Diweddariad gan y Rheolwr, Hana Lewis
Hoffwn gychwyn drwy ddiolch i bob un ohonoch am roi o’ch amser i fynych cyfarfodydd a chwblhau holiaduron yn ystod 2022, wrth i’r BFI ddatblygu eu strategaeth, Screen 2023. Mae’r ffaith ein bod ni wedi dod ynghyd gyda’r un nod o gefnogi arddangos ffilm yng Nghymru yn destun balchder i ni ac rydym wir yn gwerthfawrogi eich amser.
Bydd nifer ohonoch wedi clywed y cyhoeddiad diweddar gan y BFI bod Rhwydwaith Cynulleidfa Ffilm y BFI yn mynd i barhau tu hwnt i Ebrill 2023, fel rhan o’u Strategaeth 10 mlynedd Cyllid Loteri Genedlaethol. Mae’n bleser gen i rannu bod Canolfan Ffilm Cymru, gyda Chapter fel Sefydliad Arweiniol, yn un o 11 o bartneriaid strategol ledled y DU i dderbyn cyllid Loteri Genedlaethol gan y BFI i barhau i ddatblygu cynulleidfaoedd sinema ar gyfer ffilm annibynnol o’r DU a ffilm rhyngwladol.
Beth mae hyn yn ei olygu i Gymru? Bydd Canolfan Ffilm Cymru yn derbyn £895,500 dros dair blynedd (£286,900 bob blwyddyn). Bydd yr arian yn cael ei rannu rhwng datblygu sgiliau, ymchwil cynulleidfa, cyfathrebu, prosiect ‘sbotolau’ newydd a’r gronfa arddangos ffilm – a fydd yn cael ei ail lansio yn hwyr ym mis Mawrth / yn gynnar ym mis Ebrill. Bydd y bwrsari hyfforddi a’r potyn llain yn parhau i fod yn agored drwy gydol y flwyddyn, gyda chyllideb newydd ym mis Ebrill.
Rydym yn gwneud rhai newidiadau i’n rhaglenni yn seiliedig ar yr hyn ddwedoch wrthym yn ystod y cyfnod ymgynghori a’r heriau sy’n wynebu’r sector arddangos. Rydym yn bwriadu cynnal sesiynau rhaglennu ar-lein bob chwarter er mwyn cael cyfle i sgwrsio am y ffilmiau diweddaraf. Rydym yn bwriadu dod at ein gilydd yn fwy aml, gan gynnwys digwyddiad blynyddol lle gallwn rannu syniadau. Yn ogystal, rydym yn siarad ag Archif Sgrin a Sain Cymru ynglŷn â mynediad at gynnwys Cymraeg ac yn archwilio beth fyddai costau digideiddio teitlau allweddol.
Mae ein prosiect Gwnaethpwyd yng Nghymru (sy’n dathlu ffilmiau gyda chysylltiad Cymreig) yn cael ei gyllido tan 31 Mawrth 2023 ar hyn o bryd. Rydym wrthi’n gweithio ar gynllun cyllido ar gyfer y dyfodol, gyda ffilmiau megis Being Hijra a London Recruits yn ein calendr. Byddwn hefyd yn cydweithio â’n partneriaid Ffilm Cymru Wales / BFI Network Cymru i gefnogi gwneuthurwyr ffilmiau newydd ledled y DU.ain 2023 ar hyn o bryd. Rydym wrthi’n gweithio ar gynllun cyllido ar gyfer y dyfodol, gyda ffilmiau megis Being Hijra a London Recruits yn ein calendr. Byddwn hefyd yn cydweithio â’n partneriaid Ffilm Cymru Wales / BFI Network Cymru i gefnogi gwneuthurwyr ffilmiau newydd ledled y DU.
Byddwn yn cydweithio â BFI Film Academy Plus, sydd newydd ei gyhoeddi fel y cynnig addysgiadol mewn canolfannau ledled y DU, a fydd yn helpu’r rheiny sydd rhwng 16 a 25 mlwydd oed i ffilmio llwybrau gyrfa a diwylliant. Bydd y cynnig yn cael ei redeg yng Nghymru gan Chapter a bydd cyllideb yn cefnogi dosbarthiadau meistr, dangosiadau a bwrsarïau. Bydd y cynllun yn helpu ffans ffilm ifanc i ddysgu am y diwydiant, gwylio sinema ddiwylliannol, dod i adnabod eu canolfannau lleol a datblygu sgiliau fel gwneuthurwyr ffilmiau a churaduron annibynnol.
Bydd rhagor o weithgareddau ar draws y Rhwydwaith Cynulleidfa Ffilm ehangach – byddwn yn trafod y rhain yn yr wythnosau nesaf wrth i’r cynlluniau cael eu sefydlu.
Yn olaf, mae’n flin gennym gyhoeddi bod prosiect RhCFf Sinema Cynhwysol (SC) yn dod i ben ym mis Mawrth. Mae gymaint o waith yn dal i’w wneud, ond rydyn ni’n falch iawn o’n huchelgais a’n cyfraniadau. Hoffem ddweud diolch o galon i bartneriaid a chynghorwyr SC. Rydym yn ffarwelio â Toki Allison, Rheolwr Prosiect talentog SC, wrth iddi symud ymlaen i rôl newydd gyffrous. Yn ystod wythnosau olaf y prosiect beth am achub ar y cyfle i ddefnyddio adnoddau newydd ardderchog, gan gynnwys Trans Loving Care a sinema Dosbarth-Gweithiol. Byddwn yn rhoi diweddariad dros y misoedd nesaf ynglŷn â sut i gael mynediad at yr adnoddau a grëwyd dros gyfnod y prosiect.
Rydyn ni’n gobeithio’n fawr y bydd modd i chi ymuno â ni yn Hub Helo yng Nghastell y Gelli, 23ydd Mawrth, lle byddwn yn siarad am y flwyddyn i ddod.
Tan hynny – sinema am byth!
