AN OSCAR-NOMINATED short film starring a deaf Swindon girl had its first public screening in her hometown on Monday night.

The Silent Child is up for the Best Live Action Short Film at this year’s Academy Awards and its 10-year-old star Maisie Sly plays its main character Libby in her first ever acting role.

The Swindon Arts Centre was packed full of people for both screenings, chatting and signing excitedly as they eagerly awaited the start of the short film.

The audience included some of Maisie’s classmates from Red Oaks Primary School, members of the deaf community, and Swindon MPs Justin Tomlinson and Robert Buckland.

Messages of good luck to Maisie from Signature, the leading provider of British Sign Language qualifications in the UK, were posted around the centre.

Maisie’s proud dad Gilson Sly spoke briefly before and after each screening.

He said: “It’s a great pleasure to be able to finally show this in Swindon.

“It’s a film to be appreciated and to spread its message - let people know what you’ve seen and the emotions you’ve felt.”

The film follows Maisie’s character Libby, a deaf child born to hearing parents who struggle to communicate with their daughter.

Libby becomes distant and isolated until a social worker played by Rachel Shenton, who also wrote the short, comes to visit.

The Silent Child was made to raise awareness of the difficulties deaf children can face when growing up in a world where sign language is not widely-taught, and to encourage more schools to teach it.

Melissa Bailey attended the screening with her two children, who both go to Maisie’s school.

She said: “It was really good, I’m a bit teary-eyed, it’s very powerful.

“All schools should teach sign language, it’s so important.

“It’s so exciting to have somebody from school up for an Oscar, it’s quite surreal really, we’re keeping our fingers crossed for her.”

Maisie gives an impressive debut performance and her bond with Rachel’s character is established quickly and convincingly.

Their relationship is the emotional heart of the film and leads to a touching ending which really drives the short’s message home.

It certainly leaves a lasting impression and would be a worthy Oscar winner.

The short was a big hit with the Arts Centre audience, who burst into a long round of applause after the credits rolled.