The multi-million pound film which was shot on location in the North East 25 years ago

Jimmy Spud, a £3.5million comedy, brought Billy Connolly, Rosie Rowell, Ian Glenn and David Bradley to Sunderland, South Shields and Byker.

Sean got a starring role

It also shot a teenager to the front of the cameras. His name was Sean Landless and he was a 14 year old in the picture as the cameras rolled on Roker Pier and at Seaburn funfair.

Sean, who was plucked from thousands of young hopefuls to land the title role, played an 11-year-old boy who was obsessed by the idea of becoming an angel and solving the mysteries of the cosmos.

The film was the second major feature to be shot in Sunderland that year, and the third movie to be filmed in the region within 12 months.

On location for eight days

Before coming to Sunderland, Sean had been filming for four weeks in London.

The movie was on location in the North East for eight days, also visiting South Shields and Rosie Rowell’s birthplace of Byker where the story was based.

Through the film’s North East production associates, International Media Productions, six local trainees joined the crew.

Among them were Stuart MacKenzie and Steven Sibley, from Sunderland, who would be with Jimmy Spud while it was on location in the North East.

Tell us if you saw the film crews at one of their North East locations. Tell us more by emailing [email protected]