IYMS is an annual two-week event that brings together young people from different cultures to create media projects aimed at inspiring their own generation to take action and responsibility for the future. By confronting and examining global problems and exploring solutions together, they are bound in a shared purpose. Working toward a common goal and being accountable for a concrete creative product within a limited time period provides the perfect “stew” for collaboration. Here’s what Dion told us about the trip:
Attending IYMS was an eye-opening experience that broadened my mind about what we can do in Wales. While the primary basis of the summit is to empower change through filmmaking, it also gives you opportunities to meet like-minded programmers, activists and filmmakers from all across the globe.
Throughout a fortnight, the challenge was to create a PSA (Public Service Announcement) over seven topics the IYMS wanted to eradicate in the world through diplomacy and film. They are youth empowerment, environment, violence, women’s rights, poverty, health and discrimination. Each group were split into young filmmakers, young diplomats and advisors who all worked together to create a short film about their subject matter with the help of their mentor who worked within the assigned fields. By the end of the summit, they would have a completed film that will be shared with international audiences at film festivals, on YouTube and through their partners, including UNESCO.
There are various ways to encourage and embrace heritage, language and culture, from Afghanistan to Nepal to Norway. Each day there were numerous opportunities to hear about different nations, how they promote their countries’ work, and the best models to exhibit the films. While many have expressed their frustrations about funding and sharing their voices globally, the summit allows you to develop and work on further collaborations beyond the two-week summit.
One of the main reasons Wicked Wales wanted to attend the summit was to engage with more young people. As they were the ones making the films and making positive changes in their communities, it was an enlightening experience. Hearing about the various programs they work on and their viewing habits benefited us as an organisation and for Wales as a whole. The diversity of delegates gave a fresh perspective on what works well for us and where we can improve and further diversity and inclusion in our sector.
The main takeaway from IYMS is the importance of international collaboration and working with organisations to improve our methods and share our own practices from Wales. We can learn so much from one another, and Wicked Wales has already begun a dialogue with partners in Sweden and Nepal on how we can collaborate further. Fortunately, through social media, we can now stay in touch with some of the great film societies we connected with and keep an eye on the ideas and programming that they’re doing. We hadn’t looked further afield until now, so I think this will benefit us when determining our own programme and events.
Attending IYMS was an eye-opening experience that broadened my mind about what we can do in Wales. While the primary basis of the summit is to empower change through filmmaking, it also gives you opportunities to meet like-minded programmers, activists and filmmakers from all across the globe. – Dion Wyn Hughes
Dion attended the International Youth Media Summit with the support of Film Hub Wales via our Bursary scheme. If you want to attend a meeting, course or event that would benefit your organisation and develop audiences but the costs are prohibitive, you can submit an application for support here.
With over 20 years industry experience Alice has worked alongside some of the UK’s leading indies – joining Cardiff based, BFI vision awarded ie ie productions in 2012 as part the team behind the pioneering, award winning multi-platform project ‘American Interior’. In 2015 she launched ie ie’s drama department – building on the company’s international reputation for creating ground-breaking, cross-platform content and expanding their diverse slate of productions. Inspired by creatives working across disciplines, she collaborates with writers and directors to tell stories from under-represented voices and find sustainable ways to realise their vision – whilst making commercially viable film and television for global audiences.
Her award-winning shorts have screened internationally and in 2018/19 she produced Welsh broadcaster S4C’s first short form, bilingual drama series Merched Parchus (Respectable Girls) – which has received multiple award nominations including; RTS Cymru, Bafta Cymru, Celtic Media and Broadcast Digital. The series is being sold internationally by Videoplugger.
She then co-wrote and produced multi-disciplinary artist and filmmaker Tina Pasotra’s debut narrative short I Choose – released on the BBC in September 2020.
Alice is currently in post-production on her first co-production – Andrew Legge’s debut feature L.O.L.A; alongside ie ie’s MD Catryn Ramasut and Cowtown Pictures’ producers John Wallace and Alan Maher. She’s also exec producing a short documentary with emerging filmmaker Siôn Marshall Walters.
Alice was a 2017/18 participant on Birds Eye View Filmonomics – which ‘Advocates and educates the female perspective in film through “Action!” – not words’ – and was mentored by Katherine Biddle of See Saw Films through BFI.NETWORK x BAFTA crew 2018/19. In 2019 she was selected for BFI.network@lff international filmmakers, in 2020 for BFI Insight Producers Scheme and in 2021 for Rotterdam Producers Lab and LIM (Less is More) Development Lab.
When was the first time you realised you wanted to make films?
Hmm, I have no idea to be honest! I grew up in rural mid Wales without a TV though, so I guess I was always intrigued to find out about something I didn’t have any tangible experience of. My sisters and I used to make our own wildlife programmes by drawing on lining paper and feeding it through slits on the sides of a cardboard box! I also remember listening to Neighbours through the fuzzy white noise of an old tv set rigged up in the garden! But I think it was probably when I moved to London as a student that I really started thinking about working in film and tv – although it still felt a million miles away from becoming a reality, until I got a part time job as a runner at a production company when I was in my final year and it all fell into place from there!
What was the last project you worked on / made?
The last thing released was a short film called I Choose directed by Cardiff based multi-disciplinary artist and filmmaker Tina Pasotra; which we made through the Beacons scheme (currently available on BBC iplayer). We’re also currently in post-production on our first narrative feature – L.O.L.A by writer/director Andrew Legge which we’re co-producing with Cowtown Pictures in Ireland.
What are you up to now? What is the next project you’re working on?
Alongside L.O.L.A we have been really busy in development during the pandemic. I’ve also been lucky enough to have been selected for some fantastic labs, so have felt a bit like I’m back at school from my living room! We have a number of tv drama series’, two YA live action features – one of which we’re running industry workshops with LGBTQ+ young people alongside, and an animated family feature in development – all of which I’m really excited about – so fingers crossed one of those will be the next out of the starting blocks!
This week, Forbes interviewed Naomi Bennet of Lesflicks about why she launched a film streaming platform for Queer Women.
‘Made in Wales‘ is a strategy developed by Film Hub Wales supporting the promotion and exhibition of films with Welsh connections. A film doesn’t necessarily have to be made in Wales, but might have a Welsh director, writer or storyline. This month we’re celebrating LGBTQ+ history with a focus on Lesbian filmmakers and interviewing Cardiff based writer / director Rachel Dax.
