Cruise's Curry Dash Inspires Albans Festival Film

A visit by Tom Cruise to a curry house in St Albans was the inspiration behind a new music video that has reached the finals of the local film festival.
The St Albans Film Festival takes place from 8 - 10 March in the Hertfordshire town.
Cruise had visited the local Indian restaurant, Veer Dhara, when he was filming All You Need Is Kill in the area.
Tom Tom, made by Russian folk singer Daria Kulesh, will be one of 12 music videos competing for the Best Music Video award.
The nominations will be judged by a panel including Enter Shikari, a post-hardcore band from St Albans who are currently embarking on a world tour.  
The winner will be awarded with £500 prize money, while all shortlisted entries will be shown at local venue The Horn during the day on Sat 9 March. 
 
Leoni Kibbey, Film Festival director, says: "Tom Tom is a really funny video featuring lots of people wearing Tom Cruise masks eating curry! Daria is a really talented songwriter and filmmaker and was inspired by the 'A' lister's visit to one of St Albans' many Indian restaurants with his entourage last Summer when he was filming in the area. This film festival is really about getting talent like Daria's out there, and enabling local residents and visitors to the area to see what a wealth of creative talent we have uncovered, both in St Albans itself and also further afield."
 "We're also really thrilled to have Enter Shikari judging this category. They are the most important and successful band to have come out of St Albans and it will mean so much to the filmmakers in this category to have their work judged by them. The boys will be smashing America at the time of the festival so won't be here in person, but I am really grateful to them for supporting the Film Festival and their home City in this way."
The short film competition has attracted over 300 entries, made by filmmakers from 30 countries.
Tom Cruise will also feature in the closing film of the festival: Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures, directed by Jan Harlan, Kubrick's brother-in-law, who will also be giving a talk about filmmaking at the festival.  
(IT)