Film enthusiasts will be able to participate in a unique global festival in Wells on Monday night.

The town's film group Screen-next-the-Sea is, for the first time, taking part in the annual Manhattan Short Film Festival, which was established in New York several years ago.

The festival will see more than 100,000 people in more than 300 venues across six continents gather in cinemas, galleries, universities, museums and cafes next week to view the same series of short films and vote on what they believe to be the best.

Ten films have been selected from countries across the world.

Votes will be gathered from all of the participating venues and sent to festival founder Nick Mason and his team, in New York. The winner will be announced on October 6.

Nigel Baker, vice-chairman of Screen-next-the-Sea, which was established five years ago, said: 'This is a great thing for us to be involved in.

'It is another way in which we are improving the cultural offering in Wells.'

Screen-next-the-Sea held a three-day film festival in March this year which had the theme 'best of British' showcasing the work of film-makers from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

They are planning to hold another three-day festival in March next

year, details of which are to be announced.

The group has, since last year, brought live screenings, via satellite, of world class shows from the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow, New York Metropolitan Opera and National Theatre in London to Wells.

Mr Baker said: 'Screen-next-the-Sea is going really well and we usually show to full houses.

'I believe we are the only community cinema in Norfolk taking part in the Manhattan Short Film Festival and it's great to be able to offer people the opportunity to view shows they would otherwise have to travel a long way to see.'

The films which will be shown are: #30 (Australia); Black Metal (USA); Do I Have to Take Care of Everything? (Finland); Faces from Places (France); Friday (England); I am a Great Big Ball of Sadness (USA); No Comment (France); Kizmet Diner (England); Irish Folk Furniture (Ireland) and Pale of Settlement (USA).

The event will take place at The Granary Theatre, starting at 7pm. Tickets are £5 each.

For more information, call 07900 316606.

Tickets are also available from Kinsleys, Staithe Street, Wells.

Joolz Saunders, from Screen-next-the-Sea, at the group's best of British film festival earlier this year. On Monday night Screen-next-the-Sea is taking part in the Manhattan Short Film Festival. Picture: ian burt