A church volunteer from a small village in Canada has joined the team behind Oswestry's first feature film.

But Matthew Gobbert's new role isn't as cast or camera crew - he is training a girl from Shrewsbury High School to sound American.

Matthew has been working with the local Holy Trinity Youth Group for the past year.

But it was during his recent performances in the Oswestry Musical Theatre's Into the Woods production that he came to the attention of Rocking Horse Studios - the company behind the film.

"We decided some time ago that we wanted to make one of our main bullies American," explained Gareth Thomas, writer and director of Run For Your Life.

"This is an anti-bullying film and we wanted to include a reference to the classic bitchy cheerleader characters made famous in so many American films."

Grace Inger, from Shrewsbury High School, is tasked with bringing her American character to life and has already begun to benefit from Matt's coaching.

"Matt has already helped me to gain confidence in adapting my voice, which will hopefully help bring my character to life," she said.

Run For Your Life tells the tale Jess, an autistic teenager athlete suffering from severe bullying.

But when she goes missing we meet Shane, a mysterious young man from her past who seems to know more than he’s willing to admit.

Matthew is already hoping to return from Canada for the premiere of Run For Your Life.

To get involved in the productuon yourself contact rockinghorsestudios1207@gmail.com or call 07488340440.