A Gorleston man has spoken of his pride, after seeing the film he helped to fund released on DVD.

Beneath the Skin, a dramatic LGBT film by Aaron Ellis, was partially funded by Richard Harrison, of Gorleston and his father Tom, and has now received its DVD release.

The movie, which was filmed in the UK and Canada, gets its release after winning multiple awards at independent film festivals.

Mr Harrison agreed to offer his support to the project after being deeply moved by reading the script.

He said: “I read a lot of film scripts, but when I read this one it brought me to tears, so I knew it had to be made.

“It just had so much intensity, but it also stood apart from other LGBT scripts, as it was about so much more than just romance between two people of the same gender - it was also about friendship.”

It tells the story of Joshua, a student who finds a kindred spirit on a Canadian island, after an act of abandonment forces him to move there from the UK.

However, his relationship with tattoo artist Jay is put under strain by bullies and negativity surrounding them.

Seeing the film made and put on the big screen was an emotional affair for Mr Harrison, a feeling that replicated when it arrived on DVD.

He added: “I felt such immense pride the first time I saw it, and one of the cast members came to me and said how it would not have been possible without me and my dad, which meant a lot.

“It was everything I hoped it would become and more - visually it was stunning and it was put together in such a beautiful way.”

The film, which is rated 15, is available to buy online at Amazon, and has already attracted a great deal of interest.

“We’ve received several orders already,” said Mr Harrison, who is helping with distribution of the DVDs.

The film was named best LGBT feature at both the Independent Film-makers Showcase and IndieFest awards ceremonies.