The Isle of Man Film Festival is set to make a return next month after cancellations because of the pandemic.

It will be held between October 7 and 10 at venues island-wide.

The festival will celebrate a love of the big screen, and provide an opportunity for local filmmakers to showcase creative projects filmed or produced on the island.

The festival was first founded in 2012 by filmmakers Dave Armstrong and Christy DeHaven and has since delivered a whole host of events, including Q&A’s with Sir John Hurt and Katharina Kubrick presented by festival patron, Mark Kermode, and themed outdoor screenings of much loved family movies including ’The Goonies’ and ’Labyrinth’.

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The festival’s International Short Film Competition, has attracted more than 500 entries in previous years, and normally plays host to visiting filmmakers from around the world - though this year the exclusive focus will be on demonstrating the wealth of talent found on Manx shores.

Christy DeHaven, festival co-director, said: ’We’ve built up a list of events and guests over the years that our small but dedicated team are really proud of.

’This year, we’re returning to the island event scene after a pandemic-enforced break with something of a soft relaunch ahead of a bigger return to festival form in 2022 for our tenth anniversary.

’Our focus for 2021 is primarily on the talents of the filmmakers and creatives we have on our island, who have managed to continue creating movie magic throughout a really difficult year.

’Every year we ensure the festival provides opportunity for local projects to be screened, but it felt really important that for our return, we brought this right into the spotlight.’

Richard Hird, co-director added: ’We can’t wait to get back in front of audiences to celebrate cinema - it feels like a more important year than ever for us to escape into the world of film and storytelling.

’We’ll be bringing back some of our most popular events, including the movie pub quiz which is a favourite for film fans of all ages, as well as partnering with a major local event provider to screen an iconic movie with an important Manx link!

’We really hope that audiences will get on board and join us for one or more events and we’re looking forward to welcoming you all back.’

The full programme of events will be announced shortly at www.isleofmanfilmfestival.com, and via their social medial channels @IOMFF

In other film news, Culture Vannin had the island’s only entry to the prestigious Celtic Media Festival, held last week.

The film ’Island Utopias,’ which was written and directed by Sarah Mercer and produced by Culture Vannin competed with productions from big names like Sky Arts and the BBC for the Arts prize, given out on Thursday night (September 9).

The film is described as ’an immersion post-pandemic possibilities.’

It is a ’combination of cut-up interviews with people from all walks of life in the Isle of Man carried out during [the] Covid-19 lockdown, layered with visuals of leading Manx artists creating works inspired by these voice collages, accompanied by newly-composed piano pieces based on traditional Manx melodies which compliment the themes and ideas of each of the film’s 12 parts.

’Together they form a mesmerising immersive experience which transports us into new spaces of thought and seeing, allowing us to re-imagine what an ideal future for the Isle of Man might look like.’

Unfortunately, on the night the film lost out to ’Garech Browne: The Last Days at Luggala’ by Scratch Films Limited and RTÃ?, Ireland’s national television and radio broadcaster.

However James Franklin, online and education resources officer at Culture Vannin, emphasised that it’s the taking part that counts.

He said: ’It was amazing to be in the mix, alongside films from the BBC, Sky Arts and RTE etc.

’It is a great bit of proof that the Isle of Man is at that sort of level - especially as Island Utopias was very much a collaborative project with the artistic and wider communities.’

The film can be viewed in full on the Culture Vannin website.