IT’S all a bit of a drama for a Dorset family as two sisters aim to make a name for themselves – one behind the camera and one in front.

Zenobia and Esmeralda Voegele-Downing, from Beaminster, are busy laying the foundations for what they hope could be glittering careers in acting and film-making.

Woodroffe School pupil Zenobia, 14, has been on location in Dublin filming a BBC drama written by Victoria Wood and starring Alfred Molina and Francesca Annis.

Meanwhile A-level student Esmeralda, 16, triumphed again in Bridport’s Flash Film competition, which was held as part of the Page to Screen Festival earlier this month, and curated by Francine Stock.

From Page to Screen is the country’s only film festival dedicated to the adaptation of books into films.

A student at Thomas Hardye sixth form in Dorchester, Esmeralda scooped the Special Youth Award in last year’s competition for her 60-second film of one of the Bridport Prize’s winning stories.

This year’s entry, appropriately enough, was her adaptation of the story “More Like A Sister” which again scooped the Youth Award.

Esmeralda, who is studying art, classics, English and Theatre Studies at A-level, said: “To adapt something in 60 seconds means you really have to reassess what is important and what isn’t.”

Zenobia, who won a part in last year’s CBBC children’s drama series The Sparticle Mystery, now has an agent and landed the role in the high-profile BBC One drama Loving Miss Hatto, charting the story of classical pianist Joyce Hatto and her husband Barrie.