A BOLTON filmmaker is rallying support to help him get behind the camera with some Hollywood big-shots.

Paul Blinkhorn has made it on to a list of potential filmmakers hoping to win £30,000 of major industry support to create a short film.

The former Bolton Sixth Form College student has been picked for the longlist for The Pitch 2017.

However, in order to get to the next stage of the competition, he needs members of the public to vote for his film pitch.

He said: "The competition has been running for five years with the likes of Nick Park and David Suchet on the judging panel.

"I've pinned my hopes on getting through to this stage but I would really like to get shortlisted.

"A friend of mine won it a few years ago and since then he has had meetings with the likes of Dreamworks — that's how crazy it gets — and received some great mentoring.

"I have been making short films on no budget so it would be brilliant to win something like this, it means you can do things which are bolder and more ambitious."

Paul's pitch for his film Quarters has been chosen as one of 40 in the longlist out of hundreds of entries.

Inspired by the story of Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000, Quarters’ is a contemporary tale set in an apartment building in the USA.

Two neighbours team up to help improve lives using a watercooler bottle filled with $5,000 worth of quarters.

His video for the film idea is available to view online and vote on by the public. The vote helped narrow the numbers to 20, who then go on to make a live pitch in front of a panel of top industry professionals, who pick the final winner.

Mr Blinkhorn added: "Even just to get through to the live panel would be brilliant.

"There are so many people out there in the industry that you don't often get opportunities to get in the room with some of the top professionals!"

The winner will receive professional production support to make a short film.

He or she will be flown to Hollywood to screen the movie for industry experts like Tim Williams, composer for films including The Book Thief and Guardians of the Galaxy, and Ralph Winter, who produced X-Men, Fantastic Four and Wolverine, who will then provide feedback, advice and support.

The vote is open until Monday at www.enterthepitch.com/vote.