ALMOST 40 years ago, Douglas Sannachan had the delight of appearing in writer/director Bill Forsyth’s first movie, That Sinking Feeling, and wallowing in greatness.

Now, it’s the legendary director’s turn to congratulate his protégé, with Sanny, as he’s known, on his way to emulate his hero.

Sanny, a Glasgow Pavilion Theatre favourite over the years in a variety of roles, has written and directed his first movie, a comedy horror. It’s called Starcache and is set in the world of the massive phenomenon that is geocache, which involves a hi-tech treasure hunting using iPhones.

There are currently five and half million people in the world who download the geocaching app.

But Sanny’s film has a twist. The founder of Starcache, Jack Keaton, has made the game ultra-interesting with a £1m cache waiting to be discovered.

However, what begins as a straightforward hunt for money turns out to become a desperate bid to stay alive.

Sanny, who worked for 7:84 Theatre Company and also appeared in Gregory’s Girl, explains how the idea for the movie came about.

“I didn’t know much about geocaching but my wife Jacqui who got me interested. At first, I figured it was really geeky and it wasn’t me at all. But I was soon hooked when we discovered a couple of caches.”

Sanny and Jacqui were geocaching one night in Mugdock Park when he was hit with inspiration.

“I looked around at the variety of people who had turned up and thought ‘This lot have got to die in a variety of weird and wonderful ways.’”

He developed the script that is now a 90 minute film. Already, it’s on its way to success.

Starcache has been selected for its world premiere to be screened at the Southside Film Festival on June 3 and will be screened at the CCA on June 11. There has been a real sacrifice involved, not just in terms of time. Sanny recently sold his car in order to fund future screenings.

“Hopefully the house won’t be next,” he said, smiling. “But it has been a real labour of love.

Indeed. Sanny’s wife Dr Jacqui McKechnie, a psychologist at Glasgow Caledonian University, handles the PR for the film. And actor pals who have given their time include Carole Anders, Sandra McNeeley and Alan McCafferty.

It’s taken more than five years to develop the project.

“Trying to get everyone together to film has been a job in itself given the actors were working for nothing,” says Sanny.

The time taken to make the film has in itself caused some problems.

“Kids we used as actors are five years older, so we lost continuity.

“And I used my dad in it, although he ended up on the cutting floor.”

He adds, smiling: “Thankfully we are still speaking.”

Sanny has battled to make his film idea a reality but he is well used to adversity in life.

At school in Bridgeton he was bullied relentlessly. To keep him out of the classroom he was sent to the Dolphin Arts Centre - during school hours. Sanny found acting and joined youth theatre. And he loved the world.

“Then one day, a friend of Slab Boys writer John Byrne suggested I go up for an audition for the play.

“So I went up with pal Rab Buchanan (who went on to appear in films such as That Sinking Feeling and Gregory’s Girl) and we met John Byrne, and David Hayman, who was in the show.

“I read for the part and never got it. Composer Patrick Doyle got it. But the experience showed me the window into this professional world. I wanted to do this for a living.”

He adds: “Becoming another character helped me forget about the conditions I grew up in, the extreme bullying,”

And he has, going on to star in a range of theatre comedies over the years and panto. But the actor-turned director who lives in Shawlands, didn’t write himself a role in Starcache. “But because one of the actors couldn’t make it one night I had to step in. That’s the nature of indie film making.”

The film was shot guerilla style, using the local area to best effect.

“I always got permission,” he says, smiling. “I used my own street for some of the scenes and if you have someone running up the street as a cop it’s really best not to worry the neighbours.”

Sanny is hoping for a distribution deal to get the movie into major cinemas. “I’m thinking of using crowdfunding to get it into festivals across the country to get it seen. I really believe in this film and it’s very different from the usual Scottish gangster product.”

Sanny learned a great deal from working with Bill Forsyth, who turned up to see the film recently at a special Glasgow screening.

“He was so positive ,” said Sanny. He said ‘Well done for holding the torch’.”

Sanny and Jacqui’s adventures in geocaching haven’t ended with the completion of the film.

“We still love it. We’ve gone geocaching around the world, turning up in the likes of Cuba and Mexico.”

He adds, grinning: “You do get some funny looks from the locals when you’re loitering around the streets of Havana.”