Puffin Rock is a 'once in a lifetime opportunity' for Beth McCafferty

Beth, left, has taken over from sister Kate, who voiced the character of Oona for four years

A teenager who voices the hero of the first animated movie to be produced in Northern Ireland says her role is a "once in a lifetime opportunity".

Puffin Rock and the New Friends is based on the Emmy-nominated cartoon series.

Londonderry schoolgirl Beth McCafferty voices the character Oona.

"It's just crazy being part of a film," the 14-year old Lumen Christi College student told BBC News NI.

Beth's role is one she knows well - Oona had been voiced previously by her sister Kate, now a biochemistry student at Queen's University Belfast.

After successfully auditioning to take over the role, Beth loved taking up the mantle.

"She's a very bubbly character. She's very funny, positive, happy and I feel she's very… a lot like myself. So it was quite easy to play her role," Beth said.

The movie gets its first screening in Derry on Saturday

The film has its premiere in Derry's Brunswick Moviebowl on Saturday, ahead of a wider release across Ireland on 14 July.

The cartoon's leap from the television to the big screen has been "such an unbelievable experience," Beth said.

She added: "I was just really excited. You would just never think it would happen."

The film has been made by Derry-based media firm Dog Ears and Kilkenny-based Oscar nominees Cartoon Saloon.

Its plot sees Oona work to save the wild Irish island on which the puffins live, and work to save a precious little egg.

Dog Ears' John McDaid said the TV show's reach has been 'huge'

John McDaid, from Dog Ears, said Puffin Rock celebrates Ireland's natural environment.

Belonging, courage and friendship are among it themes, he added.

"The TV show was bought up across the world - Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand and then Netflix took it for every other place in the world where it wasn't being shown," he said.

"The film is only finished a couple of months and we've had lots of interest already," John added. "So it's already sold to Japan and across Scandinavia. We're talking to UK and French distributors and Canada - that's really exciting".

He said the TV show's reach had been huge - nowhere more so than across the Atlantic.

"The biggest fan base for Puffin Rock is actually the US. There's a lovely energy about it and the novelty doesn't wear off. You know, we are sitting here in Bishop Street (in Derry) getting these messages from Colorado or New York or wherever about our little cartoon."

The movie features the characters from the animated series as they work to save their island

Narrated by Irish actor Chris O'Dowd, the television version of Puffin Rock has been broadcast on RTÉ, Nickelodeon, Netflix and on Tencent in China, and has enjoyed huge success since first airing in 2014.

In China alone, the series has been streamed more than 170 million times.

It was nominated for an International Emmy Kids Award in 2017.

The film has been made with the support of Northern Ireland Screen, Screen Ireland, RTÉ, and BBC Alba.