Film Industry Partnership keeps Wales in the picture at Glastonbury 2010
An exciting collaboration between higher education and the film industry in
Wales will ensure that Welsh filmmakers have their share of the spotlight at the 2010 Glastonbury Festival in June 2010. Skillset Screen Academy Wales, It’s My Shout and BAFTA Cymru have formed a partnership to support the Glastonbury Village Screen Project, a unique showcase of the UK’s best new creative talent held during the five-day music festival.
Led by the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad and the BBC, the Village Screen Project started life in 2009, where for the first time Glastonbury festival-goers were able to watch short films, festival archive footage and gaming sessions on two giant digital screens. The Welsh film partnership has pledged its support of the 2010 Village Screens Project, and in return will have the opportunity to provide a selection of its best live action and animated films to be screened to the Glastonbury audience.
Funding from the Film Agency for Wales has enabled the partnership to make a strong financial contribution to the Village Screen Project, allowing Wales to take its place besides other national and national and regional screen agencies and creative programmers.
Screen Academy Wales will manage the project, with contribution and support from It’s My Shout and BAFTA Cymru. Together, the three organisations plan to deliver a diverse and thought-provoking programme of films from Welsh students, graduates and professional filmmakers, highlighting the standard of film education, training and filmmaking in Wales to the Festival’s eclectic, international audience.
“We are hugely excited to be the sole representatives of Welsh film at Glastonbury 2010”, said Screen Academy Wales project manager, Hannah Raybould. “As a partnership, Screen Academy Wales, It’s My Shout and BAFTA Cymru represents each stage of filmmaking – from higher education to graduate development to professional filmmaking in Wales.
“Thanks to funding from the Film Agency for Wales, our partnership is able to support a nationally-recognised project that champions filmmaking in all its forms to a diverse audience, something that we are passionate about, but most importantly, we can ensure a spotlight on filmmaking talent in Wales. The timing fits in well with the culmination of a year of promoting our graduate filmmakers at international events like Annecy and Edinburgh Film Festival and the launch of our 2007-9 Best of Graduation Films showcase.
Head of Education and Exhibition at the Film Agency for Wales, Dan Thomas said: “Our contribution will allow Welsh filmmakers to showcase their talent in front of an international audience who make the annual pilgrimage to Glastonbury. It is a great opportunity to highlight the brilliant standard of filmmaking in Wales and we are therefore delighted that our funding will enable specialist film programmes to be screened.”
The partners will collate two specialist film programmes amounting to 200 minutes of screening time. The first programme will be screened daily during the After Dark slot – the late night slot showing more sinister themes, whilst the second will form part of the daily Animation/Ambient programme.
BAFTA Cymru’s Events and Awards Coordinator, Faye Hannah explained: “This is an exciting opportunity for both fledgling and experienced Welsh filmmakers alike. By sponsoring the Curated Films Programme on behalf of Wales, Welsh film and education can benefit from the positive association of supporting Glastonbury and its ‘members’ can benefit from having their work showcased as part of this illustrious festival.”
It’s My Shout Productions managing director, Roger Burnell added: We are delighted to be a part of this joint venture with Skillset Screen Academy Wales, BAFTA Cymru and the Film Agency For Wales, to provide an opportunity to showcase young Welsh Talent in a lively and vibrant setting. We believe that partnerships like these, as well as our new links with the UK Film Council and BBC Wales, are vital so that we can encourage, develop and provide the best platform for new talent that we possibly can. ”