HOLYWOOD film director and Academy Award winner Sir Sam Mendes will launch this year’s Purbeck Film Festival.

Mendes is well known for his films American Beauty, Skyfall and Jarhead.

A special screening of his WW1 epic 1917 will take place to officially launch the festival, followed by a question-and-answer session.

The sold-out event at The Mowlem Theatre in Swanage is just one of 95 screenings taking place around different venues from October 18 to November 3.

The festival will also see a ‘Stunt Saturday’ on November 2 which will celebrate those most often overlooked in the film industry – the stunt men and women who take huge risks to enthral us with their spectacular set pieces.

Stunt Saturday is a multi-venue event that includes the 60s epic The Train, modern classic Fury at the world famous The Tank Museum as well as family-friendly adventure The Kid Who Would Be King and explosive stunt double-bill documentary Hollywood Bulldogs and Mendes’ acclaimed Bond film Spectre.

A stunt panel will take place at The Mowlem on Saturday 2 at 7.30pm.

A spokesperson for the Purbeck Film Festival said: “Meet the stuntmen! Three industry professionals share incredible stories from their time in the industry.

“Between them, their credits include every great action franchise of the last half century, from Harry Potter and Star Wars to Indiana Jones, Bourne and Marvel, as well as more Bond movies than you can shake a stick at.”

These will be accompanied by Q&A and workshop sessions from leading stunt professionals who will provide fascinating insights into the Art of Action.

This year’s festival focusses of environmental themes, with one of the highlights being a screening of Six Inches of Soil, a popular documentary which looks at the plight of UK farmers, followed by an interactive discussion with a farmer and leading ecologist.

For the full list of films and events, visit https://purbeckfilm.com/whats-on-2024/