The man behind Southend Film Festival has spoken of his pride in the event, which marks its tenth anniversary this weekend.

When 58-year-old Paul Cotgrove set up his film company, The White Bus, in Southend 11 years ago, he had no idea that ten years later the enterprise’s main focus would be delivering the Southend Film Festival.

It wasn’t until he was contacted by Southend Council in February 2009 to see if he would be interested in running a film festival, that the ball start rolling on an event which a decade later is predicted to see more than 3,000 people attending 40 screenings at the Palace Hotel.

Mr Cotgrove said: “It has been a fantastic success - every year it just gets better and I am really looking forward to watching what, for us, is a full year’s work come to fruition.

“It’s always exciting seeing people, whether they’re directors, actors, or just film fans, coming from all over the country - and beyond - to share a love of film. Ten years ago we couldn’t imagine that we would become the county’s largest film festival but every year it is a brilliant surprise.”

The festivities were set in motion at last night’s opening gala, where the landmark film ‘if....’, directed by Lindsay Anderson, had its 50th anniversary screening at the Odeon.

The black tie opening also played host to four members of the original cast. They include Robin Askwith, David Wood, Brian Pettifer, and Richard Everett, who have all achieved continued success in their acting careers in the 50 years since the premiere of the film.

As somebody who has worked almost every job in the industry, Mr Cotgrove has seen first-hand the opportunities that festivals bring, for both audiences and creators.

He said: “A film festival like Southend’s, at its core, just lets people who love film get to experience something they wouldn’t usually see at a mainstream cinema.

“Over the years I’ve noticed that world films do really well at the festival because there just aren’t those opportunities here to see them. It’s great to have an open-minded audience, and always fascinating to see how audiences react.”

As well as foreign film, Southend Film Festival promises to deliver some cinematic delights closer to home.

Mr Cotgrove said: “We are delighted to be showing the Lost Films of the Kursal again – last year he had to turn hundreds away because the screening was so popular. There is such a fascination with Southend’s heritage, and we are lucky to have so many films throughout its history.”

For information, visit www.southendfilmfestival.com