Weeks away from the London Film Festival, the capital seems to be readying itself with an extensive range of film celebrations throughout September.

Established dates in the capital's film diary, including the Portobello Film Festival and the London International Animation Film Festival, are joined this month by exciting new appearances such as the first Indian Film Festival of London and Walthamstow International Film Festival - offering cinemagoers across the city a chance to revel in original programming.

New in Town

The festival season kicks off this week with the inaugural Indian Film Festival of London. IFFL (25-29 August) takes place at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith and it is the first major festival in the capital dedicated solely to promoting cinema from the Indian subcontinent. The programme includes Bollywood films, but also examples from lesser known production centres in Pakistan and Bangladesh. A series of screenings, events, an art exhibition and an award ceremony will hopefully mark the beginning of a new annual event on the festival calendar.

Also new to the festival scene and catering for cinemagoers on the opposite side of the capital is the Walthamstow International Film Festival (5-12 September). In a bid to bring back a film community to 'the town without a cinema' and honouring the historical film-making tradition of the area - Walthamstow Studios was one of the biggest film studios during the 1920s - WIFF will showcase innovative shorts by independent film-makers from all over the world, as well as works by local talent. The films will be screened on a specially made gigantic retro television in Walthamstow Village, which is sure to make for a memorable cinematic experience.

I Will Tell (30 August - 9 September) is another new film festival with an international remit and a strong social slant. Inspired by the festival director's visit to Thoera, a deprived village in north Mozambique, the inaugural edition will gather speakers and films that highlight themes of poverty, justice and spirituality. The festival will open with the Janet Jackson-starrer Why Did I Get Married Too? and will also include a screening of the award-winning gay drama Eyes Wide Open.

Distinctive International Flavours

Building on last year's experience, the second Brazilian Film Festival (1-5 September), presented by the Inffinito Festival Circuit, will have a short but intense run in the capital to showcase the best of the country's cinema from across the world. With a punchy start, the opening night film, Lula, The Son of Brazil, is a documentary about the inspiring life of Brazil's president. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who went from shoeshine boy to lead politician and secured the first Olympic Games for South America, to be held in 2016. The festival will also host an industry session on 3 September to discuss co-productions, with key names such as Oscar and BAFTA-nominated director Fernando Meirelles (City of God) and veteran producer Lucy Barreto in attendance.

Continuing with more opportunities to catch world cinema in September, the 6th London Spanish Film Festival will be showing a large number of UK premieres from the country. Running from 24 September to 7 October, this festival offers a rare chance to see critically acclaimed works before they hit the big screen. Top screenings include Daniel Monzón's acclaimed thriller Cell 211 and the first English language feature by Julio Medem (Sex and Lucia), Room in Rome. A retrospective on the work of Spanish actress Maribel Verdú (Y Tu Mamá También, Pan's Labyrinth, Tetro) and a talk by BAFTA award-winner Carlos Saura (Carmen) are other highlights in this year's festival programme, which also pays special attention to cinema from the Catalan and Basque regions.

Paving the Way

Starting at the end of this week is the London International Animation Festival. Running from 27 August to 5 September and now in its seventh year, LIAF will be presenting audiences with a 10-day event with over 250 animated films from more than 30 countries. Highlights include the Film London-supported short A Family Portrait and The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat. The British Panorama strand will be a chance to check out home-grown animation and meet UK film-makers and there is a special programme of music videos, as well as one specifically for kids. Check LIAF's website for a full programme and list of host venues.

Also coming up soon and now in its second year, horror festival Film4 FrightFest returns offering fans five days of premieres, previews, special appearances and signings. This year's line-up includes: Hatchet II, The Last Exorcism, Monsters, Isle of Dogs, Cherry Tree Lane.

In addition, Tobe Hooper, the legendary director of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Poltergeist, will be this year's Total Icon. On Friday 27 August, Hooper will oversee the screening of Eggshells, his rarely seen 1969 debut, which will be followed by his 1974 horrific masterpiece The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Taking into account that this will be Hooper's first public appearance in the UK in 18 years, his Q&A with Total Film's Deputy Jamie Graham at 3:15pm is an event not to be missed.

Also coming back for an intensive two-day session at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre in north London is the British Urban Film Festival (BUFF). This year's event will bring independent films from the UK and international urban scene to audiences, with free screenings of 15 selected works - including Sus starring Clint Dyer and Rafe Spall, the opening film of the festival. Entry is free, but it is advisable to book spaces in advance.

Film Directing for Women (FD4W) has for years been focusing on nurturing and showcasing new and promising female directors. The international film festival, 9-12 September 2010, is a place where female directors can learn more about the trade and contribute to growing discourse on the role of women in film. The festival is hosting numerous features and shorts as well as interviews with well known female directors, Q&A sessions, panel discussions with industry insiders and networking and training opportunities.

Finally, running for a large part of September, the Portobello Film Festival returns to celebrate its 15th birthday. One of the biggest independent film festivals in Europe, Portobello Film Festival started back in the mid nineties with the idea of creating a space for emerging film-makers to showcase their works outside the mainstream circuit. With special attention given to low and no budget shorts, this year's festival will run 2-19 September. Over 700 films will be shown for the very first time at free screenings across a number of different spaces, including the festival's 'flagship' venue, Westbourne Studios.

Alongside Portobello's regular showcase of London film-makers, this year there will also be a special strand of Spanish shorts. Other highlights worth catching include a screening of the latest feature from Film London Microwave Freestyle and Q&A session with director Kolton Lee on 10 September, a showing of this year's Best of Boroughs Film Awards winner Physical Education on 7 September, and any of the screenings at the pop-up cinema on Acklam Road.