Ilkley Film Festival has secured a £5,000 grant from Film Hub North, part of the BFI Film Audience Network, enabling it to host a new series of monthly events, from September to December, culminating in a two-day Ilkley Christmas Film Festival.

The events, which will include live music, panel discussions and special guests, mark a significant step forward in the festival’s ambition to secure a permanent, monthly high-quality cinema event in Ilkley.

Festival director Martin Pilkington said: “The Film Hub North’s support is such a fantastic endorsement of our work. Ilkley hasn’t had a cinema in years but given the brilliant response from the public to our first festival, there is clearly a demand for a broad range of programming.

“The funding will allow us to bring more film to more people which is brilliant for the people of Ilkley and beyond.

“We set out with the intention of building on the two day festival but we just didn’t think we would be able to do that so soon.”

Booth’s supermarket, which was the first corporate sponsor of last year’s festival, also has confirmed its continued support for the festival in 2015 which takes place from February 18 to 22.