THE Branchage Film Festival held at the end of last week and at the weekend was billed as exactly what its name suggests – a film festival. In the event, however, it proved to be much, much more than that.

From the choice of venues – which included Mont Orgueil, where cult classic The Wicker Man was shown, the War Tunnels and the old Magistrate’s Court – to the imaginative programme chosen by Philip Ilson, the entire affair was full of originality, flair and inventiveness.

The films, moreover, were complemented by other attractions. The central ‘Spiegeltent’, a meeting place as well as a location for entertainment, was a great success. So was the Opera House performance of the King’s Chamber Orchestra, which accompanied a screening of a film version of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf.

The festival’s creative director, Xanthe Hamilton, can be proud of what she and the rest of the team achieved. So can the sponsors, whose generosity did so much to get the event off the ground.

Fortunately, Islanders were more than happy to enter into the spirit of the festival and there were many sell-out performances. In addition, those who chose to see some of the lower-profile offerings were treated to a category of cinema that ordinarily sees only limited screenings in the Island.

Meanwhile, if Branchage proved that Jersey is an excellent location for film festivals, Devon Films, a production company which would very much like to shoot a new feature here, are singing the Island’s praises as a location. The company’s producer, George Bamby, has said that he cannot understand why there is not a film crew on every corner because of what we have to offer in terms of scenery and atmosphere.

It is probably unrealistic to believe that film production could ever rival the Island’s major sources of wealth as a new branch of the economy.

In spite of this, the diversification that a film sector would produce should be warmly welcomed – as should the publicity that screenings around the world would generate. Mr Bamby and his associates should therefore be offered all possible assistance and encouragement.