SCREEN writer Shai Hussain’s romantic comedy Til Jihad Do Us Part has made it as one of four finalists in the running to scoop the largest feature film production prize in the UK.

The Big Pitch, dubbed 'the X-Factor of film' is an innovative Skillset supported training programme that attracted over 200 applications from the UK’s most exciting up-and-coming filmmakers when it was launched as part of Northern Lights Film Festival 2007.

Heavily inspired by the film So I Married an Axe Murderer, Til Jihad Do Us Part tells the story of a lovelorn British Asian girl who agrees to have an arranged marriage with a man she hardly knows, only to begin to suspect that he may be a terrorist.

"The idea for the project came to mind after reading numerous newspaper articles on Islamophobia post 9/11," said Shai.

"When it got so bad that even Muslims became suspicious around other Muslims, the topic felt ripe for satire.

"I also wanted to show there’s more to Muslims and British Asians than religion!"

Shai Hussain is one of the brightest sparks coming out of the north of England. Originally from Manchester, Shai studied screenwriting at the Northern Film School and is currently writing a thriller for Screen Yorkshire in association with the BBC.

Producers include Yorkshire born, Bex Hopkins, line producer of short film Nits, nominated for a Bafta award, Avie Luthra, winner of 45 festival awards who just produced her first feature film, comedy Mad, Sad & Bad staring Meera Syal and Nitin Ganatra and Nimble Pictures’s Elisabeth Pinto whose short films have tallied up hundreds of film festivals, and include Rare Books and Manuscripts.

The final takes place this weekend at Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, where the Jihad team has a final 15 minutes in which to sell their feature film.

A panel of industry experts including Clare Binns (programming director at City Screen), Jason Solomons (one of the UK’s most influential film critics and chair of the Critic’s Circle) and Denise Parkinson, (head of film at Bauer Media) will give their verdicts but it is up to you, the voting public, to decide who wins first prize.

The project that receives the most votes will win production finance from Moxie Makers for their film (minimum £150,000) together with a post-production deal with Molinare, guaranteed UK distribution with Soda Makers and international sales representation with Moxiehouse Entertainment. The film will receive its red-carpet gala premiere as part of the Northern Lights Film Festival in 2009, all of which brings the total award to a staggering £250,000!

Voting is open until 6 December. Go to www.the-big-pitch.co.uk/til_jihad_do_us_part to find out more about the project and the team behind it as it is your votes that will decide which film gets made.