Organisers of the Kendal Mountain Film Festival expect the event to boost the local economy to the tune of nearly £1 million next month.

They say a study has shown the level of spending gener-ated by the event would support the equivalent of 18 jobs in the economy.

The festival, which this year runs from November 19-21, is expected to attract up to 10,000 people to the town, making it one of the largest film festivals of its kind in the world.

Despite its size and popularity, festival spokesman Clive Allen said many local businesses were still unaware of the sheer scale of the festival.

"It fills Kendal over the weekend. You can't get a bed and people have to stay as far away as Penrith," he told Business Gazette.

In an effort to raise the festival's profile and make local businesses aware of the commercial opportunities it presents, Mr Allen has been briefing local retailers, including members of the Kendal Retailers Forum.

There are also plans to sign up local businesses in a partner programme. "We'll have leaflets at the festival featuring participating retailers, plus a map of Kendal showing where to find them," explained Mr Allen.

"There will also be a large graphic in the Tourist Information Centre area we have set up at the Brewery, showing the same information. In return, and as an incentive, we'd like these businesses to offer ten per cent discounts to festival-goers upon production of a ticket."

Among the town businesses backing the film festival is the 1657 Chocolate Shop on Branthwaite Brow, which will be displaying a chocolate miniature version of K2 - the world's second highest mountain - and asking people to guess its weight.

In a bid to expand the festival, sponsored by Berghaus and the North West Development Agency, this year will see the launch of an outdoors book festival running alongside the films. A full programme of debates, readings and performances has been lined up at Kendal's Brewery Arts Centre, and events will also take place at Kendal Leisure Centre.

Meanwhile, the festival organisers have become the first UK organisation to join the one per cent' club, a movement that requires committing one per cent of gross revenues back to the environment.

American climber and environmentalist Yvon Chouinard, who founded the multi-million dollar outdoor company Patagonia, is behind the one per cent' club. He is due to speak at the festival .

For more details about the Kendal Mountain Film Festival, log on to www.mountainfilm.co.uk or tel Clive Allen on 01539-725133.