Colin Knox presents Matt Taabu with the best film gong in last year's awards

The Rob Knox Film Festival gets underway in earnest tonight.

The event honours the Harry Potter actor, who was murdered outside a Sidcup club aged 18 in May 2008.

It started with screenings at the New Generation Centre, Birkbeck Road, Sidcup and has been held in honour of Rob since 2009 after festival director Michael Wearing asked if he could change it from the Bexley Film Festival.

Rob’s dad Colin said: “When we were initially approached by Michael we thought it would be a fitting tribute that his name could be put towards something good.

“It’s getting bigger and more international every year and I’ll be presenting awards at the ceremony again this year.”

Over the course of the nine day festival there will 44 films shown by amateur filmmakers. The headline on the awards night at Cineworld in Bexleyheath on Wednesday (June 6) is Popping the Question. It is a romantic comedy from Gareth Fient about a man who wants to propose to his girlfriend but not everything goes to plan.

There was a master class at Townley Grammar School in Bexleyheath last night (May 30), with another one taking place tonight (May 31) at the same venue. There are further classes at the Sidcup Pop-Up Cinema on Main Road on June 1 and at Robert Hall’s Christ Church on Bexleyheath Broadway.

Mr Wearing said: “We’re expecting a great festival as always and it’s very excited.

“It has run a bit more smoothly than normally so we’re wondering what we’ve forgotten but I think it should be at capacity for most screenings and master classes. The interest makes it worthwhile.”

A judging panel has been chosen, including former Welling schoolboy turned Hollywood writer and producer Ben Trebilcook, who has credits including Mission Impossible 3 and Die Hard 4.

The festival is run by volunteers and is supported by Cineworld, Nando’s, Marriott Hotel and Diviniti Publishing.

To grab the last of the tickets for the remaining events email robknoxff@btinternet.com or visit the Facebook page.