ENTRIES for this year’s Thurrock International Film Festival are now open - and organisers hope to have more entries than ever.

The festival, now in its third year, is set to take place from September 22 to 28.

Entries for the short film competition close on June 1, and a full schedule of events is set to be published later this year.

Last year, the competition received more than 240 film entries from 35 different countries.

Throughout the week there will be a variety of events and workshops will be open to school and college students in the borough to give an insight into the industry.

Benjamin Scarsbrook, one of the event organisers, said: “Last year was a great success. It has just built and built since we’ve started.

“Entry numbers having been going up and up since we started. This year people will be able to submit their film digitally through the website which we hope will increase international entries.”

This year organisers want to focus on the educational side of the festival.

Benjamin said: “We’re discussing having workshops in the weeks leading up to the festival. We want to go into schools and have someone help make a film with pupils that could then be shown at the festival.

“The long term aim of the festival is to build a legacy of film making in Thurrock and to promote the idea of film in the area.”