Behind the scenes with Georgia Conlan on the set of Charlotte

She is vulnerable and alone and with nowhere else to go she knocks on the door of an older man whose intentions are unclear.

It sounds like something that could have been ripped from a newspaper headline and taps into our deepest fears but that is the knife-edge atmosphere a Latchford actor-turned-filmmaker is aiming to create with her debut feature.

Georgia Conlan, who has previously been in CBBC’s 4 O’Clock Club and BBC’s Doctors, said: “I have always loved the horror/thriller genre of film. I love the idea of creating tension and making an audience feel on edge.”

After a successful crowdfunding campaign, the former Penketh High student is co-directing Charlotte with Martin Hardwick.

Originally, Georgia was just on board as an actor but her role and investment in the project continued to grow after she started to help Martin develop the script.

She added: “After weeks of discussions, I then came on board as a writer and director and we started to re-write the script together.

“Directing and writing is something I’ve always wanted to do but never had the confidence. Martin encouraged me to explore those elements and I’m so grateful. This will be my directorial debut.

“I met Martin because of this project and since working together, we are now a couple. It’s been such a lovely journey for us and I am very proud to be working with him.”

Georgia, 24, is in the lead role portraying teenager Charlotte.

She finds herself needing help and a place to stay when she meets Roy (Dean Kilbey).

And as the story progresses, the audience are left with a number of questions such as: ‘Why has Charlotte run away from home? Is Roy’s kindness what it seems?’

Georgia said: “We wanted our story to stand out and lead the audience to question the truth of each character.

“The subject matter of the film is very dark, however our end goal is to entertain people with an intriguing story.”

It is anticipated that Charlotte will cost around £15,000 to make which is coming from crowdfunding and Martin and Georgia’s own savings.

The cast includes 16 actors handpicked from more than 2,000 submissions.

Co-star Dean Kilbey recently won Best Actor at Birmingham Film Festival for The Edge and the cast also includes reality star Chrissie Wunna in a supporting role.

Most of the movie is being shot in north Yorkshire and it is hoped it will be completed in early 2021.

Georgia added: “I am extremely proud of our cast, they are all so dedicated to our process and I can’t wait for everyone to see how amazing they are.

“We needed to ensure that the right actor was cast as Roy as he is a complex character. But upon receiving Dean’s audition tape, we immediately knew he was perfect for the role. We are so pleased to have him on board.”

Despite the challenges of filming during the Covid-19 era, Georgia told Weekend the movie is on track.

She said: “The atmosphere on set has been really positive. It was really important to us that we were all able to have fun and stay upbeat.

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“As the context of the film is quite dark and intense, we wanted to let that go between takes. It’s been a really great experience so far.

“Obviously, coronavirus has made filming difficult and there is a lot more preparation to be done before actors arrive on set.

“Throughout lockdown, I have been keeping up to date with the new filming regulations that have come into place since the pandemic. There have been some excellent resources available to filmmakers during this uncertain time.

“I have taken two courses to ensure I am aware of how to film safely and what procedures to carry out on set. Once all that was all in place, filming ran smoothly.”

The project has been a dream come true for Georgia.

She added: “I knew I wanted to be an actor since primary school. My mum really encouraged me to hold on to my love for acting throughout high school and actively supported my dream of working in this industry.

"I have always wanted to write my own material but never had the time or confidence to do it myself. It’s always been in the back of my mind so I’m really excited to finally be doing what I set out to do.

“Martin and I are inspired by David Sandberg. He started out making short films for his YouTube channel with his partner and didn’t give up.

“His short film, Lights Out, went viral and from that was given the opportunity to make it into a Hollywood feature. Since then, he has gone on to direct Annabelle: Creation and Shazam!”

Georgia also wants to use her platform to inspire other young female creatives after facing many a naysayer.

She said: “Throughout this process I’ve had some negative responses from people in this industry who have made presumptions about my ability based on my age and gender.

“Reading these comments gave me a moment of self-doubt but I decided to push past it and use these comments as fuel moving forward. I just wanted to share my story in the hope that it may inspire others. This industry is difficult but if you want to create and share, don’t let anyone stop you. You are in control of what you do, so have confidence and just go for it.”