THE woman who inspired Oscar-nominated film Philomena is to lead a campaign aimed at shaming the Irish state into opening secret records on 60,000 forced adoptions.

Philomena Lee's extraordinary story of her 50 year search for her late son Anthony has become the catalyst for a renewed battle to get access to birth certificates held by churches, religious orders, private agencies and health authorities.

Sixty years after the Irish Government legalised forced adoption for unmarried mothers, files still remain closed.

Philomena became pregnant aged 18 in 1952. Mother and son were forcibly separated and he was sold for adoption to the US.

She plans to attend the Oscar ceremony where Dame Judi Dench is up for an award for portraying her.