MAJOR showbiz stars were in Greenwich this week to help celebrate its film festival.

David Baddiel, Jonathan Ross and Angus Deayton attended the closing gala screening of the second Greenwich Film Festival last Sunday.

The festival took place over the two weekends between October 11 and 21 and showed more than 50 short and feature films by established and new directors.

Mr Baddiel starred in the Greenwich-shot film, The Announcement. The film, about a group of friends exploring their relationships, was shot in 10 days on digital cameras.

The festival, organised by Greenwich Film, received £36,000 of local authority funding and included screenings of short films produced by a group of excluded young people from Thamesmead and another by a group of sixth formers from Plumstead Manor School.

Mr Tom Tyrhwitt, head of Greenwich Films, said: "There was cash funding, then at least another 100 per cent if not 200 or 300 per cent of funding came from sponsors and people who gave film or lent us equipment."

He said the festival had gone extremely well and the company will continue to offer opportunities for young filmmakers through their Coming Soon screening club, which meets every other month.

October 24, 2001 9:35