FOUR local films are among the short films selected to screen at the 11th Bermuda International Film Festival, which kicks off next week.

The films are Walking With Joseph (director Charles Reilly), Old School/New School (Look Bermuda), Sleeping With Whales (Andrew Stevenson, pictured left) and Crabbo (Sami Lill).

"Added to Adrian Kawaley-Lathan's documentary about the Gombeys, and the animated piece by students from Mount Saint Agnes Academy, that makes six local films in the festival," said programming director, David O'Beirne. "By any standards, that is prolific when you consider the population of Bermuda. We are delighted to have so many local films in the line-up."

The short films screening in competition are eligible for the M3 Wireless Bermuda Shorts Award, which carries a $3,000 cash prize.

The vast majority of short films will screen before a feature, but six will screen as part of BIFF's Short Series, 95 Minutes of Shorts. Those six are: The Parabolic Dish, Stuff, A Day in the Life, Bloom, Taxi Driver, and Kirksdale.

Tickets to BIFF 2008 are now on sale both online at www.biff.bm as well as at the festival's box office on Washington Lane, Hamilton.

The mission of the Bermuda International Film Festival is to advance the love of independent film from around the world, and create a community welcoming to filmmakers and filmgoers.