A small film company is looking for sponsors to fund a screening of its martial arts movie at the Cannes Film Festival.

Phil Hobden and Ross Boyask, who run Modern Life?, think Left For Dead could be a low-budget smash like Reservoir Dogs or The Blair Witch Project.

They say the "revenge flick" has already attracted interest from 60 American distributors and 100 companies interested in buying the rights.

They have secured one screening at Cannes but want a second showing to gain maximum publicity at the world's premier film festival.

Brighton recruitment agency Blue Arrow, where Mr Hobden works as a consultant, has donated £500. They now need another £1,000.

The film was shot for less than £10,000 but Phil and Ross, who used credit cards, loans and overdrafts to bankroll the film, have run out of funds. Both have day jobs and run Modern Life? in their spare time.

Phil, 27, from Pevensey Bay, near Eastbourne, said: "Left For Dead just needs a final push. So many people in Brighton and Hove have supported us already.

"It is the first British martial arts movie in the traditional sense and we want it to be a hit.

"People are getting bored of the traditional British romantic comedy but there is no commitment in this country to funding genre films like ours.

"There's a snobbery in Britain that says you are only allowed to make certain types of films - that includes Sex Lives Of The Potato Men, which cost more than £1 million and must have been seen by all of 20 people."

Scenes in Left For Dead were shot at the Sky Gym in Melbourne Street, Brighton, the Upper Beeding cement works and the King Alfred Leisure Centre in Hove.

Its stars are experienced martial arts experts.

The Cannes Film Festival runs from May 12 to 23.

To sponsor Phil and Ross, email phil@mod-life.com

Monday March 22, 2004