A SUSSEX FILM producer's latest work premiered at a festival last night.

Howard Ford's new film, Never Let Go, which co-stars the actress and musician Heather Peace, who lives in Hove, was filmed in Morocco, Spain and Brighton.

The dark thriller covers the issue of child abduction and came about after Mr Ford was worried his own son had been abducted after losing him while on holiday in Malta at the beginning of last year.

Mr Ford, who lives in Palmeira Mansions in Hove, said: "All of a sudden he was gone. I conjured up images in my mind of who might have taken him."

Soon afterwards he was faced with a different problem. He found his son lying at the bottom of a swimming pool and jumped in and saved his life.

The episode led him to think about what it must be like to have a child abducted and devise the film.

He said: "I was compelled to write the film after nearly losing my own son. I was stunned at how dread-filled I was, given that I thought he had been taken and could think of nothing else.

"As a writer and director, there was only one thing to do next."

Alongside Heather Peace, who has appeared in London's Burning, Emmerdale and Waterloo Road, Never Let Go also stars Angela Dixon and features Nigel Whitmey as a senator and local actress Darcie Lincoln.

The local portion of the film takes place outside Brighton Town Hall in Bartholomew Square, chosen because of its resemblance to New York, where the scene is set.

Mr Ford said: "The inside and outside of the beautiful town hall was used effectively to portray downtown New York."

The 38-year-old has lived in Brighton and Hove since he was a toddler. He has directed five feature films and more than 200 television adverts.

As well as selling out its premiere at The Vue Cinema in Leicester Square, London, last night, it broke records by selling out faster than any other film at the Film4 FrightFest, in less that 80 minutes.

Mr Ford has been invited to Korea, Dubai, Spain and the US to show the film prior to its release, and also plans to show it at the Duke of York's in Brighton.

He said the film is being celebrated ahead of its release because of its portrayal of a strong female lead character, something he said has been lacking in cinema lately.

He said: "There's a very interesting maternal element we are tapping into. It's a sensitive one but it came from a genuine place.

"It feels very weird to see it unfolding."