PHIL Collins' daughter is jetting in for Southend's film festival's sixth season.

Joely Collins, who was born in Canada and raised in the UK, has been a film and television actor in Canada for more than 20 years and will be attending for the screening of Becoming Redwood, an award-winning film she produced with her company StoryLab Productions, on May 3.

The film is a humorous and heartfelt story of a young boy who uses his vivid imagination to survive his parents' separation.

Described by the Vancouver Sun newspaper as “reminiscent of everything from Stand By Me to a pint-sized Rocky,” the film won the Most Popular Canadian Film award at the Vancouver International Film Festival.

It was also named Best Canadian Feature at the Edmonton International Film Festival and was an official selection at the Beijing, Atlanta and Sonoma Film Festivals.

But, for Joely, the Southend festival's reputation was a big draw.

She said: "I've heard so much about the Southend Film Festival and am delighted that Becoming Redwood has been included in the programme in this vintage year.

"The film has been a labour of love and I’m quite excited to bring it across the pond."

Becoming Redwood also features music by Joely's father, as well as Cat Stevens and an exclusive new song by Tom Cochrane.