A TEENAGE actor and filmmaker from Cirencester is embarking on her feature film debut, set in World War Two and following the children during the war who were not evacuated.

Olivia Maiden, 16, is the creative force and the star behind Peace In Our Time which is set to start filming this summer around Sussex and Kent.

No stranger to filmmaking, Olivia has established herself in the industry as a young actress and has created her own film production company Dream Hive Films.

She wrote and directed her first short film ‘Never Alone’ which picked up over 20 film festival selections around the globe.

Following this she has written and directed two more short films currently doing the ‘festival rounds’ and picking up the ‘Festival Award’ at the High Peak Independent Film Festival. She also won ‘Best Young Actress’ award at the Birmingham Film Festival.

Olivia is currently crowd funding to raise the £10,000 needed to complete Peace in Our Time. The crowd funder has so far raised £1,817.

The project also now has an executive producer, Craig MacLachlan on board, who has invested an additional £1200 in the film. All profits from the film will be going to the charity War Child.

Olivia, who is studying history, English and politics A-Level's at Cirencester College Sixth Form, chose to tell this story to shine a light on the experiences of children at war.

She said: "Lots of children are still at and in war today caught in the firing line and no one seems to notice because it doesn’t directly affect them but hopefully this will bring it home to the UK audience."

She was motivated partly by her history studies at Cirencester but also by the stories from her grandparents, and and she is keen to complete this film in time for the 75th Anniversary of the end of WW2 on May 8 2020.

She has been in touch with Liverpool War Museum and the Old Forge Wartime House in Kent as possible locations for filming.

To support Olivia and the team visit igg.me/at/peaceinourtime or contact her via olivia@maiden.org