As any film buff will tell you, sequels are never as good as the originals.

But not if you're Colchester film-maker Toby Roberts, whose follow-up film to his acclaimed 15-second short, Chrysanthemums the Word, is already looking like emulating its success.

To date Chrysanthemums has been shown at 19 film festivals in six countries.

It has also picked up London's 50 Quid Film Festival award and the audience prize at Signals Short Film Festival, in Colchester, as well as being nominated for a British Independent Film Award.

Its success led to a number of other projects for Toby, including assistant director on the Iraq war film, Home of The Brave - shot on location in Morocco - and starring American rapper 50 Cent and Samuel L Jackson.

His new film, entitled Back to The Fuchsia, is in fact a prequel and at two minutes and 50 seconds is an epic compared to Chrysanthemums.

Toby said: "We filmed it in and around Colchester and it is done in the same style as Chrysanthemums, except this time I have written the poem and there are seven verses."

Like its predecessor the piece has struck a chord with the film world, getting accepted for the first film festival to which Toby submitted it.

The Talent Circle Film Festival takes place in Soho, London, on August 6. From more than 18,000 entries Toby's film has made it to the final five.

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