AN award-winning Clydebank filmmaker has launched an appeal to fund her latest project.

Louise Keay-Bell, a former Clydebank College student, has written a short horror/comedy film called Tea Leaves.

Now she needs £5,000 to bring the movie, which combines traditional animation with live action, to life.

It tells the story of three different supernatural spirits who meet with disastrous and comical consequences.

“It’s not a scary horror film, more of a comedy which pokes fun at things like reading tea leaves,” said Louise.

“The film will cut back and forth between the real world and the spirit world. In the real world, where the humans are holding the seance, the film will be shot in live action. In the spirit world, everything will be animated.

“One of the characters, a ghostly cat, will be animated by hand and superimposed into the film. I am confident in working with this technique, and have experience in creating a hand-drawn animation in this style.”

Louise, 24, needs around £5,000 to make the film and has launched a crowdfunding scheme which has raised over £1,000 so far.

One of her previous films, Heart of Dust, told the story of a former psychiatric patient who returned to his former asylum, now abandoned and decaying, to reflect on his memories and move on from the past.

“It was inspired by true stories I heard during my research visiting former asylums around the UK and interviewing ex-patients and members of staff,” explained Louise.

“The film won Best Animation at the Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival, was nominated for a Scottish Student RTS Award and was screened at a variety of film festivals worldwide, including at many mental health charity events.

“Another of my films called Odd Girl Out focussed on school bullying and was nominated for a Scottish Student Royal Television Society Award in the Best Animation category.”

She added: “I need £5,000 as the bare minimum for Tea Leaves, but with some additional funds I would be able to improve the overall quality of the film and can recruit additional help. I’m currently planning on doing the make up and hair myself, but with some extra funds I could hire a professional make up artist. Also, some extra money could go towards the expensive process of film festival submissions.”

To learn more about Tea Leaves or to join the crowdfunding project, go to: www.kickstarter.com/projects/1254263908/tea-leaves-a-short-animated-horror-comedy-film