AWARD-WINNING actress Harriet Walter is among the top names joining Bridport’s prestigious Page to Screen festival this year.

Dame Harriet Walter, best known for her work in the theatre, has been added to the line-up for festival – which is the UK's only film festival dedicated to the adaptation of books into films.

This year’s festival takes plan from April 8 to 12.

Harriet, who has won Olivier, Evening Standard and Tony awards for her performances with the RSC, will talk ahead of a screening of Suite Française, an upcoming romantic World War II drama film directed by Saul Dibb and co-written with Matt Charman, in which she plays Vicountess de Montmort.

The film is based on Irene Nemirovsky's 2004 novel of the same name, starring Michelle Williams and Kristen Scott Thomas and centres on a romance between a French villager and a German soldier during the early years of the German occupation of France.

Harriet has also chosen her favourite adaptation, John Fowles' The French Lieutenant's Woman, which was filmed in Lyme Regis, to be screened at the festival.

From Page To Screen also welcomes best-selling author Deborah Moggach, who will be talking ahead of a screening of upcoming British comedy-drama film The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

This is a sequel to the hugely successful The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, adapted from Deborah's novel These Foolish Things.

The original feature film followed the attempts by retirees to enlighten themselves in India at an allegedly `luxurious' hotel.

Familiar faces including Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Judi Dench and Dev Patel will return to the film along with new hotel guest Richard Gere.

Deborah will also run a workshop connected to the 2005 movie Pride and Prejudice, for which she wrote the screenplay.

Director of Bridport Arts Centre Laura Cockett said: “We are delighted to confirm that Harriet Walter and Deborah Moggach will attend this year's From Page to Screen festival and we can't wait to welcome them to Bridport.''

Bridport Arts Centre in collaboration with the Electric Palace cinema will show a wide range of films over five days at the two venues.

Some screenings will feature a talk by authors or film-makers, giving audiences the chance to go beneath the surface of their favourite films and discover more about the film-making process.

The full programme and other guest speakers will be revealed in the coming weeks.

From Page To Screen was founded in 2009 by Bridport Arts Centre, inspired by the Bridport Prize - one of the UK's longest running and respected literary prizes.

More details can be found at frompagetoscreen.org.uk.