimed to give the youngsters a boost in confidence as well as a new set of skills.

Danny, from Oakworth, said: “It took us about 18 weeks doing two-hour sessions each week, initially to find out what each person was interested in - storyboarding, acting, script-writing or whatever – then we filmed it over one weekend.

“I tried to run it how I would run a semi-professional shoot but with no budget and made sure everybody was doing something they were really into.”

Airedale Shopping Centre manager Steve Seymour said: “We are pleased to once again support what is an imaginative and truly international film festival.”

Admission to RATMA is by donation. Visit ratmaff.weebly.com for further information. Visit dannyhardakervideo.co.uk to view Eat Brains.