FILMMAKER Dan Hodgson says despite not winning the short film Palme d'or at Cannes, just being part of the red-carpet festival was an amazing, inspirational experience.

The aspiring director from Rainford was on the shortlist in the best short film category with 'Love is Blind'.

The six-minute comedy was one of nine selected for the shortlist from 4,550 entries.

Dan, 33, who attended Rainford CE and Rainford High, says one of the highlights of the festival was having a chat with one of his favourite actors Tim Roth.

He also had an encounter with American actor John C Reilly, who voiced the title character in the 2012 animated hit Wreck-It Ralph.

Dan, who studied psychology at university, said: "I was wandering around and somebody elbowed me, when I turned around it was John C Reilly - he was very apologetic!"

To hit the right style note on the red carpet, Dan had to borrow a tuxedo for the ceremony on Sunday (May 24) from top British fashion designer Paul Smith.

He said: "It was great, very glamorous, a bit of a dream come true. All the filmmakers were ushered on to the red carpet. The award ceremony lasted about an hour - and then there was a drinks reception where I spotted Jake Gyllenhaal, Sadie Frost and Tim Roth.

"After that, there was a roof-top party at a hotel overlooking the Riviera."

Speaking before boarding the Eurostar to Paris, where the programme was to be repeated, he told the Star: "We didn't win but that absolutely didn't matter - we were a long shot and it was an amazing, inspirational experience.

"In one respect, being the shortest of the short films worked in our favour. There was a screen set-up where people could choose a short film to view - and mine was the most viewed, probably because it was the shortest!"

Dan said he was delighted for the winners and that he hopes to return to Cannes one day, nominated in the long features category.

His next project is a feature-length movie, a romantic comedy following on from Love is Blind - which he made with the help of Film London and production company Bird Flight Films - which he hopes to set on the Isles of Scilly.