AN ACTOR who starred in a low-budget film which premiered in London's Leicester Square, has brought it to his home town of Falmouth.

Canaries cost just £29,000 to make - less than a fifth than a single episode of EastEnders - and Craig Russell took the lead role and also produced it.

The film is now popping up in selected cinemas across the country and on Thursday, October 25, it will be showing at The Poly in Church Street (7.30pm).

Craig be there to introduce the film as well as doing a Q&A afterwards, revealing the secrets and stresses of low budget film making.

He told the Packet: "The reason we made it so cheaply was because of the incredible support we had wherever we went.

"People liked what we were doing and wanted to help, thanks largely to our wonderful writer and director Peter Stray, who wrote such an amazing script."

Canaries, a sci-fi comedy horror, was one of less than 100 films selected from 30,000 hopefuls to have its first airing in Leicester Square as part of Fright Fest film festival in August last year.

Craig explains the film's plot: "The first wave of an international alien invasion coincides with a New Year's Eve party in a small Welsh village.

"While the situation is being monitored by a secret government department in the U.S, back in Wales the New Year's resolution on everyone's lips this year is to stay alive."

The film was shot on three continents inc Vietnam, Washington DC, Martha’s Vineyard - the same locations as the film makers' favourite movie Jaws - and also in London and South Wales.

The action centres around the small Welsh village of Cwmtwrch, near Swansea.

So how did they manage it on such a small budget?

The team that won the Best Special Effects Oscar in 2015 provided the film's special effects for free, while the team who do the post production on Sherlock and Doctor Who also worked for free.

Craig's mum and family friend Ruth Long did the catering and housed cast and crew, built props and ferried people around.

All the locations were owned by friends so they had free access to them, including a pub, a converted chapel, a farm house and Craig's mum's shop.

His sister Sian Cartledge did free artwork and they also recruited some film degree students to help out and in turn, their university supplied heavily discounted camera equipment.

Craig added: "We shot the entire movie for just £29,000. That’s less than one fifth of the cost of an episode of EastEnders, or less than half the coffee budget on Bond movie Spectre!"

"Our super talented director Peter Stray is a technical genius so he was able to save us a fortune just by doing stuff himself."

Canaries has screened all over the world and will be released next year on DVD.

Craig has been an actor for over 20 years, appearing in numerous dramas and soaps including EastEnders and Hollyoaks.

He is currently filming a lead role in a new BBC comedy drama called Pitching In, starring Larry Lamb and Hayley Mills.

Kate, who was in Casualty for seven months, has been married to Craig for seven years and they have to sons.