Half way into Time and Again – the latest short film by filmmaker Rachel Dax – ‘Eleanor’- played by Sian Phillips – and ‘Isabelle’ – played by Brigit Forsyth – come face to face decades after a painful betrayal. Amid their heated discussion Eleanor matter-of-factly declares that, despite the lingering heart-break, she’s actually had a ‘‘wonderful life’’…a partner…and makes it clear that she resents Isabelle’s assumption that she’d been ‘pining (over her) like some sad dyke in a warning novel’’.
It is a moment set up to challenge us, much like it challenges Isabelle. The camera barely shifts its gaze from the two of them, frozen in a moment that has been trying to catch up with them for decades. It is rare to see older, lesbian women on screen and even rarer for them to stand their ground, to state that their lives have been fulfilling – that they’ve lived. On screen, the gentle everyday, the plain white walls of their country nursing home and the almost mundane are carefully juxtaposed with this sense of restlessness…a deep desire to get up, to go, to move on and to just…be.
‘‘I think…the kind of phrase my friend uses is, ‘‘use the s**t as fertilizer’’, says Rachel who, it seems, has been preparing to write moments like the one above her whole life.
‘‘…I was quite religious when I was a teenager and I got involved with born again, Christianity…I decided that I wanted to be a preacher. So I went off to university to do theology and philosophy, a very academic degree. But at the same time I knew I was gay. So I was in this kind of very difficult state…religion, sexuality… constantly embattled in myself and eventually the sexuality – because I am a lesbian – just completely overtook everything. I didn’t quite ever get to the point of being an atheist, but I rejected that very extreme religion I was involved with”.
After graduating, she became a secondary school Religious Education teacher…
‘‘…And I hated it. I just got to the point thinking I really can’t do this anymore. One of my partner’s best friends moved to Cardiff, and we went to visit a few times and thought…there seems to be lots going on here. I was meeting lots of artistic people and I’d always wanted to be an actor. And I thought maybe this is an opportunity to do something new”.
And within just a few months, fate struck – she started doing acting courses, writing courses and eventually went back to university to do drama, where she ended up taking on a film writing module ‘‘for a laugh”.
‘‘As soon as I started doing that, I realised I didn’t want to be an actor at all. I wanted to be a writer director. So suddenly I was taking every option I could in film…which took me by surprise, but it’s actually become my greatest passion of all”.
Rachel is also an all round creative with several anthologies and audio stories to her name, not to mention that she never really gave up on teaching having continued onto a successful career in Higher Education. She still maintains a close relationship with parts of that initial journey, teaching at the University of South Wales and now Cardiff University.
They have continued to support me as a creative person, as well as bring me in to do teaching. They’ve given me work, they’ve given access to equipment. I’ve been given a lot of opportunities to teach what I want in terms of creative writing and short filmmaking, but they also tweet about what I’m doing and promote me. I’ve been very lucky to have that.
I tell her that at the end of Time and Again, ‘‘I – almost ironically – scrawled down the words ‘A delicate love for oneself, becomes a delicate love for others with fury!’ I was eager not to forget this thought. It is a small something that came up again and again the evening before, as I hunched over the computer to re-watch each of the short films on her website after dinner.
I want more, but later – expanding on something she mentioned lightly in our email exchange – she said that simply wasn’t possible.
‘‘I lost my YouTube channel…it was devastating because I was really successful…millions of hits overall…I think it got shut down because of homophobia. After Trump came into power, unbeknownst to me YouTube changed its terms and conditions about how you can advertise and what you have on there. Gay content started to become marginalised and I didn’t know any of that at the time. I put up my film ‘A Delicate Love’ – it got something like 10,000 hits in a week. I was advertising it on Twitter and on one of my tweets I put hashtag gay sex. I think YouTube decided that violated their terms and conditions for advertising or…and I don’t know for sure… somebody homophobic might have hacked my account… because I would get the same email… We’d like to inform you that due to repeated or severe violations of our Community Guidelines your YouTube account has been suspended…After review we determined that activity in your account violated our Community Guidelines….Every time I appealed, I just got this email back. So I uploaded my best films to Vimeo instead’’.
Luckily, she clarifies, she does have copies of her earlier films on a hard-drive, but didn’t have the chance to dig them out before our meeting. She assures me that I’ll get a chance to watch them at a later date.
In contrast, Time and Again has been on BBC iPlayer for over a year (available until Sunday 28th February):
‘‘…which is unheard of for a short!’’ exclaims Rachel. ‘‘It’s been broadcast twice on BBC two at nine o’clock, which is a really, really good slot…quite often, the gay films are shown very late at night, maybe about 11 o’clock and they’re on for 28 days maximum…sometimes only for a week and then they disappear off. So I’ve been very well-supported by the BBC’’.
Art imitates life, and although none of her films speak directly to the issue of being censored, the act of self censoring and holding back..and being censored by others is something we are often too familiar with having to do as queer people.
In Caravan Sight, Richard and Georgina are two prominent London lawyers who spend their weekends in Wales, swapping gender roles unbeknownst to any of their friends. For two days at the end of the every week, their hectic, high pressure lives are given a small release where they can be a little bit more of themselves. Things became tense when their homophobic boss happens to be holidaying at the same campsite, but throughout the entire film we see that learning to love our queerness makes us softer, and in turn creates more room for that love to spill over and nurture others, and our relationships with them.
…it’s not only about learning to love yourself as a person…yes that own inner journey of learning self-respect and self-affirmation…but also what I try and do with all of my films is kind of very subtly teach people about LGBTQ+ issues and also homophobia. I make LGBTQ+ audience, but I always think, what would I want my homophobic next door neighbor to get from this film? Can I teach them about acceptance of LGBTQ+people? So yeah, I’ve always kind of got an eye on how I can influence the larger narrative because I think there’s a level of responsibility to be presenting LGBTQ+ people as normal everyday people…
Homophobia is – evidently – not something that can be ‘resolved’ by loving yourself, but each story in its distinctiveness does bring us back to the same feeling that ‘‘a delicate love for oneself, becomes a delicate love for others’’. And whilst this isn’t always Rachel’s first intention, she really is adept at bringing the weight of all these different feelings to screen.
