GOTHAM CITY had Batman, Metropolis had Superman, and now Newport is set to have a superhero all of its own.

An Asian superhero from Newport is due to make his big screen debut at a film festival in London next month.

It will be a nervous moment for the amateur film-maker behind the creation of I, Punjabi because it will be the first time he has seen the finished work.

Sufian Ahmed, of Langstone, Newport, has entered his comedy film in the Rushes Soho Shorts Festival which is being screened at the Vue West End Cinema in Leicester Square at the end of July.

Mr Ahmed, aged 22, said his short film "highlights the extraordinary things a local Asian superhero from Newport could do".

It is part of the Straight 8 event, organised by directors Ed Sayers and Ben Gregor, who outline their "fun but scary" idea on their website.

Film-makers are invited to shoot a film on a single cartridge of super 8mm film, hand over the exposed but undeveloped, un-edited film for processing and burn an original soundtrack on to a CD.

It is then seen for the first time, by both the film-maker and the public, in a packed cinema.

Mr Ahmed, who has just completed his computer science degree, said: "Film-making was something I wanted to do for a long time."

He was able to obtain a Super-8 camera and started making films as a hobby, showing them to friends.

Mr Ahmed then decided to take up the straight 8 challenge and shot it in the city and in Cardiff.

He said the story was inspired by a friend, Quasim Shahif, who plays the superhero in the three-minute film. He takes on several different persona, including President Bush.

It also stars Danielle Symonds Mr Ahmed's colleague at PC World, Newport.

Both will be accompanying him when he goes to watch his work being unveiled to the world. "I am nervous because I have no idea how it will turn out," said the film-maker.

But the West End premiere should also prove an exciting time for the young director and his stars.