'Cash and Curry' wins audience award at Portobello Film Festival

London, Sept 21 : British feature film 'Cash and Curry' has won the Special Audience Award for Best Feature Film at the Portobello Film Festival 2008.

This festival is officially Europe's biggest independent film festival and it attracts many high profile names.

The world premier of the film took place at Westbourne Studios and among the audience was Hollywood actor Joseph Fiennes who said: "It was a pleasure to come along and lend my support. Films like 'Cash and Curry' which has been made on a small budget are what are keeping the British film industry alive."

'Cash and Curry' was made for a modest 30,000 pound but attracted a host of star names including actors who have starred in major films like 'Bend It Like Beckham' and television soap 'Eastenders'.

Portobello Film Festival director Jonathan Barnett said: "I have seen nothing like it really. The cinema holds 200 people comfortably but on the night of the premiere we had over 500 people trying to get in. It was a crime film but it had some very funny moments too. I hope the film gets a distributor because the audience loved it and the cast and crew deserve it."

'Cash and Curry' is directed by Sarjit Bains who directed the underground cult classic Triads, Yardies and Onion Bhajees (2003) and stars Ameet Chana of Bend it like Beckham fame. Manish Patel (Triads, Yardies and Onion Bhajees) pops up in a cameo role as the 'Baddest Gangsta in Wembley' aka 'Gabbar Patel'.

Other well known faces that feature include Pooja Shah (Eastenders), Ronny Jhutti (Eastenders, Shameless), Lee Latchford-Evans (of Steps pop band fame), Lawrence Stevenson, Dane Logan, Richard Angol (Kidulthood, Camp Xray), Sofia Hayat (finalist of Channel 4's Bollywood Star) and Andrew 'Tiny' Harrison (Trexx and Flipside).

The films Director of Photography is Ciro Candia who has previously worked on several big-budget features including 'Kingdom of Heaven' as second assistant cameraman.

Although 'Cash and Curry' is a comedy it has a dark undercurrent running through its veins and director Bains said: "I am absolutely delighted that the film has been given the seal of approval not only by such a prestigious film festival but also by the audience. This film is a little bit different from the British gangster flicks we have seen in the past...."

Previous winners of the award include John Malkovich, Woody Allen and Guy Ritchie, the makers of the film hope this is a good omen for the future!

Portobello Film Festival premieres features, shorts, documentaries, music films and animation. The festival premieres films from all over the world.

ANI