THE inspiring story of how 11 Women's Institute members posed naked to raised thousands of pounds for charity is being launched at one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world.

The film "Calendar Girls," based on how members of Rylstone and District WI in North Yorkshire shed their "Jam and Jerusalem" image to make a raunchy calendar, is being shown at a special press screening at the Cannes Film Festival tomorrow.

Real life Calendar Girls Tricia Stewart and Angela Baker have flown out to the glittering Cannes setting to promote the film with the calendar's photographer Terry Logan.

The will join its stars Helen Mirren and Julie Walters at a special tea party to promote the film, which is being hailed as the next Full Monty.

Tricia Stewart, from Cracoe in North Yorkshire, said today: "It has been dramatised and fictionalised but it will have the heart of the calendar and the reason why we did it.

"I've seen bits of it and it looks wonderful."

The women produced their alternative calendar in April 1999 to raise money for Leukemia Research following the death of Angela's husband John from the disease.

They raised more than £650,000 and sold around 400,000 calendars and their escapades sparked an international media frenzy, turning its naked subjects into overnight stars.

Now the ladies, including Tricia, who wrote a book entitled Calendar Girl about the women's experiences, are preparing for renewed media interest.

"I think it's starting again," laughed Tricia.

Many of the ladies have pledged to put their royalties from the film towards the leukemia charity and are hoping it will see their fundraising top £1m.

The film will be released by Buena Vista Interational on September 5 with gala premieres in Skipton, North Yorkshire, Leeds and London beforehand.

Directed by Nigel Cole, who directed British film Saving Grace, Calendar Girls was shot on location in the Yorkshire Dales, in the village of Burnstall near Bolton Abbey and in Los Angeles.

It also stars Celia Imrie, Annette Crosbie, Geraldine James, John Alderton and George Costigan.