CUMBRIAN film-makers Bryony, Cadi and Linnhe Catlow better known at 3 Bear Animations - have again joined forces with the Co-operative Group to organise a major film festival for young people, reports Karen Morley.

The festival takes place at the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television in Bradford on October 8 and 9, and has a programme of more than 30 events for children and young people aged 5 - 21, with additional events specifically aimed at film students.

Event co-organiser Bryony said: "We're particularly proud of the programme this year. We have Nick Dudman, from Kendal, coming up from the set of Harry Potter 4 to talk about his work as Special Effects Supervisor on films such as Star Wars' and Harry Potter', which we're very excited about because he's worked on some amazing films and will be giving some hilarious insights into Hollywood film production!"

In addition to the workshops and talks, there will be nine screenings of films made by young people, including several from as far afield as Estonia, Armenia, Croatia, Finland, the USA, Canada and Australia.

Cadi said: "We received around 400 entries this year and selected 100 for screening. The film-makers are of all ages and abilities, from five and six year-olds making a film in primary school to 21-year-olds producing films of almost professional quality, and this is what makes our screenings so interesting! Add to that a Croatian love story and an Estonian film about a woodlouse and you have a good example of the films we show here at Co-operative Young Film-Makers!"

Several of the films will receive awards from companies and organisations including the Co-operative Group, 3 Bear Animations, The NMPFT, BBC Blast! and the British Film Institute.

Linnhe added: "We decided to present an award at the festival because we want to encourage the next generation of animators. We used to enter Co-operative Young Film-Makers ourselves when we were younger, and the festival definitely inspired us to continue producing animation. We know from experience how important it is to have encouragement when you're starting out!"

Co-operative Young Film-Makers 2004 is open to everyone, film-makers and film fans alike. The majority of events are free, so it's a great opportunity to try your hand at something different, have fun, meet interesting people and come away with a new understanding of the productions you see on TV and at the cinema!

A full programme is avaiable on their website at www.film-makers.co-op.co.uk or from the Festival Office on 0161 246 2216. NMPFT Box Office: 0870 7010201.