OXFORD band A Silent Film lived up to their name when they took centre stage for a pivotal scene in a film adaptation of Oxford author Philip Pullman's novel The Butterfly Tattoo.

The production company, which is filming the movie in and around Oxford, asked for bands from the area to come forward and A Silent Film was picked from six shortlisted bands.

The Wheatley lads will be seen on cinema screens across the country and also at the Cannes Film Festival.

Lead singer Rob Stevenson, a sound engineer by day, said: "We are really pleased. It's something we haven't had a chance to do before, especially this early on in our career so it is very exciting.

"The drummer and bassist are both keen readers of Philip Pullman so they are really pleased to be involved."

He said: "This is the perfect step for a band like us to be selected to have this opportunity to play.

"It's an independent film-making company and it is really nice because that is the approach we take to our music, so to find people who are approaching film in the same way is just fantastic.

"This is unbelievable because it means people all over the world are going to be able to see us in this film and it should present us in very much the way we want to be seen and heard."

The rest of the band, guitarist Lewis Jones, bassist Ali Hussain and drummer Spencer Walker, who met when they were at school in Oxford, all do part-time jobs in bars, off licences, and telephone call centres to make ends meet as they pursue their dream.

The Butterfly Tattoo is a contemporary love story set in Oxford and the scene featuring the band will show the two main characters, Chris and Jenny, going to a gig together at the Jericho Tavern, in Walton Street - where the scene was filmed.

The couple are already falling in love and Jenny persuades Chris to dance with her to the music.

Six Feet of Rope and Revenge will be the track that A Silent Film plays for the couple to dance to - and the production company was so impressed with the band's music that it is planning to use some of their other songs on the soundtrack.

Production manager Carolita Lamas said: "It was pretty much unanimous. Even though (the selection process) was really, really hard, when we got to the end of it and chose a band, I don't think anybody contradicted the director's decision."

The other shortlisted bands, Lightbox, The Plugs, Not My Day, Fatally Yours and Amber State, are all being considered for inclusion in the soundtrack.

Filming for The Butterfly Tattoo is set to continue until Sunday, September 30.