Michael Parkinson backs Cheltenham Film Festival

The inaugural Cheltenham Film Festival has its first celebrity guest.

Talk show host Sir Michael Parkinson says he cannot wait for the new festival to make its debut in October next year.

The renowned broadcaster, who has been a regular visitor to the town's jazz and literature festivals, said he developed a love of film in his childhood.

He said: "As a long-term fan of the Cheltenham festivals, it's wonderful to hear that a new film festival will be added to the line-up in 2010.

"I look forward to seeing it take shape. Cinema has been responsible for much in my life.

"It had me riding around Yorkshire pit villages collecting stories as Humphrey Bogart, and that's when I wasn't surveying the frontiers with my John Wayne swagger.

"In the back row, I fell in love for the very first time. Ingrid Bergman was the lucky girl in question, and we'd probably live up near Barnsley FC.

"Well, that didn't happen, but I've never ended my love affair with the silver screen and that irreplaceable Hollywood glamour."

Sir Michael is the first well-known personality to sign up for the new festival, which is the brainchild of two film fans with local connections.

Former Churchdown School pupil Martin Pilkington and University of Gloucestershire graduate Adam Clarke announced the venture earlier this year after deciding there was a gap in the market.

Martin, 25, said: "When I was growing up, I realised there were a lot of festivals in the Cheltenham areas and I couldn't work out why there wasn't a film festival.

"We envisage the festival being a national event to bring in big audiences, which will help reinforce the local financial and creative economies."

The duo hope the three-day event will draw in crowds from outside the county as well as local enthusiasts.

The festival will showcase a mix of world cinema, independent productions, classic cinema and student films in the evenings of October 1, 2 and 3.

Negotiations are ongoing for five screens in different locations in Cheltenham, including the Town Hall and the Ladies' College.

Open-air cinema may also be on the table, with discussions underway for an outdoor screen to be set up in Montpellier Gardens.

Martin said the support of Sir Michael was invaluable in adding credibility to the event.

He said: "We're planning a fantastic programme that will create some memorable cinematic experiences for all ages, from family favourites on a free outdoor screen to some of the best of world cinema, plus British classics. And with a strong focus on young talent, we may even discover some of Cheltenham's budding film makers.

"Having the support of fellow film fanatics like Sir Michael Parkinson is a great boost, and we'll certainly be reserving a seat for him when the festival opens."