No where is clearer for me than in the film ‘A Delicate Love’, where Peter – a Maths student who works part-time in a Deli – fantasises about an older man and customer, but struggles deeply with coming out. This battle even leads him to force feelings for his long-time female friend, but e
nds in a seething inner rage that is difficult to shift, disheartening to watch and something that many of us may relate too. There is, however, a small but triumphant ending…Peter is out running and falls…injured he is offered a helping hand by another man – his colleague – the person who’s always been in his shadow, a delicate metaphor come true thanks to the cinematography of Jon Ratigan.
Threads will be mended.
She retains an incredibly positive attitude, having done exceptionally well on the international film festival circuit where she has won multiple awards. Those who get to know her stories are instantly and intimately connected to them for many different reasons, but particularly – as Rachel would say – how ‘ordinary’ her characters’ lives are.
‘‘…Most of us are actually quite sweet people who fall in love and, and we go to work and we pay our taxes and do our washing. In my own journey with my parents, because of their age…and my mum being quite religious…she realised at some point I’m really boring like her, you know? I do actually wash up and go to work… I have a normal life. I do my laundry, I think about the things that she thinks about in a day too and realising that I live a very similar life with my partner, to the one she lives with my dad suddenly made her realise that actually it really is just a question of love and of course sexual attraction, but it’s about…I love this person and we have chosen to live together, but we don’t live that differently from the way they do’’.
This – fittingly – leads us to a small anecdote about a film she once made at University.
‘‘…it was kind of a documentary. We were told to make a film on the most hideous possible task we had in our life. And so I actually took this literally, and I basically did a film about picking up the dog poo in my garden. I don’t think they enjoyed the fact that I did that but I told the truth. There were giant turds all over the screen and that the staff were like, this is the most disgusting thing. And.. I’m like… you asked me to make a film about my worst, worst job. So yeah…’’
I am humbled when she reveals that this was her first film. Rachel has literally been using ‘the s**t as fertiliser’ since she began making films. When the interview is over, I remind myself to do more of the same.
If you’re an exhibitor and would like to find out more about programming any of the films mentioned in this interview, you can find the links at the bottom of this page. You can check out more of Rachel’s short films on her website here.
If you’re a filmmaker or distributor and would like to know more about how Film Hub Wales can support the exhibition of your film, take a look at our wefan Canolfan Ffilm Cymru yma.
Gyda sawl sinema dal ar gau oherwydd COVID-19, ry'n ni'n parhau i ddathlu lleoliadau annibynnol ar draws y DU yn ein cyfres 'Sinemau ein stori'. Dyma gyfweliad arbennig gyda Pauline Williams, Off y Grid, am y prosiect aml-leoliad sydd wedi'i gefnogi gan Canolfan Ffilm Cymru ac sy'n anelu i ddod a chymunedau ynghyd i wylio ffilmiau annibynnol Prydeinig. Canolfan Ffilm Cymru, that aims to reduce isolation and increase engagement with British and independent film.
Mae Off y Grid yn brosiect sy'n gweld lleoliadau yn cyd-weithio ar daws Gogledd Cymru er mwyn darparu gwasanaeth gymunedol i gynulleidfaoedd ardaloedd gwledig a dathlu treftadaeth leol. Mae'n nhw'n gweithio ar y cyd i ddarparu rhaglenni tymhorol fel bod modd denu cynulleidfa ehangach ar draws yr ardal. Dyma Pauline Williams, Rheolwr y Prosiect, yn egluro sut y mae'n nhw'n cyd-weithio er mwyn gwella'r profiad i'r gynulleidfa ac er mwyn gallu rhannu arbenigedd ar draws y sinemau, mae hefyd yn son am ei phrofiadau cyntaf hi o'r sinema ac sut y mae'r profiadau hyn yn dylanwadu ar ei gwaith heddi.
Beth mae Off y Grid yn ei gynnig i'r gynulleidfa?
Mwy o bobol. Mwy o ffilmiau. Mwy o lefydd. Dyna ydi amcan prosiect Off Y Grid (OYG). Mae OYG yn cydlynnu partneriaeth unigryw rhwng saith canolfan yng Ngogledd Cymru sy'n gweithio ar y cyd i hyrwyddo ffilmiau annibynnol, Prydeinig a ffilmiau byd i gynulleidfaoedd mewn ardal wledig. Mae OYg hefyd yn cynnig arlwy o ffilmiau clasurol cyfarwydd yn ogystal â dathlu treftadaeth Cymru trwy ffilmiau archif.
Mae'r 7 canolfan - CellB, Galeri, Pontio, Neuadd Dwyfor, Neuadd Ogwen, Tape Community Music & Film a Theatr y Ddraig - yn cynnig profiadau gwahanol o ran gofod a lleoliad ond yn rhannu'r un meddylfryd gyda'r diwylliant Cymreig, etifeddiaeth a hygyrchedd yn ganolig i'r arlwy. Wrth gyd-weithio gellir hyrwyddo ffilmiau mwy heriol i gynulleidfa ehangach. Wrth rannu syniadau ceir cyfle i greu profidadau sinema newydd yn yr ardal.
Wedi ei ariannu gan Film Hub Wales, mae'r prosiect yn cynyddu gweithgareddau ar draws Gogledd Cymru mewn ardaloedd sy'n aml yn dioddef o ddiffyg nawdd a digwyddiadau celfyddydol. Mae'n digwyddiadau yn cysylltu â'r gymuned ac yn cynnig darpariaeth gelfyddydol, yn annog trafodaeth ac yn ehangu gorwelion trwy gyfrwng ffilm. Yn ogystal â dangos ffilmiau rydym yn cyflwyno gweithgareddau ychwanegol (fel sesiynnau holi ac ateb) ac yn cydlynnu gyda gwyliau ffilmiau a digwyddiadau sinematig yng Nghymru a thu hwnt.
