FORMER English teacher, Elspeth Waldie, stumbled into filmmaking in 2000, but since then has made a great impact on charity campaigning.

Now the News campaign, Pride in Our Towns, looks at the Ilminster based filmmaker, who has bought hope and opportunity to those both home and abroad.

ELSPETH'S first two films in Bangladesh serve to spread the idea that disability is not the end of the world, with the first, Bihongo, coming about most unexpectedly.

After travelling to Bangladesh to teach English, Elspeth met Valerie Taylor, who runs the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed.

Seeing the suffering inflicted upon patients from prejudice and superstition, Valerie wanted something to be done to change people's minds.

Elspeth said: "Valerie realised how powerful film was and asked me to write a film script.

"At first I thought she was joking - I didn't know the first thing about filmmaking!"

"Growing up my father was very strict and we didn't really watch films - at that point you could count on your hand how many films I'd seen."

But despite her fears, the film proved a big success.

With a business sponsored budget for professional crew and actors, it attracted huge audiences in the cinemas and rural viewings.

Elspeth is eagerly awaiting the UK premier of her second Bangladesh-based film, Radio Bhai, about a man who is rendered paralysed after falling ill, and must win back the faith of his childhood sweetheart and her family.

This time there was no big budget, and Elspeth learnt about using digital equipment and recruited aspiring filmmakers and actors to keep costs down.

"I realised there were many students coming out of media courses and not being able to get jobs in film." Added Elspeth.

"So we advertised for qualified people on a voluntary basis and got a great response from people desperate for experience.

"For our hero we also used Shatti, a former patient of CRP, who was not a professional actor but we wanted to show the ability of disabled people.

"I could tell he was nervous at first, but by the end he has all the girls swooning."

Elspeth's films are not just for entertainment, but are weapons aimed to dispel fear and superstition and spread the message of a certain cause.

"This film took around four years to come together, and really was a team effort - I'd like to thank the crew and everyone who helped out and supported me and the project."

ONLY THE BEGINNING: WITH the success of her first two films in Bangladesh, Elspeth has set up an organisation to help charities make their own films.

Purple Field Productions is a voluntary organisation aiming to help non-governmental organisations and charities spread their message through a powerful and wide spread medium.

The organisation connects charities to recently qualified young filmmakers who seize these projects as invaluable experience.

Elspeth said: "People at the Centre for Rehabilitation for the Paralysed in Bangladesh have just secured their own equipment were taught how to use it from people we sent out.

"They can now make films for themselves, increasing awareness and showing people what they can do."

Elspeth has recently finished filming in Rwanda and has had many other organisations in other countries wanting similar films.

"The Rwanda film is trying to inform people about the good in the country, as often the only thing people know about the country is the terrible genocide.

"That will be shown on April 26 at Sussex University, with the Rwandan ambassador due to attend."

For more information about the Radio Bhai preview, click on the link below.