Grey corridors stacked with oil drums, laboratories, de-contamination chambers and communication rooms...

The location is Shackleton Antarctic Research Base near the South Pole and mysterious events are taking their toll on a group of scientists sent to investigate a previously untouched underground lake.

Well, it may be cold but this is Bradford, not the Antarctic. And Shackleton base is, in fact, a converted woollen mill in Tetley Street.

Since last August, set designers have been working on Cold Heaven, a new film by Bradford-based Sandman Productions, one of the few British film companies specialising in science fiction.

And yesterday, the set was officially opened by the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Coun Harry Mason, in the company of key figures from the British film industry such as Bradford-born Steve Abbott, who produced the hit films Brassed Off and A Fish Called Wanda.

Director Jonathan Bentley, a former Bradford art and design student, and producer Gary Scott say that the city is the perfect setting for such a project and has a thriving film culture.

"There are three reasons why we chose Bradford," said Mr Scott, who beat 4,000 entries to win best film at the British Short Film Festival with his black comedy The Ring.

"The first one is that the people and businesses have been very supportive. The second is that Bradford is an objective two area which means that we qualify for certain types of funding. The third, I'm afraid, is rather superficial - it's exactly half way between Leeds, where I live, and Oakworth, near Keighley, where Jonathan lives!"

Working with a budget of only £3,000, the company has had to rely on the imagination of set builders like Warren Thompson who have salvaged computer equipment for props and built the entire set out of ply wood.

The 5,500 square feet on the top floor of Woolston House, where the set is located, is being hired without charge as an investment and they are relying on staff and actors - who have yet to be cast - to give their time for free.

"Our budget is absolutely nothing," said Mr Scott. "The ideal budget is about £35,000. Real costs would be about £100,000-150,000, but for now people are investing their time and services for free. Everybody's been very supportive."

The plot of Cold Heaven follows top scientist Geraldine Soloman's mission to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the research base's commander who vanishes during a routine exploration of the subterranean lake.

Sci-fi fans can have their first glimpse of the mysterious world of Cold Heaven and take part in an interactive tour of the Shackleton base by visiting its website at www.coldheaven.co.uk.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.