Festival showing for Gromit film

Curse of the Were-Rabbit is released in the UK on 14 October

Wallace and Gromit film, Curse of the Were-Rabbit, will be among the highlights of this year's Dinard Film Festival in France.

The film, featuring the voice of Peter Sallis, will be screened at the 16th annual festival's Saturday gala night.

Six films will screen in competition for the Hitchcock d'Or Award at the festival of British films.

Among the UK contingent on the jury for the prize are actor Timothy Spall and Full Monty writer Simon Beaufoy.

Public award

Actors John Lynch and Samantha Morton will also be on the jury, which is led by French director Regis Wargnier.

Actor and director Charles Dance will preside over the opening and closing ceremonies of the festival as "Presidente d'Honneur".

Brian Cook's Colour Me Kubrick, Jan Dunn's Gypo, Peter Cattaneo's Opal Dream, Stephen Woolley's Stoned, Annie Griffin's Festival, and Brad McGann's In My Father's Den will all compete for the Hitchcock d'Or Award.

The winning title will receive 3,000 euros (£2,052) towards distribution costs and a 1,600 euros (£1,094) grant for the director.

Cult TV series The Avengers will be celebrated at the festival

The Hitchcock d'Argent award will go to the film selected by the public.

A section celebrating cult TV series The Avengers will include a round table discussion with writer Brian Clemens, a memorabilia exhibition and a series of screenings.

The weekend will also celebrate the work of British directors Nicholas Roeg and Neil Jordan.

Screenings of Roeg's films will include Performance (1970), Don't Look Now (1973) and Bad Timing (1979).

Jordan's work will be celebrated with showings of Mona Lisa (1986), The Crying Game (1992) and Michael Collins (1996).

The festival opens on Thursday evening with a screening of Yes, directed by Sally Potter, and starring Joan Allen, Simon Abkarian and Jurassic Park star Sam Neill.