THE UK’s largest rural film festival, Borderlines. springs into a second decade with its distinctive brand of the very best of worldwide cinema screened in venues, small and large, over 2,000 square miles and three counties.

Over 17 days this spring, Borderlines will screen around 75 films and events in 40 venues from Ludlow Assembly Rooms to The Courtyard in Hereford as well as village halls and back rooms of pubs.

Naomi Vera-Sanso who has steered the festival from the outset this year steps into the role of festival director. “I’m very excited at the programme for the 11th edition of Borderlines,” she says, “particularly by the calibre and range of guests. We are particularly delighted by the appearance of our two festival patrons, Chris Menges, one of the finest and most distinguished cinematographers in the world, and broadcaster and novelist Francine Stock from Radio 4’s The Film Programme and also by renowned actor Sir Derek Jacobi talking about his career on screen.”

“Once again we’ll be offering our audiences a remarkable diversity of films and events, from a documentary for young people at Wem Town Hall in North Shropshire to walks above Symond’s Yat to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Shadowlands and some lively events on world cinema.”

Borderlines also has a new film programmer for 2013, David Sin, who is head of cinemas at Independent Cinema Office.

David has an enormous range of experience as a film programmer, consultant, distributor and teacher that has taken him to virtually every county in England and many places beyond. He has programmed Birmingham International Film and Television Festival and London's Institute of Contemporary Arts as well as working for the British Film Institute and as a consultant on projects in China and Iran.

He also has experience of rural cinema through his involvement in co-ordinating a consortium of cinemas in Lincolnshire and setting up a community cinema in Saffron Walden.

“It’s an honour to be programming the 2013 Borderlines Film Festival, which has become a well-established highlight in the national festivals calendar and I am looking forward to continuing and extending a great tradition of bringing together the very best of cinema from all over the world for a specific, discerning and appreciative audience.”

Among the new films to be screened this year will be previews of In the House (Dans la Maison), starring Kristin Scott Thomas, A Late Quartet, Post Tenebras Lux, Wadjda, which tells the story of a young girl in Saudi Arabia who challenges her country’s traditions, Village at the Edge of the World and a simulcast of Spirit of ’45, the latest film by Ken Loach. There will also be a Chris Menges retrospective featuring Kes, The Killing Fields (for which he won an Oscar) and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada.

As always, there are plenty of Oscar-nominated movies on offer, including four of the films up for Best Film – Silver Linings Playbook, Life of Pi, Beasts of the Southern Wild and Zero Dark Thirty.

The full programme can be seen at borderlinesfilmfestival.co.uk