Its been announced today that Isle of Media will be the headline sponsor and lead partner of the Isle of Man Film Festival.

The international reputation of Isle of Man Film Festival has grown steadily since it began in 2012, and over the years it has received plaudits from many high-profile figures in the industry, including screenwriter and director Amma Asante MBE, and actor Sir John Hurt CBE.

Michael Wilson, CEO, Isle of Media, said: “Isle of Media is delighted to be supporting the Isle of Man Film Festival. We hope this will be a long-standing partnership aimed at promoting the Isle of Man as a centre for creative excellence. A strong and growing film festival is the perfect catalyst to attract producers and creative businesses to locate on our vibrant Island.”

The Isle of Man Film Festival aims to create inspiring events for Manx film fans, showcase the considerable talents of both local and international filmmakers, and promote the many advantages that the Isle of Man offers  as a movie location.

Festival organiser Dave Armstrong commented: “We’re delighted to have the support of our founding partner, Isle of Man Arts Council, and lead partner, Isle of Media, and all of the other organisations and individuals who support the event. In particular, we must thank Mark Kermode for his loyal support over many years – his status within the film industry has been a great help in raising the profile of our festival.”

Mark Kermode, the UK’s leading movie critic, will present an evening of movie and music magic at the Isle of Man Film Festival which takes place in September.

The Observer columnist and BBC movie critic, who is also Patron of Isle of Man Film Festival, will present the ‘Evening of Movie and Music Magic’ event at the Gaiety Theatre on Saturday September 8th.

He said: “Coming to the Isle of Man is an important part of the filmmaking process. It’s a destination for discovering films, talking about films, meeting other filmmakers – that’s really important and it is extraordinary what’s happening here.”

The festival runs from September 5th to 9th.

The opening night event is at the Peel Centenary Centre and features a screening of the award-winning ‘Stronger Than Bullets’ followed by a Q&A session with Los Angeles-based director Matt Millan, and Libyan hip-hop artist and dissident, Malik L. Other festival highlights include an exclusive 4K screening of 2001: a space odyssey at The Broadway Cinema on September 7th to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi epic. On September 8th there are filmmaking workshops.