THE glitz and glamour of Cannes Film Festival is the culmination of a whirlwind year for actress Holly Kenyon.

Holly, who grew up on a farm in Kinoulton, returned from drama school in Hollywood to land a role in her first feature film which is being premiered at the world famous festival on Friday.

Holly appears as Parisian bar worker Beatrice in The Kindness of Strangers starring Star Wars' Darth Vader, Dave Prowse.

Brimming with excitement, Holly, 29, said: "I can't wait. It's surreal. It's happened so quickly.

"I've got a black heavily beaded gown for the premiere. I'm going to have to be glamorous all the time. The producer told me there could be a party until 5am and then a breakfast meeting. I have lots of outfits, I'm prepared for the excess baggage charge," joked Holly, who as a teenager was more accustomed to wellies than fancy frocks at the farm where she grew up surrounded by horses, dogs and cats.

She trained as a classical singer from the age of 12 and although she dreamed of an acting career, after school she went to university to train as an occupational therapist.

"We all know what the acting profession is like so it's good to have something else," she said.

However, when she won a scholarship to a drama school in Hollywood, she grabbed the opportunity.

Holly spent several months at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy – living just yards from the famous Hollywood Boulevard – where she played the leads in Evita and Mary Poppins.

Fresh from Hollywood, Holly attended a film workshop in Cardiff last June where she was spotted by a management agency who offered to represent her.

After playing a Russian girl in a short film, she won the supporting actress role in The Kindness of Strangers.

The part required her to speak with a French accent.

"I watched lots of French stuff – not 'Allo 'Allo – that would have been the worst thing!" she said.

Holly isn't the film's only local link.

Director Deborah Hadfield used to be a journalist for Central TV and Dave Meads, the director of photography, hails from Nottingham.

Before heading for Cannes, Holly was busy in Birmingham filming her latest role, a lead in a sci-fi film, Celestial Sisters.

It doesn't look like she'll have to fall back on that 'sensible' occupational therapy profession any time soon.