Rydym yn cyd-weithio gyda nifer o bartneriaid rheolaidd ond yn barod i ehangu'n gorwelion gyda phartneriaid newydd er mwyn hyrwyddo ffilm. Yn ddiweddar rydym wedi bod yn cynnig sinema pop-up i gymunedau lleol a'r bwriad yw ehangu ar ein darpariaeth yn y maes yma yn ogystal â pharhau i ddatblygu cynulleidfa o bob oedran yn yr ardal.
Beth oedd eich swydd gyntaf? Sut arweiniodd hyn at Off y Grid?
Ar ôl cychwyn gyrfa yn y BBC Caerdydd a chael hyfforddiant yn gweithio ar ddramau a chyfresi teledu bum yn gweithio'n llawrydd nes i mi ymuno fel Cynhyrchydd â chwmni Gaucho a chyd-weithio gyda'r cyfarwyddwr Endaf Emlyn. Bu'r cwmni'n gyfrannwr allweddol yn y byd ffilm yng Nghymru ac roeddwn yn gyfrifol am gynhyrchu'r ffilmiau arobryn Un Nos Ola, Gadael Lenin, Y Mapiwr yn ogystal â dramau unigol a chyfresi drama ar gyfer teledu.
Cariad at ffilm a'r awydd i rannu'r brwdfrydedd yna a chynnig profiadau sinematig unigryw i gynulleidfaoedd hen a newydd sy'n fy nghyrru i gyd-weithio ar OYG.
Ydy ffilm a mynd i'r sinema wedi bod yn ro'ch bywyd erioed?
Pan yn blentyn roedd cael mynd i'r Majestic yng Nghaernarfon i glwb ffilm ar fore Sadwrn yn brofiad rhithiol. Doedd dim byd gwell nag ista'n y gynulleidfa yn disgwyl yn eiddgar i'r golau ddiffod yn ara deg a'r llenni i agor led y pen i arddangos sgrîn enfawr. Roedd bod yn y tywyllwch mewn byd arall yn brofiad mor gofiadwy. Dwi'n cofio mynd efo fy mam i weld Summer Holiday a'r llliwiau yn dallu'r llgadau. Ond yn fwy na hynny roedd y teimladau a ysgogwyd gan y ffilmiau mor bwerus.
Yn ddiweddarach roeddwn yn mynychu'r Coliseum yn Port a'r Forum yn Blaenau yn rheolaidd. (Yn anffodus does na'r un o'r sinemau yma'n bodoli bellach) Does dim byd mwy cyfareddol na bod yn yr hanner gwyll yn cael y'ch tywys i fyd arall. Does dim ffiniau i ddychymyg. Yn sicr roedd dylanwad y sinema yn y blynyddoedd cynnar yn allweddol yn fy newis o yrfa.
Sut y mae gweithio a'r lleoliadau san sylw wedi dylanwadu ar eich gwaith chi heddi?
Mae'r profiadau ges i o wylio ffilm ar y sgrîn fawr ac ymgolli mewn byd arall yn y sinemau cymunedol, lleol yma yn f'ysbrydoli i gynnig profiadau tebyg i gynulleidfaoedd heddiw. Roedd mynd i'r sinema yn brofiad rheolaidd, fforddadwy a'r rhaglen yn amrywiol felly roedd cynulleidfa'n derbyn a gwerthfawrogi pob math o ffilm- a hynny ar stepan drws.
Mae gwylio ffilm ar sgrîn fawr yn brofiad hudolus, rhithiol. Mae bod yn rhan o gynulleidfa sy'n cyd-rannu emosiwn yn deimlad cynhwysol, cyfrin. Mae ffilm yn gallu cyfareddu. Mae'n cynnig allwedd i fydoedd eraill. Mae'n ysgogi emosiynnau. Mae'n gynhwysol ac yn drawsnewidiol.
Gan bod sinemau ar gau oherwydd COVID-19, ydych chi wedi dechrau unrhyw fentrau newydd fel Off y Grid?
CellB wedi bod yn gweithio'n rheolaidd i gynnal a hybu Gwallgofiaid trwy drefnu sesiynnau ar lein gyda Rhys Ifans fel mentor i brosiect gwneud ffilm fer.
The Savoy has a long and fascinating history. It is one of the oldest working theatres in Wales, and is located on the oldest known theatre site in the country. Today it’s a mixed-arts venue, programming films and event cinema alongside live music, comedy and more. Director and General Manager Chris Ryde has been working at the Savoy Theatre in various roles since 2009, and brings a wealth of industry experience with him. Here, he offers some insight into the venue’s significance to South Wales as both a nostalgic link to the past and a much-loved present-day destination that has adapted to many challenges in order to survive. Long may it continue!
What does the Savoy Theatre mean to its local community?
For many, it represents a link to their past and recalls either their movie-going heritage or a link to places they were brought up. It’s a place where films were meant to be seen. It is not a box or a multiplex; it is a purpose-built venue in which films are meant to be enjoyed. Our Art Deco design motif brings back the feel of movie-going in its heyday and gives a holistic experience to customers, as they can read all about the building and put their visit into context. It is a constant joy to see the look on people’s faces as they enter the auditorium from the street and realise they have walked into a piece of history.
Where did your own history with cinema begin?
I am delighted to say that the cinema that shaped my life is still going. The Ritz in Belper, Derbyshire, which I visited for the first time in 1957, and is still in operation thanks to a husband-and-wife team (the Mundins) who bought it, restored it, and made it operational. I visited them two years ago and it was a magical experience to go back.
What was your first job working with film?
My first job in the film industry was as a trainee producer in the 1970s. I worked with Nic Roeg, Adrian Lyne, and Ridley and Tony Scott. From 1977-2012 I worked for Equity, the union for performers and creative practitioners, which brought me into contact with plenty of filmmakers, and I spent many an hour on film sets.
What initiatives are you most proud of having worked on at the Savoy Theatre?
The most successful by far was re-introducing live entertainment, because it has been a massive success, and is what people most celebrate. Second to that was getting the funds secured for digital exhibition back in 2013. We had no money and there was a real prospect that we would not be able to survive as a first-run cinema, but we got there.
While cinemas are closed due to the COVID-19 lockdown, have you begun any new initiatives to reach audiences at home?
