A County Durham-made drama which is all set for its premiere at Cannes Film Festival is being tipped for the top award.
Ken Loach's new film, The OId Oak, which was shot in the region last year, will be in the festival spotlight at the weekend when it is set to have its eagerly-awaited official debut screening. And there is already talk that the film might win the coveted Palme d'Or Award.
This award is the festival's highest honour and it was won by I, Daniel Blake in 2016, the first film Loach made in the North East. The acclaimed director followed up with Sorry We Missed You, which also was selected for a screening at Cannes - an honour in itself, and now The Old Oak, which is to the 86-year-old's last film, has followed suit.
