If you're always stuck for something to do on Monday nights then dump the microwave mush and take in some class at Houstons bar.

The venue, on Yeoman Street in Leicester, plays host to some of the best new films created by users of local art house Line Out.

Film makers Mark Rayner, Alastair Ball, Keith Allott and Adam Etherington will all be showing their films which range is subject and style.

Why go and see some amateur films?
First of all, why not? All the films have been locally produced and Hollywood gets a little boring after the fifth sequel!

Houstons offers an attractive venue for the screening which allows you to sip on a well-earned tipple whilst taking in a flick.

Who are LineOut?
LineOut was established in 1981 as a film and video association to develop independent film - making internationally acclaimed film festivals.

Line Out has been helped out by a National Lottery award and sponsorship which enabled it to make its equipment to broadcast standard.

In January 2004, we employed three new staff and began to restructure LineOut's business to target our services equally at the commercial and the independent film-making sector.

The film makers:

Mark Rayner - Having spent five years writing and directing in the theatre, I am currently looking to break into film and television. So far I've made six animated films for various organisations and one live action film. My short film Fingertips is about the five minutes before a boxer's big fight.

It mixes the violent world of boxing with the boxers emotional conflicts. I hope this film will be the start of many more; I have begun pre-production for a National Lottery funded short and I will be involved in the BBC production of my script Gury Noo Bhujs (the sons of the Holy Cow) for their Bollywood shorts season.

The screening gives local film makers a voice.

Adam Etherington - at 18-years-old I was the youngest member of the 'Max Q 8' Film making course, and co-writer/director of the Max Q Film 'Strawberry Fields'.

My primary involvement within the independent film scene up until enrolling in Max Q has been through working as a writer, developing my own ideas and assisting independent directors with the development of theirs.

The key reason I joined Max Q was because I saw it as an ideal opportunity to develop a more advanced understanding of the technical aspects of film making under the guidance of seasoned professionals. The course brought together people of all ages, backgrounds and experience and gave them the tools to work together to produce something they could all be proud of.

Max Q provided me with the practical experience to be able to go on and develop new ideas safe in the knowledge I wont have to rely upon the services of a third party director in order to put those ideas onto the screen.

My future plans are that eventually I'm hoping to pursue a full time career within the film industry. With my writing already opening doors for me I'm hoping to complete university before attending film school and eventually moving into the commercial sector.

Keith Allott - Film analysis and film making has always been my passion. I studied film for four years at Wolverhampton University. When I returned to Leicester I struggled to find a film community until I discovered LineOut. Since then I have worked on a multitude of productions and won an award at the Leicester Short Film Festival in 2003 for this film.

Vacant Possession was made during the Max Q course run by LineOut. It was a group project which I directed and concerns a woman buying a property which holds a terrible secret. It gave a lot of people their first taste in film making and I'm pleased to say that we have all continued on the path to Hollywood.

Alastair Ball - Film is what to do with my life. I've just finished writing and directing my first short movie; I chose to do this movie because I needed first hand experience of film making and I want to gain the skills required to run larger projects.

Following this I plan to make longer and more complex short movies before working my way up to feature films. I'm interested in exploring different avenues of film making such as documentary and animation as well as standard narrative fiction.

My film is entitled Winning is Winning and beyond being a skills test, the films tells the story of the many sides of a card game and the background of the players.

As well as showing who the characters are, we reveal the hidden depth of their motivations. The movie builds to a tense climax as we keep the audience guessing as to what the outcome will be right up until the end.

Event: Max Q film screening Venue: Houstons on Yeoman Street Date: Monday 10 May 2004 Price: £1 for members, £2 other