The season of new films is well underway and Orcas Island Film Festival is celebrating its five-year anniversary by offering an international six-film mini-fest April 20-22 at the Sea View Theatre.

OIFF film curator Carl Spence has been busy scouting the hottest new films, and he’s come up with a lineup that local film buffs have come to expect from him. Spence has chosen six brand-new films fresh from their debut at the Sundance Film Festival. They are from five continents and four countries, spanning the genres of comedy, thriller, romance, road-movie and pure drama.

“It’s a great year for films, and it’s exciting to offer these up for our film lovers,” says Spence.

The films are: “Death of Stalin” (UK), a hilarious satire with an award-winning cast; “You Were Never Really Here” (USA), a drama/mystery that won best screenplay and best-actor awards at Cannes. “On Chesil Beach” (USA), a drama/romance starring Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe award-winning actress Saoirse Ronan (pictured); “Beast” (UK), a psychosexual thriller with outstanding lead performances; “Gabriel and the Mountain” (Brazil), a drama that won a top prize at Cannes Film Festival’s critics week; “Sweet Country” (Australia), a crime/drama that won top honors at Toronto and Venice film festivals and has an early Oscar buzz.

The OIFF main festival dates have been announced for Oct. 4-8. New for this year is expanding the festival to five days. It will start with an opening night party on Thursday, Oct. 4, followed by two opening night films and a full day of films on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with closing night films in the evening on Monday, Oct. 8. There will be parties and panels throughout the festival. OIFF has delivered films that have garnered a total of 34 nominations and seven Oscars at the Academy Awards, and attendees will see these films before their official theatrical release.

“OIFF provides a unique opportunity for filmmakers and film lovers to connect and share the cinematic experience in one of the most beautiful places in the world,” say organizers.

To buy tickets, visit www.orcasfilmfest.com.

In other news, the film festival has teamed up with the Orcas Literary Festival to support a “Book to Film” panel on April 15, at 12:45 p.m. at Orcas Center. It will feature award-winning actress Miranda Otto (“Lord of the Rings,” “Reaching for the Moon,” “Homeland”), author Willy Valuation (“Motel Life,” “Lean on Pete”), Pulitzer-winner Gilbert King (“Devil in the Grove: Turgid Marshall…”), and screenwriter Bryan Sipe (“Demolition,” “The Choice”) who will discuss the challenges of adapting books into film.