The lockdown has had a big impact on our team, with almost all of our staff furloughed. Sadly this means we do not have the capacity to start any new projects right now, but we are keeping in touch with our audiences through newsletters and social media. We’re running a fundraiser to help the Savoy Theatre through this difficult time, and still welcoming supporters to our Friends of the Savoy scheme.
Once cinemas can reopen which film would be your first choice to see on the big screen?
The film that most exemplifies the spirit of the Savoy: The Smallest Show on Earth with Peter Sellers and Margaret Rutherford, made in 1957. I’d love to play it here.
If you’re a fan of the Savoy Theatre and would like to support them at this difficult time, you can donate to Chris’s fundraiser, Savoy Survival. If you’d like to support other independent cinemas in the UK, consider donating to the UK Cinema Fund. These donations will be added to the BFI FAN COVID-19 Resilience Fund and used to offer critical relief and business continuity to exhibitors across the UK.
Mae Canolfan Ffilm Cymru wedi dyfarnu cyllid Loteri Cenedlaethol o £100,000 i 16 o sinemau annibynnol a gwyliau ffilm yng Nghymru sydd wedi cael eu heffeithio’n ddifrifol gan Covid-19. Wedi gorfod cau eu drysau ar ddechrau’r cyfnpd cloi yn y DU, mae’n debygol mai’r lleoliadau hyn fydd rhai o’r cyrff olaf i ailagor wrth i’r pandemig gilio.
Cyfarfod y bobl ymroddedig sydd yn gweithio tu ôl i’r llenni yn y sinemau a’r gwyliau lleol, sydd yn ceisio dod â chymunedau yn ôl at ei gilydd drwy ffilm:
Thanks to a bursary from Film Hub Wales, on September 2019 I was able to attend the 76th Biennale del Cinema at the Lido in Venice. The Biennale runs for about 10 days and I was able to attend it for four full memorable and productive days. As managing director and artistic co-director of the Italian Film Festival Cardiff, my main objective in attending one of the most important (and oldest) international film festival in the world was to promote the IFFC as well as to increase its visibility in both Italy and Europe. In this short span of time I managed to achieve quite a lot of my objectives, no doubt helped by my a dose of two spritzes and five espressos a day to keep me going through the film marathons and razzmatazz.
Through a number of personalised meetings and impromptu encounters at the Lyon’s bar, centrally located in the festival, to see and be seen, I managed to entice a couple of the Italian Regional Film Commissions to agree to participate in the festival in Cardiff.
Both the Apulia and Campania Film Commissions are interested in joining the Sardegna and Calabria Film Commissions to support the screenings in Cardiff with films they have produced.
Pointing out that the IFFC is the only Italian Film Festival in the UK to officially offer prizes to Italian cinema was a trump card to win over some of the smaller distributors and producers. My meeting with Emera Production director, Rebecca Bassi, resulted in her submission of their documentary, Bassil’ora, which won the very first Canfod Prize for Best Documentary at the Festival.
Being present at Venice as representative of the IFFC was vital also to attend screenings of Italian/International films that had not yet been released in the UK. Francesca Archibugi’s Vivere (Living) and Alessandro Rossetto’s Effetto Domino (Domino Effect) had their world premiere in Venice and I managed to secure both films as UK premieres for our Festival. It would not have been possible without meeting both directors and producers at the Lido.
The big day for me though was Saturday 31 August. I was a guest speaker in a panel organised by the Sardegna Film Commission to promote its International partners. I introduced the Italian Film Festival Cardiff to the public at the prestigious Italian Pavilion sitting next to Adrian Wootton, director of Film London!
There is no doubt that the five days at the Biennale were intense and tiring and that it takes quite a lot of stamina to be always there, queueing to watch a premiere of a film, be present at the launch of a book or a film-related event, while looking smart at dinner or production parties. However, these events proved to be very successful. My meeting with director Laura Lucchetti, resulted in her participation at the Q&A session after the screening of for her film, Fiore Gemello (Twin Flower), whose protagonist, Kalill Kone, won first prize in the Best Actor category at the Festival; that with journalists from ‘Cinecorriere’ resulted in IFFC having a featured article in their September issue.
All and all a grand and successful adventure that I hope to be able to repeat this year as well!
Luisa Pèrcopo, managing and artistic co-director of Italian Film Festival, Cardiff
As well as continuing to learn all about the programming at Cineworld, and even creating the schedule for a film myself, I was also given the opportunity to encounter other aspects of the exhibition sector. Something I was especially looking forward to discovering more about was social media scheduling/marketing as this is an area I could picture myself working in in the future.
After meeting the member of staff who runs the social media, I was briefed about his role each week which involves scheduling the Facebook posts for the following week and putting up posters throughout the building. As this doesn’t tend to take him more than a day to complete, and similarly to the staff working on programming, he also works on front of house on the other days serving customers at the tills and checking tickets before customers enter the screening room.
I never quite realised how much thought had to go into the planning process of the social media. Because of the Facebook algorithm, for example, they aim to only post 3 statuses at peak times (between 10:00am and 2:00pm) throughout the week to ensure as many people as possible are seeing the posts.
If any events are coming up or a new film release, he tries to make sure these feature on their social media. And sometimes head office make specific requests about what should be promoted that week. Together we undertook the careful research task to discover which film poster was the most appropriate to use, being an official poster instead of a fan-made one, for example. Precision and an eye for detail were required when ensuring that we attached the correct link to take customers straight onto Cardiff Cineworld when booking tickets.
The layout of the post tends to include: the film/event title, a brief synopsis of the film/event, the link to book tickets and the film/event poster.
Learning about the attention to detail and thought that has to go into each and every Facebook post as well as how to use Facebook as a marketing tool was interesting. Although I did get to help with this role and learnt a new side of marketing, I believe I already had some pre-existing knowledge on the subject.
What I really developed from this experience on social media was my professionalism in terms of language skills when marketing online to customers and attempting to entice them into booking tickets and why Cineworld should be the place they choose to go to.
Once the social media posts had all been scheduled, myself and the social media programmer went for a walk around the building to see what posters needed to be taken down and if any new ones had arrived to be put up. He explained how Cineworld’s policy was to take down the posters as soon as the film has been released so a new poster promoting an upcoming film could go in that space. The staff are then allowed to take posters that are no longer in use. I even got to take a Little Women (Gerwig, 2019) poster home for my flat..
