The Cornwall Film Festival and Cornwall Catering 2000 are celebrating their successful collaboration after receiving a national award from Arts and Business South West.

The financial award is given in recognition of the best business partnerships with the arts across the UK.

CC2000 will provide the special events catering for guests, audience and sponsors from both within and outside Cornwall at this year's Film Festival taking place from November 18 to 20 in Falmouth and Penryn. The Arts and Business award will be used to finance the appearance of up to three key figures from the Cornwall Catering 2000 Premiere who will walk up the red carpet and answer questions from the audience in a Q&A session after the screening on Saturday November 19.

The premiere feature film is rumoured to be based on a book by a famous Cornwall resident.

"It's brilliant to see local businesses supporting a Cornish festival which makes a key contribution to the county's place on the national cultural scene and we're very pleased to support it," said Mark Wallace from Arts and Business South West.

CC2000 is made up of eight Cornish companies. Ian Doble, managing director of Doble Quality Foods, believes the Cornwall Film Festival is an exciting event to be involved in. "The growth that we've seen, how it's developed, we can see it's going to go places." Doble Quality Foods has supported the festival from the beginning in 2002.

Colin Rowe, joint managing director of Cornish Linen Service, said: "Art touches all of us in different ways and this is an opportunity to support something good. "It gives us an opportunity to support people who are working hard."

Festival director Lucy Frears is delighted with the support of both CC2000 and Arts and Business. " We have proved that we are worth sponsoring and are great partners to work with, I'm really proud that Arts and Business have rewarded us and made it possible for the Cornwall Catering 2000 Premiere evening to really go with a bang!"

Six of the CC2000 companies are supporting the Festival. They are Doble Quality Foods, St Austell Brewery, Cornish Linen Service (CLS), Rodda's, Chaffins Country Range Food Service, and Cornwall College (hotel catering/ hair and beauty department).

They will offer the taste of Cornwall to sponsors and guests at a press event and a private reception.