BOLTON is welcoming well-known faces from the big and small screen to celebrate the launch of a major new festival.

Acclaimed writers, directors and actors will be heading to the town for the Bolton International Film Festival.

The event being hosted at the Light Cinema in the Market Place shopping centre will see 53 unique short films being shown across two days.

Organiser Adrian Barber said: “We have had hundreds of entries and it has been a task choosing what to show.

“There is a huge demand for tickets so if people want to go they need to book soon. It’s a far bigger and better reaction then I expected and so far it is shaping up to everything we want it to be!”

The inaugural event already has a big backer in Maxine Peake, who has agreed to be its patron.

Mr Barber added: “Of course we are delighted, I can’t think of anyone better in the North West or in the country.

“Her name kept coming up time and time again with people saying she would be the perfect person to get involved in the festival and she has also just made a short film herself, so we are over the moon that she is willing put her name to it!”

A former Westhoughton High School pupil, the Bolton actress is currently starring in Mike Leigh’s Peterloo and is making her own directorial debut for the short film Time Away. She said: “When Bolton, the town where I was born, announced they were launching a film festival I welcomed their invitation to become a patron.

“Bolton Film Festival gives film-makers and actors in the area an opportunity to celebrate the talent in and around the town, to share their work with a wider audience and to meet industry experts and other film-makers from across the North West and across the UK.

“Manchester offers so much, but it’s fantastic that Bolton now has an annual film event of it’s own.”

The festival launches on September 20 with a series of free Industry Talks, followed by screenings of films including features, documentaries, animation, comedy, experimental and music, showcasing emerging talent from Bolton and beyond.

Maxine is not the only established name to support the festival.

Joining the judging panel will be Horwich-born BAFTA winning writer Chris Lunt, BBC actor Ian McKee and animator Meryl Edge, who has worked on the BFG, Danger Mouse and Duckula.

This is England actor George Newton will also be on the panel and joining the red carpet event on September 21.

He will be joined by Chris Lunt – who is also hosting an industry talk as part of the event – Merlin actress Kelly Wenham, BAFTA winning animator Anushka Naanayakkara and Hollyoaks actress Rachel Shenton.

The festival will be screening Silent Child made by Bolton born producer Julie Foy and written by Rachel, which has already picked up film festival awards and is tipped for a BAFTA and Oscar nominations.

Other films being shown will include Peter Mullen from Trainspotting and Game of Thrones star Michelle Fairley.

On September 20, the Best of the Fest screenings with include films like The Attendant starring Downtown Abbey’s Rob James-Collier and Nimmer by Lieven Vanhove, who is flying in from Belgium to attend the festival.

At 5pm on September 21, there is a free animation screening before the final red carpet event Best of the Fest (Pt 2).

Tickets for the event are on sale from Light Cinema Bolton and boltonfilmfestival.com.