A YOUNG actor from Wakefield stars in a highly rated new film about the ‘fear of falling in love’.

Philophobia, which has won a dozen awards on the international festival circuit, is the debut feature from writer and director Guy Davies.

The independent movie - made by the director in and around his home town of Stroud, in Gloucestershire, when he was 25 - is described as ‘an authentic coming of age romance rooted in experience’.

Charlie Frances, who grew up in Wakefield, has gained plaudits for his portrayal of one of the main characters, Sammy.

The film also stars Joshua Glenister, Harry Lloyd (from The Theory of Everything and Legion), James Faulkner (Game of Thrones), Alexander Lincoln (Emmerdale), Kim Spearman, Jack Gouldbourne, and Grace Englert.

Philophobia will be shown at dozens of cinemas across the country, including the Showcase Cinema de Lux Leeds and Reel Wakefield, on Friday, October 30.

Mr Davies said: “Philophobia is a fully independent film with no government or grant money or studio backing.

“I made it when I was 25 in my hometown with a grassroots fundraising effort and honestly can’t believe that it’s come this far and been picked up for a cinema release.

“The film was shot in the high school I attended as a teenager — it’s inspired by life experience and is about love, friendship, sex and that uncertain transition period in life before becoming an adult.”

Philophobia was made possible by a dozen Stroud based investors and spearheaded by production company Fablemaze.

Fablemaze Producer Matt Cook said: “From October, 2019 right up to the pandemic shutting things down in March, 2020 we screened Philophobia to festival audiences who were consistently passionate in their response - so we were determined to give the film a proper cinema release in the UK.”

Fablemaze co-founder Toby Cook added: “We are betting that young audiences in controlled numbers will turn out to see this film on the big screen in spite of the threat of Covid which, let’s face it, could be around for the foreseeable future.”

Philophobia has won 12 awards on the festival circuit including at the San Diego International Film Festival where it won both Best Global Cinema and the Lite Coin Audience Choice award.

Its many other accolades to date have included Best Cinematography at the European Cinematography Awards and Best Feature Film at Lift Off Melbourne Film Festival. For more details visit www.philophobiafilm.com.