A community cinema group has celebrated their tenth anniversary with a red carpet event and an Italian themed screening of an Oscar winning film.

Fakenham & Wells Times: David and Joolz Saunders, initiators of Screen-next-the-Sea. Picture by Linda GowerDavid and Joolz Saunders, initiators of Screen-next-the-Sea. Picture by Linda Gower (Image: Archant)

Screen-next-the-Sea has become well-known in the seaside town of Wells and since 2008 it has been introducing the community to a broad mix of movies, including foreign language, documentary and classic films.

To mark the anniversary the group’s founders David and Joolz Saunders, along with the 13-strong committee, and six helpers were invited on to the red carpet at Alderman Peel High School on Monday 7, where they were thanked by Mary Baker, the current chair.

This was followed by an Italian-themed screening of Call Me By Your Name, an award winning coming-of-age movie set in rural Italy.

Guests were also treated to a series of comedic short films which included an animation by Screen-next-the-Sea helper John Christmas and a showing of Screen-next-the-Sea Blows Its Own Trumpet by committee member Gresh Blayer.

Fakenham & Wells Times: David and Joolz Saunders, initiators of Screen-next-the-Sea. Picture by Linda GowerDavid and Joolz Saunders, initiators of Screen-next-the-Sea. Picture by Linda Gower (Image: Archant)

Mr Blayer’s film looked back at the group’s numerous screenings over the past decade, which began with When Did You Last See Your Father in 2008.

Ms Baker thanked everyone for coming and reminded them that Screen-next-the-Sea will now be moving to the new £5m Wells Maltings building on Staithe Street in the heart of Wells this summer.

Once they have made their move there will be two screenings each month at 7pm on the second and fourth Mondays. The first of which will be the film I Am Not Your Negro on June 25.

Over the past ten years the group has shown more than 1,000 hours of screen-time as well as five film festivals. These showings have included a five-hour screening of the revolutionary silent epic Napoleon, which was introduced by Oscar-winning film historian Kevin Brownlow, who restored the film.

In more recent years, they have expanded to show live-by-satellite transmissions of opera, ballet and theatre.

Film-goers can visit the Wells Maltings website for more information and to sign up to Wells Maltings’ mailing list for details of Screen-next-the-Sea screenings as well as other activities within the new venue.