TICKETS have gone on sale for the first-ever Wellington Film Festival, which starts at the end of the month.

The community-wide three-day festival will see a programme of activities and short and feature films in locations as diverse as cafés, churches, libraries, and schools, as well as the town’s art deco Wellesley Cinema.

It has been postponed for two years because of the coronavirus pandemic and national lockdowns but organisers have now managed to launch the event, which runs from Friday, September 30, to Sunday, October 2.

The attractions include Star Wars Stormtroopers parading in Wellington Park on the Sunday thanks to the volunteer fan group the 501st Legion which was started 25 years ago to promote interest in the film franchise.

Wellington Silver Band will also be in the park to perform some of the most recognisable film themes from the age of cinema.

On the Friday, British film, documentary, and music video director Julien Temple will hold a question and answer forum in Wellington Arts Centre.

Julien, who started by making short films with the infamous Sex Pistols punk band, will afterwards see his David Bowie movie Absolute Beginners screened in the Wellesley.

Special permission was obtained for a screening on the Sunday of a 40th anniversary version of Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra Terrestrial.

A stop motion animation workshop will be held in the town’s public library offering an opportunity for people to try their hand at it.

The 1924 silent movie Peter Pan will be shown in the arts centre with a live musical score provided by classical harpist Elizabeth Jane Baldry.

Other attractions include short documentaries from local film-makers and editors, a curated environmental evening from Transition Town Wellington, and an opportunity to see local dance talent projected onto the Lloyds Bank building.

Details of how to purchase tickets can be found on the festival website www.wellington filmfestival.org.uk.