A FESTIVAL dedicated to sound and music in the movies is taking off – and the public can make it even bigger and better through a crowdfunding campaign.

The composer of the score to the huge current hit Wonder Woman and the Oscar-winning sound editor of Slumdog Millionaire are among those backing Short Sounds, which runs from October 12-15.

As well as sound man Glenn Freemantle and composer Rupert Gregson-Williams, the organisers have recently signed up award winner Natalie Holt, who composed the music to the BBC series The Honourable Woman.

And they are in talks with one of the biggest names in Hollywood sound, Walter Murch – known for The Godfather, Apocalypse Now and American Graffiti.

A campaign on the crowdfunding website Phundee aims to raise £16,200. Backers have already snapped up the advance tickets for a screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1929 classic Blackmail, with a score performed live by Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s contemporary music ensemble Kokoro.

The festival is run by White Lantern Film, which made the successful independent horror movie K-Shop.

Festival director Dan Pringle said: “The aim of the crowd funding campaign was to develop what we’ve already got and broaden the festival into something even more substantial – more masterclasses with film gurus and spreading out to a couple more venues including the Odeon.

“There hasn’t been a public facing film festival where the films selected for public screening have been chosen because they do interesting things with sound and music.”

He hopes to raise funds to hire the iSense screen at the new Bournemouth Odeon, which has the Dolby Atmos sound system with 57 speakers.

He said the plans were going down well in the industry. “We’ve had all sorts of people getting in contact asking how they can support the festival. It’s something that hasn’t been done in town before,” he added.

“The festival is unique in that it’s specifically set up to celebrate and appreciate musicians and sound designers and there just isn’t anything like it that exists out there.”

The festival will include screenings of short films from around the world, as well as masterclasses and interactive sound experiences at Pavilion Dance South West.

Films in competition will be judged by a jury chaired by Glenn Freemantle and including Rupert Gregson-Williams and Natalie Holt.

Among early sponsors of the event is the Bournemouth co-working space KIN.

The Phundee fundraising campaign is at phundee.com/reward/campaign/short-sounds-film-festival