A Bermudian film-maker has won top honours at an international film festival in the US for a sitcom pilot with a touch of Bermuda.

Alex Scrymgeour, producer, creator and writer of Eddie’s, said he was “beyond thrilled” to take home the best pilot prize at the Long Island International Film Expo.

He said: “People who have seen the show enjoy our feel-good story and characters and say that it’s a welcome break from all the negativity on television.

“I am working to get the show picked up so Eddie’s cast and crew can get back to work so we can continue to entertain and make people laugh and smile.”

Eddie’s stars Eddie McGee, a veteran of shows including NCIS: Los Angeles and Chicago Med, as the owner of a beach bar in Venice, California.

But Scrymgeour, a former reporter with the Mid-Ocean News, made sure the show had a Bermudian flavour, with a Bermuda flag displayed in the bar and a regular — George Wendt, who played Norm Peterson in the long-running hit show Cheers, also set in a bar — drinking Dark ‘n’ Stormys.

He added that he wanted to create a positive, wholesome show with a diverse cast led by McGee, an amputee who lost his left leg to cancer.

Scrymgeour said: “Eddie’s is a fun, happy show with a strong diverse cast and Mr McGee as star and producer is giving voice to 25 per cent of the population who have no strong presence on TV or in film as, for all the talk of diversity in Hollywood, there is no discussion regarding diversity and disabled actors.

He added: “On June 19, CBS signed a pledge to audition more disabled actors to give opportunities to disabled actors and producers who have no voice or who only continue to fill stereotypical negative stigma roles that aren’t reflective of the one in four US adults with a disability.”

Scrymgeour said the show had not yet been picked up for distribution by a network, but it had already gained fans internationally through film festivals.

He added: “Eddie’s is screening in Spain on August 11 at the Madrid International Film Festival. It has been nominated for three awards at that festival — Best Actor for Eddie McGee, Best Director for Michael Lange and Best Editing for a short film/pilot.

“We have won three awards for best pilot at various festivals across the United States — Best Pilot at the California Film Awards 2019; a Gold Remi Award for Best Pilot at the 52nd annual WorldFest Houston; and now Best Pilot at The Long Island International Film Expo.

“We are also waiting to hear about the New Orleans International Film Festival and should know in the next ten days or so.”

Scrymgeour is also working with McGee on another project, a short film called Kill Switch.

He added: “We are raising funds now to shoot in the fall/winter. I’m also writing a new dramatic action thriller one- hour scripted television show.

“I’m always creating and working on something.”