FOOTAGE from Clacton’s famous Christmas Day sea swim event could become part of a major film.

Every year hundreds of brave swimmers sprint across the sand before leaping into the freezing sea on Christmas Day morning.

Local filmmaker Richard Nettleingham created a short film about the 2012 event and uploaded it to video-sharing website Youtube.

And the film was spotted by a representative from RSA Films – a production company run by world famous film guru Ridley Scott.

RSA Films contacted Richard through Youtube and asked if they could use some of the footage from the Clacton swim in a new film called Christmas in a Day.

It will be brought together into one film by acclaimed filmmaker Kevin MacDonald, who directed The Last King of Scotland and State of Play.

Richard, of Colchester, said: “I went down to the Christmas Day swim in 2011 to watch and thought it would make a great subject to film.

“It could be an amazing thing for me and Clacton to be a part of.”

But the appearance of Richard’s footage on the film hinges on one thing – identifying a child who appears on the clip.

Richard needs to track him down and get him to sign a release form to allow the footage to be used.

He has appealed for the youngster’s parents to contact him through the Gazette.