A town theatre has been unveiled as the main venue for a short film festival in Suffolk.
The Marina Theatre in Lowestoft - which has an auditorium with a large cinema screen and almost 800 seats - is set to host the Sunrise Film Festival, thanks to a new partnership.
Festival organisers said the "exciting new partnership" with Lowestoft’s Marina Theatre Trust has been bolstered by "substantial support" with funding secured from Lowestoft Town Council.
The festival's co-founder, Joshua Freemantle, said they were "thrilled" with the support from the theatre and the council.
He said: "As Suffolk’s current largest short film festival and a BIFA (British Independent Film Awards) qualifying event for British Short Films, the Sunrise Film Festival has been a pivotal platform for emerging filmmakers."
Mr Freemantle and Patrick Johnson started the film festival in 2022 and last year it attracted almost 400 entries.
Marina Theatre general manager Sam Vallerius said: "We are so excited to be hosting the Sunrise Film Festival at the theatre.
"We think it’s such a wonderful event for the town, and it’s our pleasure to be able to support it.
"We’re especially looking forward to opening our doors to people who may not have experienced watching films at our venue before."
With the festival's main events taking place from August 1 to August 4 at the Marina Theatre, it is presented with generous support from the Lowestoft Town Council.
Town councillor Nasima Begum, mayor of Lowestoft, said: "We are incredibly proud to support the Sunrise Film Festival and its new partnership with the Marina Theatre.
"This collaboration not only highlights our commitment to promoting the arts and cultural growth in our community but also showcases Lowestoft as a vibrant hub for creativity and talent."
Mr Freemantle added: "Having such a large venue to screen films in as part of the festival with one of East Coast’s largest screens, we think will go down really well with attendees, creating a new experience that we’ve never had before."
The festival's full programme is due to go live at 6pm on June 27.
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