In a country known for censorship Cuban Film Festival coordinator Ann Cross says cinema is one area where Cubans have some freedom to air their views.

As a country, they are "obsessed by film" and, while direct criticism of issues like the revolution is still rare, other matters of national importance are often addressed.

Cross says: "Cuban cinema has emerged as a faithful and vivid reflection of the spirit of the Cuban people and filmmakers have continued to demonstrate that artistic experiment and popular appeal can flourish side by side."

In this festival - the third Cross has organised in Brighton - four newly-released films illustrate Cuba's uncertain future and the dilemma facing many: whether to stay in their country or leave.

In Mauricio's Diary, it is Mauricio's 60th birthday when he turns on the TV to watch the Olympic baseball match against the hated "Yankees".

Director Manuel Perez explores the complexity of personal and political issues as Mauricio's own struggle runs parallel to the crisis in Cuba following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Viva Cuba is a quirky, coming-of-age story that looks at the friendship between Malu and Jorgito and what happens when Malu's grandmother dies and her family plan to leave Cuba for the United States.

The Silly Age is set in Havana just before the revolution and follows ten-year-old Samuel when he and his mother go to live with his grandmother.

Madrigal - one of Cross's favourites - is a challenging and intense story about the importance of imagination as a means of escape.

There will also be a talk on Sunday by Enrique Colina, film director and presenter from one of the most popular and influential programmes on Cuban TV.

Brighton-based Cross, a former health-worker and member of Lewes Film Club, launched the festival after visiting Havana. "I wanted to make a contribution to Cuba," she says. "I was so impressed by everything about it - the arts, the survival, the people themselves."

Cuban films are not often shown in the UK, due to distribution problems, and independent festivals are one of the few ways to reach a wider audience.

Now retired, Cross has spent the past five years importing Cuban films and showing them both in Brighton and in London, where she staged a festival at the National Film Theatre in 2006.

She says: "When people actually see Cuban films they start to think more about what Cuba is about and they wake up to what it has to offer."