Ipswich Film Theatre has announced it is teaming up with Suffolk Shorts to host a new short film festival this autumn.

The festival is designed to raise the profile of the short film and encourage East Anglian film-makers to put their creativity on screen.

Dan Champion, director and trustee of the Ipswich town-centre cinema, said: “Telling a story in a short film takes skill and determination, but it also frees you from the constraints and influences often associated with features or traditional commissioning.

"Shorts are not just practice runs, they are an art form in their own right.”

Suffolk Shorts co-founder Rachel Aldridge said: “We believe that short films are the future.

"This means that we are looking for potential. We are looking for films that experiment, push boundaries, tell a story you haven't heard before and do so in a way that captivates the audience.

"We are not just looking for highly polished, big budget productions. We want to celebrate all film-makers, regardless of their access to resources.”

The first festival will take place between October 8 and 10.

If coronavirus restrictions are lifted, IFT will host the physical screenings and an online provision through the ‘IFT at Home’ virtual cinema to show programmes and events.

The five main award categories are Best Animation, Best Art & Performance, Best East Anglian Film, Best Drama and Best Documentary.

There will be an additional award for the Best Student Short submitted to any category. Submissions are open on FilmFreeway.com.

Judges include actor, producer and director David Morrissey, acclaimed documentary filmmaker Sophie Fiennes, film director Gillies MacKinnon, writer Kate Muir and artist Ryan Gander.

Suffolk Shorts' Claire Wittenbury added: "Creative collaboration is crucial for filmmakers. It's also the key to bringing new audiences and short filmmakers together in Suffolk in 2021.

"We are so pleased to be partnering with Ipswich Film Theatre, who share our mission.

"Together, we want to bring International short films to the screen in Suffolk and support our home-grown talent."