A TALENTED York film-maker is showcasing his film and exhibition at City Screen to raise awareness of heroin addiction.

Kevin Curran's film, Stranded: On Cloud 9, documents three heroin addicts struggling to cope with their addiction on the streets of York over a period of two weeks.

Kevin, 23, built up their trust after a series of workshops.

He said: "They're all real people, nothing was staged. Everything you see is what happened. I wanted them to be the context. They opened up to me and I wanted to show the world. They all had issues they'd shelved away, but I was asking them to confront them all. I was trying to ask them to go forward in life."

The film, part funded by Safer York Partnership and the Arclight night shelter will be launched at City Screen on April 6.

It will form part of the Lost Time Exhibition, which aims to promote an awareness of addiction and the time addicts lose from their lives

The exhibition in City Screen basement will feature paintings, poetry, photographs and take-away information.

Kevin is hopeful his film will have a deep impact on the public. He said: "It's not a film you enjoy, or that I can say I enjoyed making. But it will hopefully change your life in the way you feel, look and perceive."

Elaine Curtis, communities against drugs development officer for Safer York Partnership, said: "We part funded it because we thought it was a good opportunity, not just for people to see the film and what it's like to have that kind of addiction, but for people with addictions to be involved in a very positive project that made them look at their lives in a way they might not have done for a long time."

Admittance to the launch is by invitation only, but the exhibition will continue through the week.

Updated: 08:58 Wednesday, March 19, 2003