More than 150 comedy filmmakers submitted their short films for the inaugural Cofilmic Short Comedy Film Festival, due to take place in Manchester in late October.

Set up by Janet Harrison (pictured) as a way of nurturing new comedy talent, over 150 hopefuls submitted their work in the hope of securing one of a host of top prizes that include one-to-one sessions with leading commissioners, producers, writers and directors.

Janet Harrison, founder of Cofilmic, said: “We’ve been amazed by the number of entries in our first year. It is shaping up to be fantastic event, with a fantastic range of films full of talent and originality. The quality of the films has been incredible and includes work from some well known names.”

Cofilmic is a brand new event designed to give budding TV and film hopefuls a leg up into the industry, providing actors, writers, comedians, producers and directors with the chance to submit a short film to a leading panel of judges along with a programme of panel discussions and workshops from industry experts.

Judges include BAFTA winning producer Charlie Hanson (producer of Extras, Life’s Too Short, Cemetery Junction), Henry Normal (co-founder of Babycow), Don Ward (founder of The Comedy Store) and Steve North (commissioning editor of DAVE).

The event will be held at The Comedy Store in Deansgate, Manchester from 31st October – 1st November 2011, with various panel discussions and networking opportunities, many of which can be free of charge. The Cofilmic Awards will also be held on 1st November to announce the winners and showcase the best films as judged by the panel.