AN actor will be a guest at an upcoming horror festival after filming in a haunted graveyard.

Roman Wood, from Tiptree, plays one of the lead roles in horror-comedy Fright Corner.

The film will be screened at Horror-on-Sea, a spooky event held in Southend.

Mr Wood said Fright Corner had the perfect backdrop at Pluckley Graveyard in Kent.

He said: "I play an actor called Andrew who is playing a hammer-horror style hero, who seems the perfect leading man - very debonair, charming and has that romantic 1950's appeal.

"But when the crew’s cameras stop rolling, his other side comes out, and things are very different.”

The film, directed by Doug Rollins, is about a young film crew who are in a forest outside the UK's supposedly 'most haunted' village, shooting a modern day horror based on local ghost tales.

But suddenly, as midnight strikes, their script's disturbing legends are coming to life and taking over the real life shoot.

Mr Wood, who is embarking on a career as a voiceover artist, looking at narrating documentaries and character voices for the gaming industry, said all the hard work was worth it.

He added: “We had only two nights to shoot an entire horror so it was full on, with most of us sleeping in until noon after shooting all night – but it was worth it to have our horror hit the screens in Southend."

Festival organiser Paul Cotgrove said it would be the sixth Horror-on-Sea festival.

He said: "We're screening some great films, based on everything from new takes on old-school Frankenstein flicks and the classic hammer horrors. "We're also offering horror expert talks, and directors introducing their work and taking questions from our audience."

Mr Wood began his journey as a film actor in 2010, taking various short courses and classes.

He began working in theatre in December 2013, performing in pantomimes and and a handful of plays.

He was nominated for the prestigious David Knight Shield Award for best leading actor by the North Essex Theatre Guild in 2014, for his portrayal of Eddie in Blood Brothers.

In September 2016 he began producing his own films, and made his directing debut in The Kitchen Demon.

The short film Fright Corner will screen on Saturday, January 27, at Horror-on-Sea after being selected overseas by the Mediterranean Film Festival, Canada's Alternative Film Festival, as well as Kent’s Tea, Toast and Ghosts Festival.

Horror-on-Sea runs from January 19-21 and 27-28, showing non-stop horrors sent in from all over the world.

For more information visit www.horror-on-sea.com.