Bethany Wilkins plays the lead role of Sarah

Powerless stars five members of the Wilkins family from Pembrokeshire, with much of the off-screen work also done by family members.

The film follows a family's fight for survival in the aftermath of a blackout which paralyses Britain.

The premiere was held at Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, on Saturday.

The screening was held on the final day of the 10-day long Cardiff Screen Festival.

FAMILY ROLES Matt Wilkins (Peter), 22 Bethany Wilkins (Sarah), 20 Martha Wilkins (Ruth), 18 Hannah Wilkins (Rachel), 16 Samuel Wilkins (David), 14 Seth Wilkins (writer/producer), 30 Gideon Wilkins (producer), 25 In-law Matt Daniels (director), 29

Bethany Wilkins, who plays the part of Sarah in the film, said filming Powerless was a long-term ambition for director Matt Daniels, who is married to Bethany's sister, Esther Wilkins.

She added: "My brother-in-law, Matt Daniels, who's the director, has been wanting to make a feature-length film for as long as I can remember.

"Two years ago, he was about 28 and he said: 'I want to make a film before I turn 30'.

"So he decided: 'I'm going to make a film and I've got lots of in-laws who can be in it.'

"We had hardly any funding, (but) he wanted to make it completely independently to show people they could do it."

Ninety per cent of Powerless was filmed in Pembrokeshire, with the remainder shot in London and Shropshire.

Matt Daniels directs Bethany Wilkins on location in Pembrokeshire

The budget for the film was limited to £5,000 with a fifth of it raised by selling credits in the film on eBay.

The film was shot on just one camera, with the four weeks needed to film it split over a total of almost two years to fit in with family members' spare time.

Matt Daniels said: "When you see the characters on screen there is something beyond acting, they are a real family and there is a chemistry that is unique."

Bethany Wilkins added: "We had to think a whole different way, but acting with my brothers and sisters made things more real.

"We were able to think ourselves into the situation together and the argument scenes weren't hard at all."

Following the Cardiff Screen Festival premiere of Powerless, the film is next due to be shown on a three-night run in Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan, in January.

Matt Daniels said: "We are looking forward to the film being shown in west Wales, as it's going back to where it was made."