SA filmmaker goes to Hollywood

A YOUNG South African filmmaker is directing multiple Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey in a short film.

Allan Shelley, 26, from Cape Town, beat more than 700 filmmakers in the Jameson First Shot competition, an international short film competition that received entries from SA, Russia and the US, to call the shots behind the camera.

A stunned Shelley said he was "over the moon". He will soon be jetting off to Los Angeles to spend three weeks shooting his movie with the Hollywood star.

Shelley's winning script, called Spirit of a Denture, will star Spacey as a workaholic dentist who gets a visit from a disruptive pirate.

Shelley admitted that directing the actor, who won Oscars for his roles in the films The Usual Suspects and American Beauty, was intimidating. "I am feeling very nervous about directing Kevin. I will just see how it goes, but I am well prepared."

Spacey said in a statement he was looking forward to the experience . "I want to give talented people out there a shot at reaching their goals for the first time. I've done incredibly well and it's because the material I found early in my career was from first-time writers, first-time directors, first-time playwrights. "

The competition was launched in September and was open to budding directors older than 25. One winner was chosen to represent each country and, by beating over 250 South African filmmakers, Shelley realises this is a huge opportunity.

"I want to learn as much as I can to be a better filmmaker. This is an opportunity for me to learn what it is like in Hollywood. I need to learn to be able to sustain my career," he said.

Now a freelance videographer, Shelley completed his film studies at City Varsity in 2008 and has also been teaching at the college. He said he would like to follow in the footsteps of local filmmaker, Gavin Hood, who won an Oscar for Tsotsi. The films will be premiered in June in Joburg, New York and Moscow for public voting to choose the overall winner with Spacey expected to attend all three premiers.