The last month of my placement at Cinema & Co. was unfortunately cut short due to the current climate (hope everyone’s keeping safe!) but the good news is that, following on from my previous blog (which you can read yma) myself and the team managed to launch Cinema & KO. to great success. In this final blog, I’ll be discussing how Johan and I made final preparations for the event, the successes and failures of the event itself, and also reflecting on my time as a whole.
The first day back after uploading the last blog consisted of improving on skills I’d gained previously. To begin, I helped once again edit an updated trailer reel, removing old events and trailers that had already been, and replacing them with new ones. This editing proved to be a lot quicker than the last (a sign of my skills improving I’m sure) and I still felt as though I’d managed to further improve my editing skills even more. This would prove incredibly useful for university assessments like video essays, but also for personal projects like making short films and more. After this, Johan and I moved onto making sure everything was in place for the main event: Cinema & KO.
The event itself was to be split into two main parts. Both taking place on a Saturday, the first half would be open to everyone. We planned on having Nintendo Switches set up in the main cinema room, and a backup in the entrance area for when the main tournaments weren’t on. This event would run until 5, at which point we’d close up, and begin swapping out the switches for an Xbox one, for our main tournament event (that was for over 18’s only, since the game Mortal Kombat 11 was rated 18). This tournament would run until 9pm, with the bar being open for the entire event.
In order to make sure we were fully prepared; we did several things. First of all, I made contact with Game once again, ensuring we had consoles and games ready for both halves of the event. Having this contact before starting the event proved crucial, as without Game, the first half would more than likely have not existed, as Game provided both the switches and games we used for the mini tournaments (The Xbox and copy of Mortal Kombat 11 belonged to the cinema).
The second half of the preparation revolved around creating a tournament bracket for the second and main half of the event, as professionalism was key. Though our main goal was to ensure everyone had fun and enjoyed themselves, it was also crucial to ensure the tournament itself was fair and done professionally, as this would ensure satisfaction from everyone, and (hopefully) ensure they would return to the next event, and bring more people too.
We experimented with a few different ideas, from creating the bracket in different formats such as Microsoft excel, to using an automatic generator. Though I developed my technical skills here, by beginning to create a working bracket on my laptop, eventually we opted for an online one that would generate the brackets randomly and uniquely. This was to ensure the bracket itself looked professional and that there would be no problems in functionality, that could cause delays in the event.
After this, we decided to review the overall plan, before agreeing to meet next on the Saturday of the event. This would be the accumulation of all our hard work over the past few weeks, and so we were both excited and nervous to see how the event would proceed.
The Saturday of the event arrived, and would also mark the end of my time on placement at Cinema & Co. The first half of the event, where we opened it up for everyone to play Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. proved to be very successful. Though not our target audience (and not our main event) it was certainly exciting to see how popular it was, with many families and some adults coming in to have a look and get involved. I developed a few skills during this first half, mainly to do with communication and management. As a sort of co-host, I was helping to ensure everything was running smoothly. This meant juggling tasks such as monitoring one of the two Nintendo Switches we had at the time and answering any questions in regard to how to play the games, how long we were running it for, and if the event would be held again.
After this, I felt a lot more confident in my management ability, and though I’ve always felt my communication skills are fairly good, I still thought that hosting the first half had improved them even more.
After swapping out the consoles and getting the tournament bracket ready, it was almost time to re-open for our second and main event. Unfortunately, this event proved to be less popular than the opening one, which we thought could be down to many factors.
The event was planned to take place on the first Saturday of every month, so obviously we had to kick this off on a Saturday. The bad news was that this particular Saturday was a perfect storm of problems (or at least, problems that we thought would’ve had some significant effect on the turnout).
First of all, the weather in the night became extremely bad, potentially putting people off travelling the distance for a few hours of gaming. Secondly, this was towards the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in the UK, so understandably we thought that many would be hesitant to come hang out in a potentially busy public cinema. Finally, the timing (being more towards the night-time) and fact that the game being played was rated 18 meant that we were cutting out a major crowd, as anyone who was in town passing time would already be gone, and anyone under the age of 18 would be unable to attend.
Despite all this, the event was not completely unsuccessful. We had a turnout of around 15 people, who seemed to really enjoy their time and expressed interest in returning to the next one. This allowed us also to run the tournament smoothly, without having to substitute any plans due to low numbers. Once again, I felt as though my managing skills were improving, as I was a lot more confident in the plans and layout this time around. As previously stated, though my communication skills were already fairly good, this once again did help, as I was letting people know about future plans for the event and more.
After the event concluded, Johan and I decided to brainstorm quickly on how we could increase its popularity, and also took onboard some feedback from those we attended. What we concluded was that for the next event, we’d create some sort of poll in which attendees could vote for what games and specific activities they want to see, therefore ensuring that they would definitely be interested. Obviously, as was the case with this particular event, sometimes other factors such as weather and illness can have serious effects, but we decided that if we tried our best to control all other factors, then things should run even more smoothly for the next time.
As I said earlier, this unfortunately turned out to be the last time I would be working at Cinema & Co. due to current circumstances. As of right now, there has yet to be a follow up event (due to not enough time passing too) so I can’t comment on if the next event proved to be more popular. However, I have no doubt that it will continue to improve, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!
Overall, my time at Cinema & Co. has been a rewarding experience, and I feel as though I’ve certainly learnt new things and improved on skills I’d picked up previously. Seeing how an independent cinema is run and maintained was very intriguing, and how they decide on what to show and when was especially interesting. However, the most rewarding element was improving my editing and managing skills.
South Wales’ Penarth Pier offers home not only to a cone of chips and a seaside view, but also to the world 
of Snowcat Cinema, where I’ve spent the past six weeks of my BA Film Studies exhibition-based placement.
Snowcat, run by one-man-band Ben, is an independent cinema tucked away on the upper floor of the Pier Pavilion. Screenings run in the evenings from Thursday to Sunday, and include every kind of film: from the occasional blockbuster to, more often, the abstract and whimsical or the classic.
