82-year-old Tring Actor Wins Best International Short Film Festival

The film The Wrong Sort Of Grapes has just won Best International Short at the Marietta International Film Festival at the Historic Strand Theatre in Marietta, Georgia, USA.

It stars Tring Equity actor Elizabeth May (Liz Rogers who used to own ABC Costume Hire in  Berkhamsted High Street but retired to do more on-camera work).

Liz has been a featured ‘background artist’ for a long time. She is a regular on the UK’s top TV dramas and soaps including Holby City and Eastenders. Sometimes she would even get a few lines to say! She has also appeared as ‘old lady on London Bus’ with Tom Hanks in The DaVinci Code.

Her family’s favourite thing to do is #nannyspotting – every Christmas they watch the film Love Actually and wait as she follows Liam Neeson through the arrivals at Heathrow airport – the whole family cheers – she is wearing a purple coat!

Why the Film?

The UK lockdown of 2020-21 was very tough on the senior members of British society – they had been through WWII, they are the ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ generation.

Lockdown meant they had to rely on friends and family to go to the shops for items they needed. No hugs at the door, always staying 6 feet apart from people they love. The grape selection due to the supply shortages didn’t have the normal range and the particular favorite of 82-year-old Liz!

As the film industry ramped up again, the rumour was that the older members of cast would not be back on set because of the risk of the virus.

Liz had made a list of all the TV series, music videos and commercials she had appeared in over the years. It’s quite a list! Her family realised she had not been a lead character and felt that, at 82 years young, they needed to fix this and make it a reality!

The Wrong Sort of Grapes is currently in the festival circuit in UK, US and France.

For more information, please see www.lizzzardproductions.com.