Film festival of the week: Portobello Film Festival, various venues, London W10 & W2

The film festival features British shorts, including Wild

A blast of fresh, independent air at the tail end of a summer of blockbusters, west London's open-to-anyone celebration of DIY film returns with a schedule so stuffed, you should just dive in rather than try to actually read the bulging programme before it finishes.

Divided between British shorts and features at the Pop Up Cinema on Acklam Road and international offerings at the nearby Westbourne Studios, the 18-day festival features masterclasses nestled among themed bills ranging from horror to comedy, thrillers, gay films and an evening tagged London Babylon, where Julien Temple's London – the Modern Babylon gets an airing; global stop-off points include Turkey, Canada, Israel, Germany, France and the Caribbean.

Street artist Blek Le Rat is the focus of an accompanying exhibition, family films unspool at the Pop Up, a video-café weekend allows you to choose your own bill, and – here's the clincher – it's all free.

(portobellofilmfestival.com) Thur to 16 Sept