THE UK’s fastest-growing short film festival is back.

Thurrock International Film Festival is in its fourth year and this year was “inundated” with entries from around the world.

Films attracting a buzz include an animated short from Spain, Cuerdas, in which a little girl befriends a disabled boy, and TokyoCosmo, ananimation from Japan.

Other international entries include a horror film from Mexico and films from China and Poland.

Hundreds more film-makers entered their work for the awards this year, including professionals and amateurs.

The judges’ include Zach Staenberg, editor of the Matrix trilogy, and actor Adrian Scarborough, who appeared in the King’s Speech.

The idea, say organisers, is that film fans can “pop in and out” of short film screenings and get a taste for tomorrow’s big names in the movie world.

Festival organiser Benjamin Scarsborough said: “We’re showing more films than in previous years because the quality of entries was outstanding. It was incredibly hard to shortlist.”

The audience can enjoy a slice of tomorrow’s cinema for only £1.50 per short film, along with screenings of classics Casablanca, the Little Mermaid and Alien thrown in.

The Royal Opera House will also screen the winners of its competition, A Sense of Change, and schools across the borough have been involved in entries, along with Thurrock’s own under-18 film-maker Simran Shokar, who has made it through to the awards shortlist.

The festival runs over Saturday and Sunday at the Thameside Theatre, Grays, and finishes on Sunday evening with a glitzy awards ceremony.

To see the full line-up and to book tickets, visit thurrock.gov.uk/ thameside-theatre or just turn up on the day.

Screenings will be running from 10am on Saturday to 8pm, and from 10.30am to 7.30pm on Sunday.