FIVE films by director Ken Loach feature in this year's Keswick Film Festival - and the highly respected British director will be one of the star guests.

Running from February 15-18, the festival listing includes classics by the legendary Mr Loach, such as Ladybird, Ladybird (18), screened at the Theatre by the Lake on Friday, February 16 (2pm), and Kes (PG), at the Alhambra on Sunday, February 18, at noon, not forgetting his 1966 ground-breaker for television Cathy Come Home, which opens Saturday's (February 17) packed programme at 11.45am.

And Ken will also be on hand for a question-and-answer session following Ladybird, Ladybird.

Almost 30 films will be shown during the four-day festival event, as well as a scriptwriting taster session run by award-winning scribe Jim Eldridge (Saturday, 9.30am) and two-hour workshops by the sought after Cumbrian outfit - 3 Bears Animation (Saturday and Sunday, 10am and 1.30pm).

Also on the Saturday, director Andrea Arnold will be introducing Red Road.

She has won awards for her previous short films, including an Oscar for Wasp, and is being hailed as one of the future greats.

Written and directed by Andrea, Red Road has won plenty of awards, including the Grand Jury prize at Cannes, nominated for the Golden Palm, a hatful of BAFTA Scotland awards and lots of others.

"I am delighted that Andrea is coming," explained festival co-ordinator Ann Martin.

"The way the film emerged is unusual and the descriptions of how she worked with the cast, getting fantastic performances from newcomers, sounds great."

For full details of the festival, telephone the Theatre by the Lake box office on 017687-74411 or log on to the festival website.