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What have Gorey Castle, Jersey War Tunnels, the old magistrate’s court, and the arts centre, Jersey Museum, The Opera House and the Forum cinema got in common?

They’re all playing host to films, events and shows at the first Branchage Jersey International Film Festival at the end of September.

The festival is on from 25 until 28 September and will feature a “hand-picked selection of award-winning films that would otherwise not be seen on our shores”.

Heavy Metal in Baghdad

Some of the films will also include Q&A sessions with the film makers and live soundtrack events as well.

The festival will also be the first major event to make use of the new Weighbridge Park where the Spiegeltent will be installed.

This 19th Century structure will act as festival box office, meeting point, and café. It’s constructed from wood and canvas and embellished with mirrors and stained glass, this “Magic Mirror Tent” will also sparkle as a party hotspot in the evenings.

‘Man on Wire’

The first film to play out at the festival will be the Sundance award winning ‘Man on Wire’ at the Jersey Opera House.

A stunning portrayal of bravery and showmanship, this vertigo-inducing documentary by British filmmaker James Marsh follows Philippe Petit’s daring tightrope walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre in 1974.

The Man Who Eats Badgers

Other films include Shane Meadow’s warm-hearted coming of age film, Somers Town. Shot primarily in black and white, it focuses on the unlikely friendship between a Polish immigrant whose father works on Eurostar’s London St Pancras building site.

You will also be able to see teen actress Ellen Page in Mouth to Mouth, a semi-autobiographical road trip across Europe that explores cults and complex moth/daughter relationships.

There is also the chance to see the hilarious sexual odyssey A Complete history of my Sexual Failures that follows filmmaker and self-styled slacker Chris Waitt, attempting to interview his ex-girlfriends to find out why they dumped him.

Chris is one of the film makers that will be attending the film festival and will be available for a Q&A session after the film.

Faintheart

Music and more

These are just a selection of the 20+ films playing around the island over the course of the four day festival.

Others include Joy Division, a window into the life of Ian Curtis and his Manchester cohorts, with director Grant Gee available for a Q&A session after the film.

Strange place for a film

As well as a selection of exception films and events – the festival organisers will be showing movies in unusual and relevant locations.

One example of this will be the screening of Robin Hardy’s classic 1973 horror The Wicker Man at eerie Gorey Castle, with a live soundtrack by nu-folksters The Memory Band.

The Jersey War Tunnels will host the screening of a film created especially for Branchage by award-wining filmmaker Sarah Woods using Jersey Archive footage, accompanied by live music from classical electronica composer Zan Lyons.

Another live soundtrack event, and a real festival highlight will be a screening at the Jersey Opera House of Suzie Templeton’s 2008 Oscar-winning animation Peter and the Wolf, with Prokofiev’s evocative score played by the Kings Chamber Orchestra.

A Complete History of my Sexual Failures

French, Portuguese and Polish

Branchage will also be screening a number of international hits to reflect the islands French, Portuguese and Polish speaking communities.

Set during WWII, the emotional and action-packed Les Femmes de L’Ombre (Female Agents) follows a group of French servicewomen and resistance fighters on a mission to rescue a British army geologist.

Winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, José Padilha's explosive Tropa de Elite (Elite Squad) is the semi-fictional account of maverick cops and the brutal way they police the lawless favellas of Brazil.

One of Poland’s biggest box-office hits of 2008, Tomasz Konecki’s Lejdis (Ladies) is the oestrogen fueled, Sex and the City-style follow-up to his smash-hit comedy Testosteron.

Classic British Film

There will also be a chance for islanders to get in on the act and vote for their favourite classic film.

There will be a selection of classic films going head-to-gear and the audiences will get to vote for the ones they want to see.

Mouth to Mouth

They will include Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps or The Lady Vanishes. From David Lean either A Matter of Life and Death or The Red Shoes and from Powell and Pressburger either Brief Encounter or Great Expectations.

The film with the most votes overall will be declared Jersey’s favourite classic British film!

Vikings and My Space

The festival closes with a screening at Gorey Castle of the world’s first MySpace user-generated movie, Faintheart.

This British rom-com stars Mike Leigh regular Eddie Marsen as a lovable nerd involved with the Viking battle re-enactment scene, and Spaced and The Royle Family’s Jessica Hynes as his put-upon wife.

Vikings will be on-hand to welcome everyone to the castle, and director Vito Rocco and writer David Lemon will host a Q&A session afterwards.

Joy Division

Find out more

Festival creative director, Xanthe Hamilton, said of the line-up: “though only in its first year, the festival has managed to secure some fantastic films and great venues, the combination stands the festival in great stead to deliver something unique and undoubtedly audience pleasing.”

The full programme is available online at www.branchagefestival.com

Tickets to opening night are £5, all other film screenings £6/£4.50 concessions although some special events are individually priced.

Tickets can be bought online from www.wegottickets.com/f/372, in person, or from the Jersey Opera House box office on 01534 511115.