A class of budding young movie-makers will experience life on the red carpet after their film on fox hunting was shortlisted for a festival award.

Pupils from St Vincent’s Primary School, in The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, put together a short film opposing what they described as the bullying nature of the now-banned rural sport.

The five-minute short highlights the hypocrisy of those who would encourage fox hunting but criticise young people for picking on someone in the school playground.

Year Six pupil Kulani Wijenayake came up with the premise to the story, which has now been shortlisted for an award at the St Albans Film Festival.

The ten-year-old said: “I was amazed because I have never done anything like this before. I really enjoyed seeing everyone in the class get involved and act it out.

“It is an important subject to me and I’m hoping it will spread a message that will make people think differently about foxes.”

All the Year Six pupils had a hand in producing the video – whether it was acting in scenes, creating drawings or helping with the filming.

The school regularly lets pupils create films in their ICT classes but this year is the first time they have entered the film festival awards.

Class teacher Aaron Doherty said: “It feels like we have already won by the fact it has been shortlisted.

“The movie-making gets them really involved in subjects and it’s often interesting because it is so different to what they normally do.”

The festival will be held at St Peter’s School in St Albans from Friday March 8, and Sunday March 10, with the school’s film being screened on the Saturday.

Kulani added: “I feel very happy and proud about what we have achieved - we’re all really looking forward to it.”