THE much-anticipated East End Film Festival returns for an eighth year tonight (Thurs) promising to be bigger and more memorable than ever before. The festival kicks off with a UK premiere, The End, a gangster movie set in London’s East End itself

THE much-anticipated East End Film Festival returns for an eighth year tonight (Thurs) promising to be bigger and more memorable than ever before, writes Dean Valler.

The festival kicks off with a UK premiere, The End, a gangster movie set in London’s East End itself, showing at Mile End’s Genesis cinema, followed by a question-and-answer session.

The week’s programme showcases a mix of the East End’s up-and-coming filmmaking talent and the best new independent films at 11 venues across East London from countries including India, Iran and Turkey.

It runs until next Thursday (April 30) and organisers say this year’s festival launched in 2001 is the biggest so far.

CITY RATS

Director Steve Kelly’s debut film, City Rats, starring Danny Dyer and Tamer Hassan (from The Football Factory) is being premiered at Genesis at 7.30 tomorrow evening (Friday), with a question-and-answer session after.

Hassan is a massive fan’ of the East End and pleased as punch the film is the centrepiece of this year’s festival.

“It’s rare that a major film is premiered outside the West End,” he told the East London Advertiser.

“So it’s fantastic for East London that City Rats takes its opening bow in the Mile End Road.

EAST END IN 3D

“We all love the East End which was a fantastic setting for the film looking into life, death, redemption and disability.”

Highlights of the nightly screenings include The East End In 3D, showing at Spitalfields Market throughout the week where scenes of Columbia Road Flower Market and Canary Wharf are viewed through 3D glasses.

Show times and ticket information are online at the East End Film Festival’s website.