It seemed fitting that the film chosen to kick off Norwich's sixth film festival at St Mary's Works, a former shoe factory, last night, was Kinky Boots, a film about a man who turns around a failing shoe factory.

And it was even more fitting that the film was directed by Norwich film-maker Julian Jarrold.

As Dominic Richards of Architekton, the company who bought the disused factory and is behind plans to revamp it, said when introducing the film: 'The gods are with us so to speak.'

The film is one of over 50 films to play over the course of the festival which runs until Sunday November 13.

Mr Jarrold attended the screening to introduce the film and take part in a Q&A afterwards. Introducing the film he joked: 'Someone came up to me the other day and said is it based on the musical?'

Mr Jarrold said, for him, St Mary's Works brought back memories of the filming process. He said: 'It's really nice doing it in this wonderful building.

'One of the great things about the film was being able to shoot in the working factory so it's bringing it all back.'

But, he said: 'They forced me to try on a pair [of the shoes] at the end of filming.'

Kinky Boots follows the story of Charlie, a Northampton man who takes over his father's struggling shoe factory and turns it around to make a profit by making a range of womens' high heeled shoes for men.

Craig Higgins, co-director of Norwich Film Festival, said he hoped the festival would go from strength to strength.

Asked for his hopes for next year's festival he said: 'It's just building on what we are already doing to make it bigger and better for next year.'

This year the festival has become an official charity but Mr Higgins said he one day hopes the festival will become accredited.

There will be 14 events over the course of the festival with the remainder being held at The Forum on Bethel Street.

The festival was founded by Kellen Playford in 2009 and has since screened hundreds of short films.

This year the team picked from over 400 short films to select 52, including two feature films, which will be played at the festival.

To see the full list of films being screened and the festival programme, visit www.norwichfilmfestival.co.uk