Director Adrian Vitoria’s film shown at Abbeygate Picturehouse in Bury St Edmunds helps Brain Tumour Research

A private showing of a short film by director Adrian Vitoria at Abbeygate Picturehouse has raised funds for Brain Tumour Research.

Adrian, 48, who grew up in Suffolk, was diagnosed with the aggressive brain tumour Glioblastoma last year but was too ill to attend the showing of Leni. Leni. to close family and friends earlier this month.

The film tells how Leni Riefenstahl, the German film director who did propaganda films for Hitler, revisits her inner demons ahead of an interview in 1993 and stars Hildegard Neil.

Adrian, who directed The Age of Heroes and The Crew, worked on the film written and co produced by Alistair Audsley while he was receiving radio and chemotherapy.

His family want to raise awareness of the lack of research funding into brain tumours and have raised £550 through the Bury St Edmunds showing. The picturehouse waived its fee to support the fund-raising.

Simonetta Stonehouse, Adrian’s sister who lives in Lavenham, said: “This disease is killing children and young adults and is not easy to diagnose. It is a terrible and devastating illness.”

Adrian was also working on his latest film A New York Story and has worked on a number of TV series including Casualty and The Bill. He was also second unit director on Heist staring Robert De Niro.

South Suffolk MP James Cartlidge took part in the recent debate to petition the Government for increased research funding. The National Research Funding Report has just been released.