ATTRACTIONS for the Bexley Anime and Manga (BAM) Festival this month have just got more exciting with the addition of a preview of a new anime film not due for public release until later this year.

The preview of Summer Wars will be hosted at the Showcase Cinema in Bluewater on March 1 at 6.30pm.

The screening , which will be the festival’s finale event, will replace plans for original screenings of the films 5cm Per Second and K20: Legend of the Mask, which were previously advertised in the festival programme.

People who already have finale tickets will be able to use them for the new event.

Directed by Mamoru Hosoda who directed The Girl Who Leapt Through Time which is also screening at the festival, Summer Wars is being hailed as a modern anime classic.

Early reviews claim it establishes Hosoda as “truly a master story teller” and describing it as “gorgeous to look at with rich satisfying characters and thrilling set pieces”.

There are still places available for some of the BAM events, which are free and aimed at anyone aged between 11 and 19.

Cinema screenings are open to children and adults accompanying young people, subject to the age rating for each film.

The festival kicked off on Monday and runs throughout this month.

It was the brainchild of the Bexley Manga Network, a group of fans of the Japanese comics and animated films aged between 13 and 19, who meet fortnightly at the Central Library in Bexleyheath.

As well as screenings of anime films at Bexleyheath Cineworld, other festival attractions include manga art workshops, martial arts sessions, costume and prop making workshops, a card games league, Japanese cookery sessions and competitions with top prizes.

The programme of events is available from all the borough’s libraries and on Bexley Council’s website at bexley.gov.uk/libraries and follow the news and future events link.

Details of the festival are also on Facebook at BAM Festival News.

Places at events can be booked at libraries, by calling 020 8303 7777 option four, texting the event title and date with your name and age to 07837 269967 or emailing bam@bexley.gov.uk