Another locally-produced short film has made it on to the shortlist of a major international film festival.

‘Remembering the North Barrule Air Crash, 1945,’ a film about a local man’s annual commemoration of the Isle of Man’s most devastating and deadly aviation accident, has been put forward for an award in the forthcoming Celtic Media Festival, which will be held at Quimper, Brittany in June, later this year.

The short documentary was filmed by Brook Wassell and commissioned by Culture Vannin.

It follows Mike Corlett, who makes an annual commemoration on the slopes of North Barrule to remember the crash of an American B17 bomber on April 23, 1945, which Mike witnessed as a child, in which 31 airmen tragically lost their lives, so close to the end of the second world war.

A young boy at the time, Mike and his friends cycled out from Laxey to the Corony Valley in Maughold to see the wreck of the bomber.

Since then, he has come to the site every year to ensure that the American flag flies at the site of crash on the date at which it happened.

Wreckage from the plane can still be seen at the site.

James Franklin, the education and online resources officer with Culture Vannin, said that under Brook’s directorship, ‘the film rises above merely telling the history of the event, or even just the act of commemoration, and points towards the deeper connections possible over time and in the Manx landscape’.

‘This is an incredibly powerful film about history, memory, landscape and remembrance,’ said James.

‘It takes us on the journey interweaving Manx and international stories and histories through the land and through our actions we make today.

‘It is beautiful, and we’re proud to have it representing the Isle of Man at this year’s Celtic Media Festival.’

The film was made with the help of the Manx Aviation and Military Museum and the Maughold Parish Social Club, who commemorate the crash each year.

As well as this film, Culture Vannin said that they are ‘delighted’ that they will join local film company Dark Avenue Film in the Celtic Media nominations, after their short film, ‘The Lost Wife,’ was also nominated in the Short Drama category.

The film was supported by a number of organisations, including a grant from Culture Vannin.