THREE Inverclyde film-makers have teamed up to lure stars from Trainspotting 2 and River City for their new project.

Actress Sarah McCardie, who featured in the popular BBC Scotland soap and T2 actor Simon Weir will front the short film ‘Hatches, Matches and Dispatches’ being made by local trio David Carswell, Andy Samuel and Alan Cromar.

The cast also includes Glasgow author Chris McQueer, who will turn his hand to acting, along with Inverclyde’s own Graham ‘Donkey’ Campbell.

Director David wrote the script and joined forces with fellow Gourock man Andy and his colleague Alan, from Greenock, from local company Tall Tale Films, who specialise in wedding and corporate videos but are now having a go at TV work.

The cameras will start rolling this weekend at Drumfrochar Industrial Estate, which is being used as the set.

David, who runs GIP Theatre Company, said: “It’s a real coup for us to get actors like this to come to Greenock and work with us.

“It makes our lives so much easier to make a broadcast-quality film.

“The plan is to enter it into film festivals, including Glasgow and Edinburgh.”

Named after the colloquial term for births, deaths and marriages in newspapers, ‘Hatches, Matches and Dispatches’ is a comedy set in an old cemetery and sees Donkey’s character ‘Pete’ mentor youngster ‘Joseph’, played by McQueer.

It went down a storm on stage at venues such as Greenock’s Beacon Arts Centre and Oran Mor in Glasgow a couple of years ago and David is delighted to be bringing it to life on camera.

He said: “Joseph turns up at the cemetery on community service and Pete takes him under his wing but quickly realises he might as well be teaching card tricks to a dog because he’s not very bright.

“It’s a really funny show.

“It went down very well with audiences when it was on stage and that gives you the confidence to make it into a film with the help of Andy and Alan.

“I’m really pleased to be working with them because their stuff is really good and they are passionate about film-making and storytelling.

“Riverside Inverclyde has also been great in providing us with an excellent location at Drumfrochar Industrial Estate to film it.”

The short film is expected to be finished next year.

For more information visit www.talltalefilms.co.uk