Now entering its 7th year, the seven-day cinematic extravaganza will use of a range of venues across the town to showcase a series of very different films.

Based around the theme of Journeys, the organisers at The Electric Palace Cinema are confident this year's festival will be the best yet.
Among the highlights will be a dramatic 3-D installation in the High Street and a big screen on Hastings Beach.

There will also be feature films shown at a host of venues, a two day film conference, club nights and a range of short films showing throughout the town.

Shot by the Sea is also hosting and open-air event in the grounds of Hastings Museum and Art Gallery where live band Minima will perform an interpretation of the cult film The Cabinet of Dr Caligari.

For all the budding film makers out there, there is also the Five Day Film Challenge where they can create a their own film - with the winning entry screened at the open-air Big Beach Screening.

This event, held on August 1, will close the festival and will feature one of the world's most flamboyant road movies - The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert - with the audience encouraged to turn up in costume.

An organiser said: "Shot by the Sea will be the most exciting festival of the summer and we do hope you will come and join us."

For more information, including a full line-up of events and how to enter the film challenge, visit: www.shotbythesea.com or ring 01424 720393.

Fancy catching a flick? Take your pic from this list:

Friday 25 July:

Toaster Productions and Neon Films. Blue Reef Aquarium, 8 pm.
Festival Launch: Electric Palace and Stone Squid Experiemental Art Space, 8pm.
Late night opening party. Brass Monkey Club, 10pm.

Saturday July 26:

Five Day Film Challenge Launch. The Arts Forum, 11am.
This is Real- Dream On! Tour. Stone Squid Experimental Art Space, 1pm.
Projection Space Exhibition - Journeys. Claremont Exhibition Space, 2pm.
One Giant Leap - What About Me? Electric Palace Cinema, 8pm.

Sunday July 27:

Flight of the Red Balloon. Odeon Cinema, 9am.
Voyage to Italy. Electric Palace, 2pm.
Shoot The Poets. Electric Palace, 8pm.

Monday July 28:

Film Conference Day One. The Arts Forum, 10am.
Persepolis. Electric Palace, 8pm.

Tuesday July 29:

Film Conference Day Two. The Arts Forum, 10am.
Persepolis. Electric Palace, 8pm.

Wednesday July 30:

Lars and the Real Girl. Electric Palace, 3pm.
Projection Space Live. Electric Palace, 7pm.

Thursday July 31:

K - The Short Film. Electric Palace, 3pm.
Five Day Film Challenge - Hand In. The Arts Forum, 5pm.
Lars and the Real Girl. Electric Palace, 8pm.
The Cabinet of Dr Caligari. Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, 9pm.

Friday August 1:

Five Day Film Challenge Screenings. Electric Palace, 7pm.
The Adventures of Pricilla Queen of the Desert. Hastings Beach - next to RNLI HQ, 9pm.
Late Night Closing Party. Brass Monkey, 10pm.