Lights, camera, action! The curtain goes up on this year's St Albans Film Festival at the weekend.

This year's theme is ‘Community’ as the festival reflects on what is important after the last few difficult years.

The outdoor cinema in planned to return in future years but for now there are talks, screenings and workshops in various venues across the city.

Discover the next generation of film-making talent in the annual short film competition, which includes entries from around the world as well as here in Hertfordshire. The official selection will be screened at The Pioneer Club over the festival weekend culminating in an awards ceremony. Q&As with the filmmakers will follow all short film screenings.

Festival partners Wilmott Dixon will be erecting a purpose-built 30metre wall in front of the Abbey Orchard at St Albans Cathedral from Thursday to Saturday for free street art workshops where you can learn to create high quality street art under the instruction of Ant Steel. Booking is essential via the festival website.

The Odyssey Cinema will be showing Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner: Final Cut on the Thursday evening, and the Fleetville Larder are back with their Film Classics screenings including The Full Monty and Grosse Point Blank.

Open House Cinema, a vibrant new cinema group run by young locals passionate about film, are holding a sleepover-themed screening of ‘Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging’ and there are feature films for all ages at the new intimate cinema and private members venue The Hub on Verulam across the weekend.

Filmmaking taster workshops are being run for kids run by Sparks on Saturday morning at The Pioneer Club.

Workshops for adults include a talk from intimacy co-ordinator Samantha Murray about this new important role in the film industry, and there will be a session from art director Danny Rogers who has worked on Marvel, DC and Netflix shows and created the original hover-board in Back to the Future.

Finally St Albans Park Run in Verulamium Park will be running a film festival special with a prize for the best film-themed fancy dress, and Keith Adsley will be running his very popular walking tour of film locations around the city.

Festival founder and director Leoni Kibbey said: “I’m so excited to be bringing back the festival, and in particular the short film competition, which is the creative heart of film festivals.

"There are lots of cool events and screenings this year, and fantastic local venues such as the Pioneer Club, The Odyssey and The Hub getting involved, so I really hope people will support the festival and help us to celebrate all things film again.”

For tickets and info see the festival website: www.stalbansfilmfestival.com