THE RATMA international film festival moved into Keighley’s shopping centre for its main screening day for the first time.

Shoppers were able to drop into the former Body Shop unit at any time on Saturday (October 14) to watch mini movies shortlisted for the competition in the competition.

They were able to see the contenders for awards due to be announced that evening during a gala event at the Picture House.

Organisers, filmmakers and guests, including many members of Keighley Film Club, sat down at the North Street cinema to watch the winner in each category.

Film club members been heavily involved in judging as well as whittling down the original 300 entries to an 80-film ‘long list’ and the 30 that were eventually screened to the public.

RATMA - the River Aire Ten-Minute international film festival – was originally the brainchild of Keighley College tutor Marcus Gregg as part of an enterprise project for his motor maintenance students.

Several years on, and the festival is now run by Marcus, Gareth Jones from local film company Clockwork Eye, and Marcus’s former college student Rohman Ali.

Mr Gregg said: “This year we had entries from Israel, Iran, Germany, France, Spain, the USA and South America. We were blessed with some fantastic films this year.

“We had a few entries from Yorkshire, including one from a chap from Halifax who came to watch the gala screening.”

Mr Gregg said RATMA opened the pop-up cinema in the Airedale Shopping Centre instead of the college to increase footfall and improve the films’ availability to the public.

He added: “The screenings went very well. Some people watched the films through the windows of the Body Shop, and inside it was standing room only at some points.

“Some of the films weren’t suitable for kids, so we had to warn people so they could usher their children out.”

Mr Gregg was pleased that a man who went to the Picture House in the evening to see a feature fil,, but discovered it finished after his last train from Keighley, instead had an enjoyable evening watching the RATMA winners.

Keighley Film Club members were joined on the judging panel by Leicester University students studying media, and a film both in the Cayman Islands.

Films were entered in categories including music, thriller, sci-fi, animation, art, comedy, drama, documentary.

In past years RATMA has organised advance screenings in its pop-up cinema in the Airedale Shopping Centre.