IT'S THE city's annual celebration of all things film.

Southampton Film Week returns for its ninth outing tomorrow, with a great mix of films, workshops, events and competitions for filmmakers and film lovers.

Launching with a special premiere attended by the filmmakers and special guests, further nine film-focused days follow before the now traditional screening and awards finale.

The event, curated by City Eye, opens tomorrow with the English premiere of stunning documentary Songs For Madagascar at Turner Sims, followed by a Q&A session with Director Cesar Paes, Producer Marie-Clemence Paes and Professor Ulrike Meinhof from the University of Southampton.

This special film screening offers an intimate journey across the island of Madagascar and parts of Europe. Directed by the award-winning Cesar Paes, and working in close collaboration with the artists and with researchers at the University of Southampton, Songs For Madagascar is a documentary that closely follows the creative work of a group of musicians and shows their encounters with local communities. Through their music they engage with the protection of the endangered regions of Madagascar and raise awareness worldwide about their country.

The vintage mobile cinema makes an appearance in Guildhall Square on November 11 and 12 with short films, archives and animations. Come and discover short films from artists and filmmakers celebrating all that is wonderful about film – old and new! One of seven units custom build for the government in the late 1960s to promote British industry, this is the only surviving example still on the road.

To celebrate 30 years of City Eyes, organisers look back on November 12 and enjoy inspiring films from 1986 as well as inviting anyone involved in the organisation over the years to share their memories.

Flash back to the mid 80s with Disney's greatest mystery classic Basil The Great Mouse Detective.

Film lovers attending Night at The Movies are currently voting for their favourites among 80s classics including Aliens, Sid and Nancy, Big Trouble in Little China, Stand by Me, Pretty in Pink and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

Martial Arts meets sumptuous visual photography and a tale of great emotional realism as a female assassin accepts a dangerous mission to kill a 7th Century Chinese political leader in The Assassin, winner of Cannes best director prize last year.

Join One World Media and Southampton Film Week for the premiere of four untold stories from Ecuador, Malawi, Ethiopia and South Africa. These four eye-opening shorts will introduce you to transgender love and politics, African fans of cannabis, how brave journalists set up a news channel in exile and how forensic nurses are bringing sexual predators to justice. Each of these stories is produced and directed by young talent who successfully applied for a grant from the One World Media production fund. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers.

In partnership with Southampton Solent University’s Sonar Film Society, this old school actioner Jack Reacher: Never Go Back sees Tom Cruise’s titular figure find his loner status questioned as he learns he may have a child.

Southampton Film Week draws to a close on Sunday November 13 with a host of screenings and awards. Join City Eye Film scholars age seven to 16 for their red carpet moment! Exposure Filmmakers 48 Hour Film Challenge will draw to a close as well as the screening of 16 shortlisted short films from around the globe - and the judges and audience vote for the top prizes.

Other highlights include the Youth Film Festival, which runs throughout the week alongside the main event, a host of workshops, an interactive art and film event at Mottisfont near Romsey and the BAFTA Shorts Tour, which gives audiences the opportunity to watch all the BAFTA-winning and nominated short films for 2016 on the big screen.

For tickets and more details, visit southamptonfilmweek.com