A new festival celebrating all things film noir is coming to Weston-super-Mare.

Film Noir UK, which bills itself as the only organisation in the UK dedicated to celebrating film noir, will host its debut event at the Plaza Cinema in early November.

Named Film Noir Fest, the event will see screenings of various American and British titles as well as Mexican films, across different categories including Heritage Noir, International Noir, and Lauren Bacall at 100.

The main theme is Dangerous Divas, with reference to the film noir performances of the likes of Rita Hayworth, Gloria Grahame, Jane Greer, Joan Bennett, and Marilyn Monroe.

Films within the Dangerous Divas category include Human Desire (1954) and Gilda (1946).

Film Noir Fest will also include a Heritage Noir strand, featuring Alfred Hitchcock’s Blackmail (1929).

The film was released in both a silent version (which composer and broadcaster Neil Brand will be playing live on the piano at the festival), and a sound version (considered to be the first sound film to be produced in the UK).

The work of Cuban-Mexican superstar Ninón Sevilla will be showcased under the category of International Noir, with films including El Bruto (1953) and Aventurera (1950).

Another category is Lauren Bacall at 100, to mark what would have been the late actress's 100th birthday (in 2024), and which features all four films that Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart starred together in.

Those films include The Big Sleep (1946).

Another featured category is Lee Marvin at 100, which will see screenings of The Big Heat (1953) and Point Blank (1967), representing classic and neo noir respectively.

Film Noir Fest director and co-founder of Film Noir UK, James Harrison, said: "The key aim for Film Noir Fest (as well as Film Noir UK) is to celebrate the many aspects of film noir through the ages.

"It’s also here to celebrate the people in front as well as behind the camera as well as the history of cinema.

"I do hope that the selection we have put together really does showcase every element of what film noir has to offer.

"It's been really great fun getting this festival up and running.

"Particularly building up the strands to where they are now.

"I hope audiences will really enjoy watching and getting involved with the festival as much as I have over the past months."

Film Noir Fest will take place from November 1 to November 3 at the Plaza Cinema in Weston-super-Mare.

More information is available at https://www.southwestsilents.com/film-noir-fest-2024