Fans of the Coen brothers queued up for the start of a week-long festival celebrating the directors’ movies.

The third Oxford Film Festival, at the Phoenix Picturehouse, in Walton Street, which is sponsored by the Oxford Mail, proved a big draw as the curtain went up on Saturday’s screening of Blood Simple.

Cinema manager Suzy Sheriff said: “It was wonderful. Everyone was excited, and it’s lovely to screen terrific films, like those made by the Coen Brothers, which have such a huge cult following, on the big screen again.”

Aaron Schneider, 63, from Headington, said: “It’s lovely to watch a great film like this with an audience again, instead of on your own in front of the DVD player.”

Tara Miller, 25, from Abingdon, said: “I just think the Coen brothers are cool. Their movies are really smart. I’ve wanted to see this film, their first, for ages.”

The festival continues tonight with Fargo (certificate 18), The Big Lebowski (18) tomorrow, and The Hudsucker Proxy (PG) on Wednesday, with Oh Brother Where Art Thou? (12) on Thursday. It ends with the Oscar-winning No Country For Old Men (15) on Friday.

Anyone with a copy of that day’s Oxford Mail can get into screenings for half-price.

For more details, call the Phoenix on 08707 583218 or see oxfordmail.co.uk/leisure/filmfestival/ Screenings are at 9pm each night.