Stars pick $1m movie winner

Ben Affleck (left) and Matt Damon will produce the film

An unemployed man has been chosen by actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck to make his own $1m (£700,000) film.

Thirty-one year-old Pete Jones beat 7,000 other contestants to win the top prize in a scheme set up by the actors called Project Greenlight.

Pete Jones was chosen from 7,000 competitors

The Los Angeles man will now be using the prize money to direct his film, a drama called Stolen Summer, which will be distributed by Miramax films.

Actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck launched the competition with the hope it would shake up the Hollywood power structure.

The two men will act as executive producers and the making of the movie will be the subject of a 13-part documentary to be shown on American TV channel HBO.

God, faith and heaven

Mr Jones was chosen after the three finalists were each sent $8,000 (£5,500) worth of digital video equipment to shoot one scene.

The finished film is due for release early next year.

Project Greenlight received 7,300 entries, which were whittled down to 250 by visitors to the project's website, who picked their favourites.

The winner was picked after Miramax, Affleck and Damon viewed the scenes shot by the finalists and interviewed them in turn.

Stolen Summer follows a young boy and a priest in a church, talking about God, faith and getting to heaven.

The winner lists his five favourite films as The Godfather, Rocky, Braveheart, The Shawshank Redemption and Diner.