A self-taught Bradford film-maker and writer has landed a major distribution deal with an American company.

Steve Call, 48, who wrote action comedy A Total Thug Up, shot all the footage in and around Bradford and is holding a free screening this week before the final cut is sent to distributor Winters Film Group, based in Arizona.

The firm will then send the movie across the US, Canada and the UK via DVD, video on demand and TV.

Mr Call, from Wrose, completed the film in 2013 after it was financed by him, his friend Terry Turner and their families.

Mr Call turned to film-making in 2008 after he had to give up his job as an electrician when his skin became so sore from an autoimmune disorder.

It was while he was recovering in hospital that he taught himself to use a camera and edit software.

He said: "I could not just sit around doing nothing, so I followed my dream. I looked on free websites and Youtube to find out how to make films and just practised by making short films and music videos for friends after I came out of hospital.”

His dreams of making his own film started to become a reality in 2011 when he met Mr Turner in a pub. They jointly came up with the idea of A Total Thug Up, with Mr Call writing the first half of the script and Mr Turner, from Normanton, near Wakefield, the second.

Their story follows two lovable rogues Danny and Pistons as they get a job working for gangster Midas King. The characters' new boss orders them to find and bring him an antique sword that was stolen in a raid years earlier.

The film also features Bradford actors Kuljit Sign and Mez Galaria and was picked up by director and writer Paul Winters after A Total Thug Up actor and freelance writer Dean Sills interviewed him about another film.

A spokesman for Winters Film Group said: "We found the film to be quite entertaining and we think it will find an audience here in the US. It's a fun comedy!"