Back in January I wrote that no funding for the Salford Film Festival spells the end. Organisers had pulled the plug, you may recall, after a no one was found to plug a £20,000 funding hole.

Thankfully, Ciara Leeming in yesterday’s MEN reported that Salford Council had, begrudgingly, agreed to stump up the money and that the festival is now back on track:

Salford council leader John Merry said he would be sitting on the management board to ensure this year’s festival was a successful one.

He said: “We can’t win. If we hadn’t have given the money we would be accused of not listening to people. Because we have, we’re being told we’ve been shamed into it. That’s simply not true.

“We were quite satisfied once we examined the business plan that this was an event we would be happy to support. Encouraging learning and creativity is one of the council’s key pledges and the Salford Film Festival certainly fits with that.”

Elsewhere, however, the future of Afflecks Palace still hangs in the balance.

Over 5,500 people have now signed an online petition to keep it open and, as the MEN reported last month, the two sides are currently engaged in talks. Interestingly, someone claiming to be Manchester councillor Pat Karney has been posting comments on that MEN story.

With just five weeks left before the lease expires on June 14, much of Manchester awaits further news with bated breath.