Ray Brady's films have won acclaim at prestigious international festivals from Edinburgh to Rotterdam. PAULINE HAWKINS talks to the East Lancashire man who aims to raise the profile of British films on the world stage.

UP-AND-COMING East Lancashire director Ray Brady has made a shocking name for himself in the world of film production.

The labels "notorious" and "controversial" have been stuck to his work as the result of an 89-minute movie he made eight years ago which was banned by the British Board of Film Censors.

But Brady, 39 -- a former Accrington schoolboy whose dyslexia wasn't picked up until he was 18 -- comes across as friendly, amenable . . . even jolly. And his latest movie is a romantic comedy that even his mother was pleased to watch.

He openly admits that he relies heavily on friends and family to read through his typed scripts to spot spelling errors and offer critiques on his work.

Brady, former head boy of Mount Carmel RC High School in Oswaldtwistle, has his roots in Accrington where his parents Clare and Philip and sisters Kathleen and Geralyn live. One of his brothers, Donald, is a firefighter based in Accrington and his other brother, Des Backhouse-Brady, is a full-time actor based in London who stars in Brady's latest film, Love Life.

The movie was screened at the Cubby Broccoli Cinema in Bradford on Tuesday as part of the city's annual film festival. Described as a feel-good romantic comedy, it is the story of a man who unexpectedly becomes a father after a one-night stand. It also features former Bros drummer Luke Goss, who is starring in Blade II with Wesley Snipes later this year.

Brady describes Love Life as "nice little morality tale, basically for 15 to 20 year olds".

He says of the film: "The young man tries to run away but the mother of his child goes to college and gets a job. He meets up with her again and realises she has moved on but his life hasn't changed. He realises he has made mistakes and the majority of the film is about him trying to make her think he's worth something."

He admits it is hard to compete in a world dominated by big business, multi-million pound Hollywood movies and the United States multiplex merry-go-round.

"I find it difficult to get publicity for a romantic comedy," he said. "Guns and violence court controversy and get a lot of attention. Small films are overwhelmed by the exposure of Hollywood films and it's easy for them to slip through the net."

But he would love audiences in his home town to be able to see the movie, which has a 15 certificate, and this week he was making efforts to contact the owners of the new cinema complex in Accrington to see if they will agree to screen it.

Brady gained notoriety after his first production, a violent and disturbing film called Boy Meets Girl, was banned by the BBFC after a series of successful screenings at various international festivals, including Sweden, Denmark, Italy and the renowned Edinburgh Film Festival.

The decision by the BBFC sparked off considerable debate about screen censorship and Brady, who accused the board of "desensitising the audience and causing more harm than good", was supported in his views by actress Glenda Jackson. The board has now agreed that Boy Meets Girl -- described by Brady as "a thought-provoking film, not for children" -- should be given an 18 certificate, uncut and uncensored. It is due to be released on video early in May.

Brady, who used to pay regular Saturday morning visits to the cinema in Accrington as a child, completed a BA degree in film at the London College of Printing in June 1995. Earlier that year he directed a sexual comedy called The Truth Game which played at the Brixton Shaw Theatre.

He owns Boudicca, a London-based UK and international sales and distribution company, which aims to raise the profile of British films by promoting and distributing them in innovative and cost-effective ways. He also owns the production company Imaginary Films.

Since completing his degree he has directed, written and produced a series of short films and taken part in a string of television and radio interviews, including The Movie Show on Sky 1 with Richard Jobson, when he and John Carpenter were interviewed and three clips of Boy Meets Girl were shown.

He was one of three panel guests to debate censorship in film on the Richard Littlejohn Show, shown on Sky 1 and repeated on ITV, and was also interviewed for The Last Days of the Board, a Diverse Production for Channel Four Arts.

Brady's latest project is a psychological thriller called Day of the Sirens, a 90-minute film similar in style to Traffic, with five interwoven stories happening on one day. It will not be released until early next year.

Meanwhile, Brady says his mother is pleased his latest film isn't rubbing the censors up the wrong way.

"Mum has seen Love Life and was happy to sit and watch it. She's pleased I have gone from being challenging and provocative to being a 'sensible' director.

"It's always the bane of a mother's life when their children go out and do something they find difficult to explain," he said.