The nature of the cinema, independently developed and run, has allowed me a close insight into each of the behind-the-scenes processes of exhibition: the planning, programming and scheduling which all takes place before the screening of any film. I was one of four students spending time at Snowcat, and the varied interests of each member of our group made for a holistic exploration of the different elements which go into running a cinema.
In one of our first experiences, we were shown the ropes of preparing a ‘playlist’ for a screening. First, transferring the film from its DCP (Digital Cinema Package) into a playable format, and then scheduling the adverts, logos, and ‘no phone’ signals which will precede it. These technical skills in particular were something I had never considered when thinking about exhibition: naturally, I had expected to spend some time in a projection room, but I had never considered the amount of work which takes place before the film is even shown.
Such skills are extensive, and require a developed knowledge of the softwares involved in order to work. The planning which goes into ensuring the correct aspect ratio, the order of adverts, and even the timing of gaps between images, is such an incredibly key part of the film-watching experience which many audience members remain unaware of.
The real beauty of working a placement in somewhere like Snowcat, however, is the diversity of tasks I’ve been able to get involved in and, as such, the range of skills which I’ve been able to develop.
Again (and this is so important to the cinema and to my experience), the cinema is independently run – picked up and put together by Ben alone – and therefore doesn’t have the luxury of a team that can collaborate to put together screenings. All work is done by Ben, which means full involvement in every step of the process when arranging events.
Of course, though, the group nature of this placement – expanding Ben’s team from one to five – meant that a level of communication was necessary to get things done. With every step of putting together a screening came emails with Ben, messages among us students, and updates via the shared DropBox file on which we came to rely for sharing data. The process was inherently collaborative, forcing me to refine and adapt my communicative skills to a group setting that I’d had little experience with previously.
The later weeks of this placement involved looking further into the marketing, ticket-selling, and public engagement aspects of working within the cinema. First, a run-down on the cinema’s audiences – those that Ben is targeting with his choices of film – and the ways in which he engages with them to encourage their attendance at screenings. Whilst the cinema’s primary audience is the older population of Penarth, usually retirees who come week-on-week to reminisce on films seen in their earlier years, the cinema is currently in the process of expanding and diversifying its audience to include the younger communities of Cardiff.
A large part of Snowcat’s engagement, therefore, takes place via social media: events are created on Facebook, ac Twitter is used to announce upcoming films and interact with other local film communities, cinephiles and organisations such as Cardiff’s Chapter Arts. Here, the cinema has the opportunity not only to engage with existing filmgoers, but to reach those who are likely unaware that Snowcat even exists.
Distinct to the world of independent cinema, though, is the personal touch which comes with this online engagement. Besides a focus on upcoming films and events, Ben often tweets images relating to life in Penarth – a rainbow over the pier or his own dogs on a walk – to engage with the local audiences attending the cinema as a way of supporting their community.
Clearly, the concept of community is central to the running of Snowcat: with an audience consisting largely of returning viewers, it’s no secret that the Penarth locals are at the heart of everything the cinema does.
The screen itself has a screening suggestion box outside, and many audience members stay behind after each showing to take part in discussion around the films they’ve just watched.
When it does come to promoting films, though, Snowcat collects a list of specific information and images which can be used to market individual screenings. First, the film’s basic details – the director, release date, running time, colour, language and rating – and then a brief description of the film’s narrative with details of its popular actors or any awards it may have won.
Images of various shapes (a ‘quad’, ‘portrait’, and ‘banner’ photo) are also collected to be used in various locations, from social media promotions to the TicketSource pages where seats will be sold. Here, we were given the opportunity to work independently in gathering the promotional materials for specific films. With some help from Ben, I collected materials for the Jojo Rabbit (2019) screening and then, alone, for the epic seven-hour Sátántangó (1994) showing.
The next step, and the one which took place in my final session at Snowcat, was a scheduling task. Independently, we were tasked with searching for events and anniversaries taking place across the remainder of the year from which a weekend of relevant screenings could be put together.
This is, so far, possibly the task I’ve found most intriguing: it’s rare that I, as an audience member, ever see or have the opportunity to understand the processes by which cinemas select and plan the films that they’re going to show. Snowcat’s independent management, furthermore, makes for a high degree of freedom over the screenings that can take place: so long as Ben can get permission, the film can be shown.
Pride Cymru, taking place from the 28th-30th August, provides opportunities for a weekend of LGBTQ+ themed cinema. On December 3rd, Jean-Luc Godard will celebrate his 90th birthday. Hitchcock’s Psycho turns 60 years old in September, and Jaws will be 45 in June.
It quickly becomes clear how central research skills are to the exhibition industry, particularly in the case of independently-run organisations. And, beyond that, the need for critical thinking skills when picking what can be shown to a cinema’s specific audience. Do Penarth’s pensioner’s want to watch Get Out for black history month? Possibly not. But The Color Purple, or 12 Years a Slave? Much more likely.
This part of the placement – the chance to develop skills around researching and putting together events appropriate for a particular audience – is one I feel I particularly engaged with. The opportunity to start from scratch, researching and developing potential ideas and events, is an experience I hadn’t expected to have on my placement but one which I definitely found exciting.
In putting together anniversary or celebration-based weekends of screenings, it becomes possible to create a wholly unique film experience, far different to the realm of multiplex chain cinemas.
Whilst Snowcat has now, unfortunately, had to close in the wake of the UK lockdown, we had initially made plans to work on a ‘pop-up’ cinema in the Summer. Working out the logistics of an inflatable screen at the end of the pier and what would overall be a less conventional cinema experience is something which I had particularly been looking forward to, and which I hope will still take place in the future.
For the same reasons, the cinema also had to cancel its Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) on the 28th March – a screening that I had been planning to come along to in order to engage more directly with the cinema’s community and with a more front-of-house role and the customer service skills involved in this.
So far, though, Snowcat has provided me with the chance to explore almost every step in the independent exhibition process, from brainstorming an outline of vague ideas for the year’s screenings to marketing an event and creating the film playlist which audiences will eventually see. Going forward, I’m eager to get back in contact with Snowcat and Ben when possible to help reach new audiences and further broaden my understanding of the exhibition process.
