Olivia Colman and Sam Mendes have been on the red carpet at a small Kent cinema for a special screening of a film tipped for Oscar success.

Crowds gathered outside The Carlton in Westgate-on-Sea earlier today hoping to see some of the stars of Empire of Light, which was filmed in and around Margate last year.

Special guests - including locals who appeared as extras or were part of the crew - are attending the showing, alongside the Oscar-winning actress and director.

The Carlton shared a picture of the red carpet on its Facebook this morning, adding: “Not long now!”

More than 200 people gathered outside behind barriers set up for the event.

The screening will be followed by a reception and a tour of part of the filming location at Dreamland, which features heavily in the movie.

Other sites used by production crews included Margate’s Old Town, Darcy’s Cafe, and even the former Manston Airport site.

Speaking to the audience ahead of the screening, director Sam Mendes said: "We've had the Toronto premier, we've had the London Film Festival premier of this movie and we've had the LA premier in the heart of Hollywood, but this is the most important premier - which is the Margate south coast gala premier. And, how many movies can honestly say that.

"We had a fantastic time here. We really did. If you can remember it was still the tail end of Covid and so the fact that you form a bubble, a community for any movie, is natural but we found an even tighter and more close knit one here - and it was a very very memorable time.

"The beauty of this place - I know you probably see it every day so you don't see it quite so clearly as we do - even in the dead of winter was something that sustained us every day and I hope we've managed to find a way to show in this movie."

It is estimated the local economy benefited to the tune of some £4 million throughout the three-month production, which saw 1,300 people appear as extras.

Set in the early 1980s, it stars Colman as the manager of a cinema in a once flourishing seaside town, and has been described as a “powerful and poignant story about human connection and the magic of cinema”.

Sam Mendes added: "A massive massive thank you to everyone at Dreamland.

"You have in your midst an amazing and extraordinary building and place there which has its own magic and it was wonderful to be able to be there. And I hope it's always there and I hope it goes from strength to strength."

The film - which was also shown at the Palace Cinema in Broadstairs on January 2 - goes on general release in the UK tomorrow (January 9).