CHILDREN and their parents had a splashing time watching a Disney film in an unusual setting.

A community event to launch the fourth annual Leigh Short Film Festival saw swimmers watch Moana while having fun in the pool at The Pelican Centre in Tyldesley on Saturday night.

Paul Costello, chairman of Leigh Film Society CIC and the Leigh Short Film Festival, said: "It was a great night with families coming together to watch a film and have fun.

“We saw so many happy faces at an event bringing film and sport together.”

The event made a big splash on social media.

Kelly Appleton posted: “We had a fabulous time, thank you.”

Sarah Hinchliffe wrote: “It was a brilliant evening. The kids had a great time.”

Lisa Shotton said: “Thank you Pelican Centre. We had a great evening out.”

The Pelican Centre building has a history of screening films – it was the Majestic Cinema before it closed in 1963.

The build-up to Saturday’s Leigh Short Film Festival continues with a free screening of classic 12-rated flick This Sporting Life in the Legends Bar at Leigh Sports Village from 7.30pm tomorrow.

To obtain free tickets visit ticketsource.co.uk/event/EJMHEE.

ALRA North in Wigan will showcase its own homegrown filmmaking talent with an event on Friday in which a short film will be selected to enter the main festival the following night.

Tickets are £5 for the ALRA North event at The Mill at The Pier and are available from ticketsource.co.uk/event/EKEEHD.

Saturday’s Leigh Short Film Festival at the Turnpike Gallery will showcase short and amateur filmmakers from across the UK from 7.30pm, with doors opening from 6pm.

Film and TV star Christopher Eccleston will open the main event for the first time as patron of the festival.

There will be a bar and refreshments available throughout the evening and there is free parking at the Civic Square venue.

Tickets for the festival are £5 and available from ticketsource.co.uk/event/EIIFGE.

The festival will be rounded off with a screening of 18-rated French Canadian film Jesus of Montreal at St Mary the Virgin Church in Leigh from 7.30pm next Friday, October 13.

For tickets priced £5 visit ticketsource.co.uk/event/EJMHDH.