A BRIDPORT film-maker hopes to put the town on the map with his adaptation of a Stephen King story.

Mark McFarlane, 29, convinced the legendary horror writer to let him become a ‘Dollar Baby’ and shoot one of King’s stories for $1.

Mr McFarlane said: “I have been a filmmaker for a few years and a Stephen King fan for longer and I’d always wanted to adapt one of his stories.

“He came up with this scheme back in the 80s where he gives the rights to some of his stories to students and aspiring film-makers for a dollar. Really promising film-makers have come out of this like Frank Darabont who directed the Shawshank Redemption as a dollar baby.

“In January one of my films was at the Clermont Ferrand Film Festival in France called Sometimes starring Clare Grogan, (who first starred in Gregory’s Girl) and James MacPherson (from Taggart) and it was nominated for the Royal Television Society award.

“I was looking for a project and I had been writing a feature film for a few months which I was struggling with a bit and it had been a long time since I filmed anything.

“I picked ‘I am the Doorway’ and speculatively sent an email and about two and a half weeks later they replied and said they were keen. I got a dollar from the post office and sent it off.

“I have been writing the script ever since and it is going well.”

He is now trying to negotiate filming at Eype. He added: “The whole thing about the project is that it is not for profit which makes it very difficult for people to want to invest because they won’t get a return on their money.

“I am trying to use it as a springboard not only for myself but for other film-makers in the area.”

He hopes the film will get international exposure and promote the area. “It will just increase the exposure of Bridport. We would be using local resources and spending money in the town.”

Anyone who wants to get involved can contact Mark McFarlane at markgmcfarlane@yahoo.com