FILM fans enjoyed fine dining instead of salt-of-the-earth popcorn at a special cinema event.

Cinemagoers sampled duck tortellini, white chocolate truffles and cocktail jelly as Edible Cinema made its first appearance in Brighton and Hove at the weekend.

Viewers enjoyed nine specially created cocktails and dishes designed to complement the modern-day Italian cinema masterpiece The Great Beauty by Paolo Sorrentino.

It was one of a number of events that marked the beginning of the CineCity Film Festival, which runs to December 4.

Held at the Duke’s at Komedia on Saturday, the menu made from more than 90 ingredients was brought together in collaboration between Soho House chef Jake Rigby Wilson, events manager Zoe Paterson, renowned experience organiser Polly Betton and Bombay Sapphire mixologist Sean Ware.

Customers were given prompts through the film to taste a number of delights in individually numbered pots. Each mouthful was designed to enhance and interact with scenes from the 2013 film, which follows the free-wheeling and glamorous Rome life of ageing playboy Jep Gambardella.

Sian Lightfoot, 31, from Hove, said: “From the opening scene, it made me feel more involved in the film and reminded me of the sights and sounds of Italy.

“The papal duck was my favourite and as good as you would get in a restaurant.

“Eating in the dark was a new experience and opening up each container was a great surprise.

“The only problem was reading the subtitles while eating and drinking at the same time.”

Edible Cinema founder Polly Betton said: “It was a complicated event and we were in a new space but we were happy. It was a lovely crowd of people, a beautiful film and an exciting festival.”

Cinecity co-founder Tim Brown said the festival enjoyed a “very busy opening weekend”, with opening night film Birdman, Edible Cinema and the Pere Ubu live underscore to X: Man with the X-Ray Eyes all playing to packed houses.

He said: “I thoroughly enjoyed the Edible Cinema event at Duke’s at Komedia.

“The Edible Cinema experience brought the taste, smell and texture of Italy vividly to life.”

For more details, visit cine-city.co.uk.