Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes has described Ireland's first ever Christmas movie - A Christmas Star - as nothing short of an Xmas miracle.
The film made by and for kids premieres in Belfast tonight and took just 18 months to produce, a feat which he has described as "extraordinary".
Fellowes is a patron of Cinemagic, the charity which produced the film, and on Wednesday he jetted into Belfast for the movie's launch.
"It was a dream really....and it seems incredible to me that only 18 months later here we are for the premiere. In film terms, that's extraordinary", he told TEN.
The feature film includes more than 40 trainee crew members all aged between 18 and 25 and a cast of talented young actors mainly from Belfast and elsewhere including Dublin. It also features the talents of some very well known stars including Liam Neeson who narrates the film.
The film also boasts Pierce Brosnan and Suranne Jones among the lead cast and includes cameos from Kylie Minogue and Dermot O'Leary. Julian has said that despite the star names, the children are the real stars.
"There are very kind celebrities who've come in, Liam Neeson, Pierce Brosnan and Kylie Minogue - they are all very charming in the movie. But the film is about the children really. It's a film made by children, by beginners for children to feature in. And not only for children to watch, I think everyone will enjoy it", he said.
It tells the story of Noelle, a youngster who embarks on a magical journey to save her friends and family. Born under the Christmas Star, she believes she has the gift to perform strange miracles and teams up with a misfit gang of local kids to save her village from a conniving developer.
Fellowes has said the film is not only a great achievement by the children involved but also is a great example to everyone of what can be achieved when people put their minds to something.
"I think there's such a less there not just for the children but for all of us, not to accept the barriers that life seemingly lays upon us", he said.
A Christmas Star premieres in Belfast tonight and is in cinemas from November 13.
