Film fans have offered a round of applause after the curtain came down on the first Oxford Mail Film Festival.

Romantics, comedy fans and sci-fi lovers turned out in droves for a chance to watch their preferred pictures in the way they were meant to be seen - on the big screen with a box of popcorn on their laps.

Six films encompassing a range of genres were shown every night at the Phoenix Picturehouse, in Walton Street, Jericho, last week.

Oxford Mail readers voted for the flicks they wanted to see - and surprised many with their choices by opting for classics rather than big budget blockbusters.

Suzy Sheriff, manager of the cinema, said: "I'm absolutely thrilled to bits with the way the festival has gone.

"It's not something we have done before and it has been tremendous fun.

"It has given us the opportunity to put on some great movies that have deserved another airing.

"I think the most popular was Some Like it Hot - but each audience has had a different experience. We're keen to do it again."

The film festival climaxed on Saturday with Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece Pulp Fiction - starring John Travolta, Bruce Willis and Samuel L Jackson.

Friday night was a gentler experience altogether with Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis squeezing into drag for Some Like It Hot.

The film festival kicked off on Monday, with Ridley Scott's sci-fi chiller Alien.

Guns, martinis, quips and a tuxedo were the essential ingredients of the latest James Bond spy adventure Casino Royale on Tuesday On Wednesday Serenity was on the screen - attracting sci-fi fans intrigued by the prospect of cowboys in space. And Thursday was a night for snogging on the back row as romantic hit Before Sunrise was shown.

Before each film, Oxford Mail features editor Jeremy Smith treated audiences to a few titbits on the movie they were about to watch.

Mr Smith said: "The festival has been fabulous. People have really got into the spirit of it.

"We bookended each film with how the movie came to be made - it has been a fun education for some of the audience."