CINEMA-goers are being urged to see the film The One and Only this weekend and help the Newcastle-Gateshead Capital of Culture bid.

The film, starring Patsy Kensit and Donna Air was premiered on Tuesday night, when the two stars and a host of other celebrities attended the world's first screening at the Odeon cinema in Newcastle. The film is released nationwide on Saturday.

Susan Wear, of the Newcastle-Gateshead Initiative, which is spearheading the bid for European Capital of Culture 2008, said: "If enough people see it this weekend, the distributors will vastly increase the distribution and the marketing spend. It is undoubtedly a film that will help Newcastle-Gateshead become top ten citybreak destinations and help us towards European Capital of Culture 2008. It is also a great romantic comedy, with a wonderful feel-good factor."

The film, written by Peter Flannery, was shot entirely on location on Tyneside.

Sir Ian Wrigglesworth, chairman of the Newcastle-Gateshead Initiative said: "There is no doubt that anyone seeing this film will then want to visit Newcastle-Gateshead."

Light on the Geordie

THE makers of The One And Only were so scared foreign audiences would not understand the dialogue, they invented an accent.

Producers were so worried about the cast of genuine and acting Geordies, they brought in dialogue coach Majella Hurley to create the "Geordie Light" accent.

Producer Leslee Udwin said: "We're sorry, but we believed we could either please local people and lose an international audience, or make it accessible to everyone."