THE last independent Cinema in Clitheroe will say g'day to Australian film fans when it hosts its first film festival - just before it closes down.

The Grand Cinema is planning the event this weekend, complete with "Aussie" beer and a didgeridoo player!

The event, organised by the Ribble Film Club, has received a £500 grant from Lancashire County Council and will feature Australian cinematic classics such as Walkabout, Lantana, Where Green Ants Dream and Rabbit Proof Fence.

Ribble Film Club chairman Bruce Dowles said: "The idea of organising a film festival was instigated over a year ago and following a lot of determination and hard work we have managed to put together a programme of superb Australian films.

"As far as I know, the only other Australian film festival in the country is at the Barbican in London and this will be a great event n the run-up to the cinema closing down for a massive refurbishment."

Plans to transform the cinema into a youth arts centre using cash from Ultraframe boss John Lancaster were given the thumbs-up last year.

The scheme, which has the backing of Sir Cliff Richard, will see the Grand, formerly the Civic Hall Cinema, turned into an arts centre for youngsters, featuring a cyber cafe, dance studio, recording suite and rehearsal rooms.

The scheme has received £3.5million from the Lancaster Foundation, a Christian charity started by John Lancaster.

The Civic Hall Cinema was acquired by Clitheroe man Ignatius Cullen in 1920 and run by his daughters, Barbara and Marie, for nearly 50 years.

It was famous for its mock-Gothic interior and red velvet "kissing seat", although the Cullen sisters were proud of the fact that in the 50 years they ran it they never showed an X-rated film.

Mr Lancaster acquired the redundant cinema three years ago and originally wanted to demolish it, replacing it with a new state-of-the-art structure, but was forced into a rethink after a campaign to save the building resulted in its Grade II listing.

Work on the new development is scheduled to start in the summer, with a completion date expected at the end of 2004.

Bruce, 54, of Whalley Road, Clitheroe, said he was an Australia enthusiast and has visited the country several times.

Last year he sponsored Clitheroe FC's first match of the season on behalf of the Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islanders Commission, an aboriginal welfare organisation.