A DAY dedicated to the dynamic and vibrant art of the short film is being staged at Chipping Norton's Theatre, with events lined up for all the family.

"Short film is increasingly being recognise as the most creative and innovative form of film-making," said theatre spokeswoman Rebecca de la Bedoyere. "The First Spark film festival will showcase the work of emerging film-makers, classic children's animators and even early silent films."

Saturday's event will begin with an animation workshop where children aged eight to 12 can learn how to animate clay models and film their work with the help of experts from Banbury's Animation Station.

This will be followed by a screening of animated short films for children, with a special guest appearance by Jan Pienkowski, creator of Meg and Mog, and the man behind the animation of The Snowman and The Wind in the Willows, Roger Mainwood.

The afternoon includes a free screening of films by local film-makers. These include Tim Shepherd's Rooftop Invaders, a documentary about jackdaws filmed in Long Compton for the BBC and Dean Burman's Um-El-Faroud: From Tragedy to Tourism, about the transformation of a Maltese shipwreck.

Day tickets cost £8 (£6 under 16s) and the workshop costs £12 including a DVD of your work. Contact the box office on 01608 642350 to book a place.