A South Harrow filmmaker’s movie made on a £50 budget has beaten hundreds of others to win a parliamentary competition.

Patrick Ryder, 33, entered his debut short film Cerberus into the Film The House competition in August with the full backing of Harrow West MP Gareth Thomas after seeing it advertised in the Harrow Times.

The movie, which has scenes in West Harrow Park, West Harrow Tube Station, the back of Harrow on the Hill and the viewing point near Grim’s Dyke, won the competition at the finals in the House of Commons on Tuesday.

Patrick said: “My aim was to create an engaging, original and engrossing short film on a minimal budget but to the highest quality I could.”


The film tells the story of Coben, a man with no past, no identity and his only memory – the future. As his broken memories are pieced back together, Coben realises he’s in a race against time to save his life – before it’s taken from him.

The filmmaker will now meet with film financiers and travel for a week’s work experience at NBC Universal and a chance to meet the YouTube team.

Mr Thomas said: “I am delighted that Patrick has won the Film The House competition and it was great to join him at the ceremony in Parliament.

“It’s fantastic that a Harrow filmmaker has won such an award, particularly as some of it was filmed locally. He’s worked very hard to make Cerberus a success and he thoroughly deserves his win.”