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Christmas Is Brilliant is a short film by writers Ray Wiseman and Pat Ashworth and actor Paul Neale.

The three filmmakers are members of St Michael and All Angels' congregation in Bramcote.

They were inspired to shoot their 60 second film by a competition entitled 'The True Meaning of Christmas' and hoped to win some money to help the youth work that goes on at their church.

Belching through Nottingham

The film shows Paul walking past iconic images of Nottinghamshire, such as the Sky Mirror and the Theatre Royal, belching.

Ray admits the film was inspired by both the old milk adverts and The Fast Show.

"It pictures people's real experience of Christmas. Everyone has to sign up to this thing when really, for most, it's a big let down."

Paul says they had great fun shooting the film.

The Christmas Is Brilliant team

"Hilarious. Particularly outside the Council House. We'd just about get our filming right when one of those road sweepers would come past us. We ended up giggling quite a lot."

There were over 100 entries to The True Meaning of Christmas film competition, from churches around the country, and the Nottinghamshire short reached the final ten.

60 second answer

And the meaning of Christmas? The answer is in the film. Ray explains:

"If you asked most people about religion it is all about other people's ideas and opinions about what God is like and who he is. I think Christmas turns that on its head by God becoming a man and giving us the answers."