A FILM buff’s collection of memorabilia has been given its public premiere to create a Pembrokeshire exhibition on five iconic Welsh cinema figures.

Mark Lewis has amassed rare film posters from all over the world, lobby cards, press books, photographs, books and postcards, and these now form the basis of Forged in Wales: Five Welsh Actors.

Finding access to a space to feature the display was a one-take task for Mark, as he is the curator of Tenby Museum and Art Gallery where the exhibition can be seen throughout the year ahead.

It looks at the life and careers of five actors closely associated not only with Wales but the international film scene – Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins, Stanley Baker, Michael Sheen and Tenby-born actor and documentary maker, Kenneth Griffith.

Said Mark: “Being a huge long-term fan of these actors, Burton in particular, I have been collecting material for many years, and it’s wonderful to bring it all together into this exhibition at Tenby Museum.

“Although there is a Tenby connection – with the brilliant, but often contentious, Kenneth Griffiths – I think it is important for museums such as ourselves to show exhibits that are of a wider cultural interest.”

Mark described himself as ‘scarily knowledgeable’ about film. “I really love classic vintage from the ‘60s and ‘70s, and the greatest one of the era has to be The Great Escape. I grew up loving Steve McQueen and I still do.”

He originally intended the exhibition to be a broader exploration of Welsh cinema, but time, space and finances brought the focus down to the five cultural icons.

Added Mark: “