A FORMER child star with Teignmouth theatre group Tykes has been nominated for a BAFTA with his debut feature film. Paul Andrew Williams, a former student at Teignmouth Community College, has received much critical acclaim for his thriller London to Brighton. Made with a budget of just £80,000, the writer and director has proved good filmmaking is more than big bucks. He is nominated for The Carl Foreman Award for Special Achievement by a British Director, Writer or Producer in their First Feature Film. The award is one of the most prestigious given by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and indicates big names of the future. The film, released last month in just 15 cinemas, tells of 24 hours in the lives of a London prostitute and a 12-year-old she is trying to protect. It is an uncompromising, tough but moving thriller that has already received critical acclaim. It has won prizes at the Edinburgh and Dinard film festivals and was named Best UK Feature at London's Raindance Festival. Former organiser of the Tykes theatre group, Jenny Brittan, remembers Williams as a dedicated performer. 'He always did have a talent. He was always up there and willing to get on and do things. 'He has told me he very much enjoys directing and judging by the awards, he is very good at it. All credit to him,' she said. The feature debut has grabbed the attention of The Observer's film columnist Rachel Cooke, described by Sight and Sound magazine as a 'throat-grabbing debut' and by Empire magazine as 'an urban noir with a heart of gold and balls of steel'. The Orange British Academy Film Awards will be held on Sunday, February 11 at the Royal Opera House in London.