7inch at Green Man 09

Bewhiskered big-top Friday-night fun

Once more the nice people at Green Man are letting us loose on their big-top film-tent for the opening night of the festival, as well as kids matinees throughout the weekend. Plans include....

Spectacular portrait of Aran Island fishing communities on Ireland’s wild west coast shot by a pioneer of sort-of documentaries, Mr Robert Flaherty. Still slightly breathless from their main stage appearance, British Sea Power will be providing a live rescore of the film.

Mr Page and his four children pursue an existence completely at odds with the twentieth century, shooting game, growing vegetables and building steam-engines in their secluded patch of Sussex woodland. A gem of a documentary, preceded by Ben Rivers' beautiful 16mm short Ah, Liberty!. (Snazzy new DVDs of The Moon and the Sledgehammer will be on sale on the night)

Sleepwalking Through the Mekong

Record of a journey across Cambodia, taken by LA-based Khmer rock band Dengue Fever.

Shorts and animation on a lunar theme, including the grandaddy of all sci-fi films – Georges Méliès’ Trip to the Moon.

After twisting many melons at last year’s festival, Birmingham’s psychedelic psynema returns with another dose of latenight treats. Plus the usual scattering of shortform entertainment and a pre-midnight jamboree featuring the ladies from Sugarfoot Stomp.

Then on Saturday and Sunday mornings bleary-eyed parents can expose their offspring (and themselves - no sneaking off back to bed now) to assorted cartoons and oddities including The Red Balloon and Komaneko. Our star turn on Sunday will be pianist Paul Shallcross, accompanying a selection of comedy classics including Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy and Jerry the Troublesome Tyke (Wales' first cartoon hero).

For more info on the rest of the festival go hither; it looks like a really good lineup this year. And apparently it's not going to rain either.