THE newly-announced titles of the Keswick Film Festival include stand-out films in a wide variety of topics, genres, and styles.

The films are going to be shown in the Alhambra Cinema, the Theatre by the Lake, and the Rheged Centre over the exciting weekend on March 24 to 27. 

Appropriately for Oscars weekend, 4 of the 5 Best Foreign Language nominations will be screened, plus 'The Worst Person in the World', tipped by many for the main prize itself.

The Festival will open with Clio Barnard’s Ali and Ava, a romantic comedy set across the racial divide in Bradford.

Actor and writer Kamal Kaan, who spent a lot of time in the Lakes when touring Ragged Edge Productions’ The Chef Show, will introduce the film, hopefully alongside Clio Barnard herself.

A particular highlight will be Belle, screened at Rheged in the IMAX format.

The Japanese animation, about a young girl losing herself in a virtual world, is visually stunning, and will be shown to best effect on the huge screen, the festival director Ian Payne said.

He added that there will be a distinctly Gallic feel to the programme this year, with the latest offerings from directors Jacques Audiard, François Ozon and Julia Ducournau plus the new film featuring the incomparable Juliette Binoche, Between Two Worlds.

Ian Payne added: "It is fantastic to be able to stage the Festival again after missing out in 2021.

"Our programmer has put together a stunning range of films from across the world.

"Already, regular Festival goers have contacted me to say that they are coming and I can’t wait to welcome them back to Keswick in March.

"The majority of films that we show probably won't be shown elsewhere in Cumbria, so we think it's important for our local audience to see them.

"One of the best things about the film festival is the craic afterwards between audience members, we don't have a 100 percent hit rate, and we've shown a couple of duds and they get people talking, so the selection is a mixed bag."