A CHARITY which gives Hampshire schoolchildren a rare taste of the movies has been forced to shut - while bosses responsible for slashing its grant are rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous at the Cannes film festival.

Among Southern Film education's projects was the production of He Shoots, He Scores, a short film focussing on the problems of teenage pregnancy, produced by young people from Southampton's Thornhill estate.

He Shoots, He Scores was hailed as a successful way of highlighting the problem which the Daily Echo reported on Tuesday has shot up by 35 per cent among under 16s in the city. That project will be the last because Screen South, the body that funds Southern Film Education, has refused to make its annual cash grant, and the Eastleigh-based charity will be wound up in July.

While the charity is being wound down two workers from Screen South have been sent to mingle with movie bosses at the Cannes festival, where stars Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom and Cameron Diaz have been spotted this week.

Southern Film Education chairman Alistair Black said: "No reason was given for the cut, only that times were hard. There is going to be a big gap in film education across Hampshire.

"You have to ask yourself, what is going to replace what we offer? I have no objection to anyone going to Cannes but I do not think there is any balance there."

Gina Fegan, Chief Executive of Screen South said she was left with no other option but to make the cut and defended the trip to the sun-kissed south of France.

Gina said: "We think the quality of work that Southern Film Education has delivered over the years has been excellent. We have championed them as being a model for the country.

"When we took stock we decided we should be delivering to the whole region, not just to the Southampton area.

"We go to Cannes to support the film makers from our region and to help them access the industry. It's a very good opportunity."

Screen South distributes £750,000 of mainly government money to film projects across the south each year.

It has funded Southern Film Education for the past three years but during that time grants have dropped from £40,000 in to £20,000.

The money also funded film workshops at secondary schools and colleges across the region.

Youth worker Michelle Snook, who works with teenagers who took part in the Thornhill film project ,said: "I'm absolutely gutted to hear this news. The project that we worked on was such a wonderful opportunity for the young people, and certainly one that they would otherwise never have had.

"When it came to the premier their sense of achievement was huge. The fact that work like this will not continue is incredibly sad."