It has taken two-and-a-half years to persuade local cinemas to show Gamerz, a low-budget Scottish film that makes the characters in Gregory's Girl seem cool.

But the unheralded comedy has already proven so popular in North America that director Robbie Fraser and producer Paul Gavin are in discussions with a Canadian film company about a possible sequel, called I'm a Gamer Too, which would be shot in Glasgow and Texas.

While Scots are still awaiting the chance to see the film, Mel Gibson is among those to have attended a screening in the US, American Internet critic Harry Knowles raved about it on his Ain't It Cool News website and it sold so well on DVD that it is now being reissued with added extras.

Gamerz is the story of a student with a passion for role-playing games, such as Dungeons and Dragons. He plays out his fantasies at an exclusive university club, along with a small group of geeky friends and a mysterious young woman, who maintains she is an elf.

The film's website claims Gamerz "represents a new chapter in cinematic history - the Celtic campus comedy. It is also the first ever Scottish film to feature live goblins".

It was made under a Scottish Screen scheme to encourage emerging film-makers to produce feature-length films on video, with budgets of around £300,000.

There are no Hollywood stars, but the cast includes Eileen McCallum and James Young, who are familiar faces from Scottish television.

The film was submitted for the Edinburgh Film Festival in 2005, but was rejected. But festival organisers in England, the US and elsewhere were happy to provide a slot.

"We have been on a fantastic journey," said Mr Gavin, the film's producer.

"We screened at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, where Mel Gibson saw Gamerz, among 1000 others. And we got great reviews from the influential, global, cult uber-geek, Harry Knowles."

On his website, Mr Knowles wrote: "It's funny and real in its take on the seriously unreal world that Gamerz conjure for themselves.

"Robbie Fraser really knocked this out of the park."

Mr Gavin said: "This was a turning point for us. We sold the US DVD rights immediately to Terra Entertainment, who supply Blockbuster, NetFlix, Amazon, etc. These outlets don't take risks, and the fact that they're coming back for more means Gamerz has really hit a chord."

Mr Gavin has also secured a cinema and a DVD deal in the UK. Gamerz will open at Cineworld cinemas in Glasgow and Edinburgh on February 22. If it does well Cineworld will expand the release to include other sites.

"We are delighted that Cineworld are supporting the theatrical release of Gamerz in Edinburgh and Glasgow," said Mr Gavin.

"Gamerz is a $1m film, whilst nine out of 10 films screening at Cineworld are multi-million dollar films.

"We set out to produce a film that was not all doom and gloom, or grey and gritty as so many Scottish films are. We aim to make people laugh whether it be in Scotland, Portugal, Canada, Sweden, Australia, Dublin or the real litmus test, the US.

"If they can laugh, enjoy, and understand Gamerz, with its broad Scottish accents, then we can be confident that we have made an enjoyable film and there is a real worldwide future for home-grown movies such as Gamerz."

A Scottish Screen spokesman said: "Scottish Screen is delighted to have been able to support this home-grown Scottish film."