THE winners of the annual Walthamstow International Film Festival have been chosen.

Judges including local filmmaker Barry Bliss, the British Film Institute’s (BFI) director of youth education Noel Goodwin and film critic David Jenkins picked what they thought were the three best short films from 77 entries.

First prize of the festival, which is part of the E17 Art Trail, went to ‘Gas’, a film described as “an unusual way to start a Saturday morning”, by Kieron Clark.

Second prize was claimed by ‘High in the Sky’, an animation by Kim Noce and Shaun Clark about a boy throwing a tantrum in a supermarket, which the Tate Modern’s film producer Kate Vogel praised for its beautiful illustration and joyful tale.

A pupil from Kelmscott School in Markhouse Road, Walthamstow, was awarded third prize for his ‘Action Movie’ set in Waltham Forest.

Mr Goodwin praised Otis Tree’s film and said: “Otis has a great future ahead of him if he continues and I hope that this prize will give him an incentive to keep going.”

All 77 films will be shown on September 8 and September 15 at the Vestry House Museum in Vestry Road between 1pm and 5pm.

They will also shown at Lotolie Family Hairdressers in Orford Road on September 9 and September 16 at the same times.