THE New Carlton Cinema was the venue for the premiere of an inspirational new film made by three Okehampton students.

Will Ingram, Jake Hooper and Patrick Allen were asked by Vicky Hooper from Devon County Council's Puzzle Tree service to make a film that looked at people with learning disabilities living their day-to-day lives.

After taking her up on the offer, the trio started planning the project in May, and then took roughly six weeks to shoot the film. The project became a more poignant and personal story, as the trio got to understand the lives of the subjects on whom the film is based.

'A New Perspective' aims to raise awareness of disability. The group, who receive support from Puzzle Tree, wanted to showcase some of the many positive achievements that people with disability in the area are having.

Will Ingram, one of the filmmakers, said: 'We started the film with an idea to promote the great things that local people with learning disabilities do in the area. 

'We worked with a particular group of people and very quickly found that our own expectations and opinions that we'd had about people with disabilities, were challenged.

'I have been recovering from an accident a year ago, which left me with spinal injuries and initially unable to walk, so I'd experienced disability to a degree, albeit very different to the experiences of the great people we've met through the Puzzle Tree.

'This film has given two groups of people the chance to work together, and illustrates in relatively little time how our attitudes towards each other have changed.

'We think the film audience's attitudes will change too, so we're really looking forward to showing the film.'

The film premiered at the cinema on September 7, with Puzzle Tree users, friends and family all attending.