A FILM-maker has followed up a top award at Cannes Film Festival by snapping up an exclusive distribution deal.

James Webber, of Oak Lane, Isleworth, has had an epic few months with his 11-minute film, Driftwood, which won the Coup de Coeur award from the most famous film festival in the world, Cannes.

Then Shorts International offered to distribute the film, which could put the 32-year-old writer and director, and his team, on their way to the Oscars because Shorts is the only distributor able to nominate short films for the Academy awards.

The company was also one of iTunes’ earliest film industry partners so the public will be able to buy it from there.

Mr Webber said: "We never aimed to make money with Driftwood. We just wanted the biggest possible audience to enjoy it, so winning the Coup de Coeur at Cannes was amazing. It was one of only three British films to receive the honour, which was pretty impressive.

"The biggest thing for any film is to get a distributor, and I was looking at my phone about to Google Shorts International to see if they were at Cannes when I saw I’d had a call from them that I’d missed!

“That was bizarre. I called back and they said they’d really like to take Driftwood on, which is fantastic as they are the distributor you want for short films.

“Being at Cannes was great, we were rubbing shoulders with the great and good of the film industry and it was fascinating going to the film market, which is teeming with film industry professionals.”

Since Cannes, Driftwood has been nominated for three more awards, including a shortlisting by the East End Film Festival, one of the UK’s biggest.

Before Cannes, the inspirational tale won best film at the British Independent Film Festival and best foreign film at the Sunset Film Festival, Los Angeles.