Film at University College Falmouth prominent at Cornwall Film Festival

Once again, the talent of staff and students from the BA(Hons) Film course will feature heavily throughout The Cornwall Film Festival.The Festival takes place in Newquay's Lighthouse Cinema from 4 to 6 November 2011. UCF's involvement includes competition entries, production of the Festival trailer, screening of staff's work, sponsorship of two awards and the chairing of Q & A's.

The Cornwall Film Festival is an invaluable showcase for Cornish filmmakers where students, amateurs and industry professionals combine to demonstrate the county's filmic diversity.  The Festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and the promotional trailer has been produced by Sophie Graham, a 2nd year BA(Hons) Digital Animation student at UCF, with sound editing by Associate Lecturer, Dave Smithers. The trailer can be viewed at http://cornwallfilmfestival.com/ . In addition to being shown prior to each screening at the Festival, the trailer is being shown at cinemas across Cornwall in the run up to the Festival.

Further student involvement comes from the BA(Hons) Film course with submissions of over 20 films from students to the competition this year, including documentary, narrative and experimental short films. A number of awards have been won over the years and the students will be hoping to continue this success in 2011.

Two of the non-student awards, the Made in Kernow (Cornish shorts) and Films Without Borders (International shorts) have been made possible through sponsorship from UCF. In addition there are various staff projects being screened. Associate Lecturer Mark Jenkin wrote and directed his second feature film Happy Christmas, which premieres on Friday evening, while Simon Harvey, also an Associate Lecturer both produced and starred in the feature film Weekend Retreat, which receives a screening on Saturday.

Involvement with Weekend Retreat does not stop there. The film, directed by Brett Harvey, was part financed by University College Falmouth and the BA(Hons) Film course committed to a student work placement scheme, where students attended the whole two week shoot, shadowing roles in the camera, editing, sound, art and production departments. The film's Making Of documentary, which also screens at the Festival, was edited by Lecturer John McLardy-Smith.

Simon Harvey, Co-Producer of Weekend Retreat said; "The BA(Hons) Film students from University College Falmouth who worked on Weekend Retreat as part of the work placement scheme were hugely beneficial to our project and I would not hesitate to offer them the highest possible recommendation for future work within the film industry."

Following a screening at the London Film Festival and preceding a screening at Encounters Film Festival, which takes place later in November in Bristol Lecturer Rachel Tillotson's short I'll Tell You is in competition. Further Film Lecturers Camilla Peters and Anna Misiak are serving as members of jury for The Edge (Experimental Film Category) with Anna also having been appointed the head the Festival's jury for the Reel Women Film Category.

Film staff are also chairing a number of Q&A events at the festival. Lecturer Dario Llinares is to chair the Q&A session for Black Pond, which screens on Friday evening, Kingsley Marshall is chairing the Q&A for Happy Christmas on Friday evening, and Weekend Retreat on Saturday and Mark Douglas, Senior Lecturer is chairing the Q&A for Behold the Lamb on Saturday evening and Weekend Retreat on Sunday evening.

Andy Wyatt, Programme Leader for Digital Animation is also leading a Stop-Frame Animation Workshop for ages 7+  on Sunday 6 November, from 10am - 1pm at Truro College Open Learning Centre, The Old Chapel Hill. During this workshop participants will learn how to animate vegetables.

"University College Falmouth has been involved in the Cornwall Film Festival since its inception" said Kingsley Marshall, Award Leader for BA(Hons) Film. "It's a great opportunity to meet practitioners and writers in a small and very student friendly environment. This years slate of films is as interesting as ever, and the move to Newquay takes advantage of WTW's brand new, four screen, all-digital Lighthouse Cinema."

Ends

For further information about Media at University College Falmouth, visit www.falmouth.ac.uk, email admissions@falmouth.ac.uk or telephone Admissions on 01326 213855.

For further information please contact Suzanne Bull, Marketing & PR Manager , School of Media & Performance at University College Falmouth,, Telephone: 01326 213762, or email:  suzanne.bull@falmouth.ac.uk

Tweet