Cannes Airing £45 Zombie Movie

The Cannes Film Festival is known more for glamour than economy. Despite or perhaps because of an unbelievable £45 budget, the movie 'Colin' is turning out to be a surprise success.

Purely from an artistic standpoint, 'Colin' is not your typical zombie movie. The film is told from the titular character's point of view as a zombie himself. What is perhaps more amazing though is the £45 budget for the entire movie. Director Marc Price shot the film on a camcorder, invited his friends to act in the show for free and even got help from makeup artists who offered their services gratis. His friends were asked to bring along a weapon of their choice, of course. "The most extravagant expense was a crowbar, some mini DV tapes and some tea and coffee - but only Tesco Value tea and coffee, not any expensive stuff," Price told the Daily Mail. The movie, which debuted at Cannes on Saturday, has already got distributors interested. Two Japanese film companies have expressed interest in distributing the movie. "We've made a film for £45 in the current economic climate that seems to be something that people are very interested in," said Price. "'I'd love to have a UK or US distribution deal. I just want people to see it. I wouldn't want the film to be picked up and end up just sitting on a shelf." Colin, which was named after Price's father, clocks in at 97 minutes and was shot in Swansea and London over 18 months. The London-born director has had no previous experience in filmmaking, and readily admits that he picked up his skills from DVD extras and director's commentaries. After deciding to make the film, he recruited people who offered to work for free, including friend and actor Alastair Kirton, who plays Colin. He posted an online call for makeup artists willing to work without pay. "I said we wouldn't be able to provide any material, that they would need to being their own equipment. But I said they could create whatever type of zombie they liked and we would give them footage for their portfolio," Price said. "The guys who replied were amazing. They all did the best job they possibly could." The film was spotted by sales agent Helen Grace of Left Films, and she suggested taking the movie to Cannes. The rest, as they say, is history. Price did not attend the screening of his film, though, instead spending the evening at a nearby bar. "It's a bit weird to be at Cannes. Colin is just a movie shot on a camcorder and I have no delusions that's all it is. It's crazy to be arrogant about it." Price said." It's a small film which is really about story and character. It's a dirty little film, but we really hope it's got a lot of heart." Price hopes to raise enough capital for a new film, set on a World War II bomber. "We're thinking of going for big bucks for this one, maybe a hundred quid," he quipped.