A FILM set in the North-East and based on a book by a North Yorkshire novelist will have a special screening in the region.

Electricity is based on a novel by Bedale’s Ray Robinson, who will be at the screening at the Forum in Northallerton, on Thursday (January 15) at 7pm.

The story is seen through the eyes of Lily, played by model and actress Agyness Deyn, whose epilepsy causes extraordinary hallucinations as she searches for her brother in London.

Bafta-nominated director Bryn Higgins said he and producer Clare Duggan were keen to film in the North East.

He said: “Clare has a property in West Burton, near Leyburn, so she knows the area well. I’ve also filmed in Newcastle in the past and it was a wonderful experience so we filmed most of the story in Newcastle and in Saltburn, which was the home town of lead character Lily.

“Electricity is set predominantly in London but we used Newcastle a lot instead, for example with the Metro for the Underground – it worked brilliantly. The majority of our crew was also from the North-East.

“From the point of view of the story, we put Lily in Saltburn because it’s a stunning location but also has a real contrast to London, where she has to go to find her brother after their mother dies.

“She has a form of temporal lobe epilepsy and she has violent seizures that we see through her eyes – we did a lot of research with the Epilepsy Society to portray the vivid hallucinations and show the experience through her eyes.”

He said a lot of research had gone into ensuring the visions during the seizures were as close to a real-life experience as possible.

“Clare and I come from a factual background making documentaries so we respect research,” he said.

“It was well received at the London Film Festival and I’m looking forward to taking it to international festivals this year.”

Mr Higgins said he was delighted the film was being screened in Northallerton – as close as possible to Bedale to honour author Ray Robinson’s work.

It will also be shown at Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle, on Thursday, January 15, and at City Screen Cinema, York, on Sunday, January 25.