The film-maker, a talent show and a nod from Sir Paul

Tom Paul-Martin had no idea a school talent show would be key to him becoming a film-maker whose work has been shared by Sir Paul McCartney.

The experience at Droitwich High School, back in 2007, was a real lightbulb moment he vividly recalls.

“They showed a video that past students had made, and I remember watching the video thinking, ‘Oh my God, wait, I love TV and film!’” he said.

His latest project, Where Are All the Gay Superheroes? is a short film exploring the discomfort surrounding LGBTQ+ representation, particularly gay people in positions of power.

The film will be showcased on home turf on Saturday at the Worcester Film Festival, at which it is nominated for awards in three categories.

“The film is about superheroes, but you could read the characters as professional footballers, you know, Premier League footballers, A-list celebrities, or politicians,” Martin explained.

“In every industry, you hear people saying there are lots of gay people who don’t come out because they worry it will affect their career."

He said that he had based the film on superheroes "because that's fun".

“There are big costumes, robots, CGI, and all that kind of stuff,” he says.

“What really makes my film is the actors in it. I got Rory Fleck-Byrne and Imran Adams, and they’re both TV actors. Rory has been in This is Going to Hurt on the BBC, and Imran was in Hollyoaks.

"I’d never worked with either of them, but I reached out to their agents with the script, and they liked it."

Asked how he would advise aspiring film-makers, Martin says "do not be precious" about your work.

“Make content... just create, learn from it, and move on," he says, also encouraging new film-makers to think bigger with ideas.

"You need to be open to the idea that actors might want to work with you, even if you don't have experience," he continues.

"Crew might be interested in your story, even if you think it’s just a silly story that no one else will like.

"You have to open the door to see what’s on the other side."

Martin also highlights the importance of events like this weekend's film festival, as a shop window for aspiring directors.

Festival organiser Kirstie Gregory said: "We all immerse ourselves in film in some way, and we want to bring all aspects of that together, creating a space for community, industry and education."

Where Are All the Gay Superheroes? has been nominated for Best Costume Designer, Best Editor, and Best Sound Design.

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