Film Hub Wales (FHW), with Chapter as Hub Lead Organisation, will keep audiences feeling cosy this autumn, with more fantastic films, for more people, in more places across Wales this autumn. A diverse series of new brosiectau have been announced with Welsh cinemas, community spaces and film festivals.
Mae Hana Lewis, Rheolwraig Strategol Canolfan Ffilm Cymru yn esbonio:
“Film Hub Wales’ audience development scheme is designed to support innovative film programming, allowing us to see the most adventurous and inspiring stories from across the world, on our local cinema screens. This autumn, we’re working with expert exhibitors to bring the very best British and international films to Wales, from year of the sea, to Wales’ oldest animation and films for families whose health often prevents a trip to the cinema.”
The film programme is brought to you supported by the BFI with National Lottery Funding as part of the BFI Film Audience Network (FAN) creating opportunities for audiences to see and enjoy a broader range of films.
DRAGON THEATRE/THEATR Y DDRAIG CULTURAL SCREENINGS PROJECT
Dragon Theatre/Theatr Y Ddraig are running seven special screenings and events from August 2018 – March 2019, bringing the best of British and international new independent releases, cult films and live screenings, to Barmouth. The venue will collaborate with new partners, using the arts as a platform to respond to the needs of the community. Screenings will be promoted by newly trained staff, as part of a wider year-round cross arts initiative with Gwynedd Council. A new YouTube channel and online reviews will support with promotion of events to the mainstream audience. The first event was a dog-friendly screening of ‘Isle of Dogs’ on August 17.
NATIONAL SCREEN AND SOUND ARCHIVE OF WALES REMINISCENCE PROJECT
The National Library of Wales and the National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales (NSSAW) are set to work with Welsh care homes, hospitals, community spaces and independent film venues to open up Wales’ screen heritage to intergenerational audiences. This includes older audiences and those living with dementia utilising the potential of the graphic and audio-visual collections to unlock memories and facilitate reminiscence therapy. Dates to be confirmed.
NSSAW are also set to launch Wales on Film, a curated DVD pack for teachers and young people studying the Welsh Baccalaureate. Six special collections of themed archive film will be featured on Hwb, Welsh Government’s digital learning platform, sharing decades of hidden Welsh stories with young audiences for years to come.
WICKED WALES YOUNG PEOPLE OUTREACH PROJECT
Wicked Wales are developing a range of activities with the aim to increase film culture among young people in North Wales.
Over the school holidays they have been running a summer film camp, where young people can learn about filmmaking and film programming, which includes making the Wicked Wales International Film Festival trailer. This includes programming, marketing and event management training for the new Wicked Wales young programmers, who will become volunteers at Rhyl Wicked Cinema FAN BFI a Wicked Wales International Film Festival. Young programmers were also busy sharing their skills with younger pupils at Prestatyn High School as part of the Welsh Government School Holiday Enrichment Programme ‘SHEP’ making films in two hours using phones
Wicked Wales will also create new links with schools. The annual Wicked Wales International Film Festival is set to take place on September 14-21. Showreels of international shorts are set to be created by young programmers and screened at Rhyl Wicked Cinema on September 18 & 19 and as part of the festival, which will be attended by various Welsh schools. After the festival these showreels will be sent to participating schools to enable youth led film reviews. On September 21 Wicked Wales International Film Festival will screen the international film ‘Nika‘, about a young female racing driver, at Prestatyn High School, with a Q&A with lead actress Ylenia Mahnic.
They are also set to work with Welsh language schools, including, including Ysgol Y Llys primary school and developing new links with Ysgol Glan Clwyd, with the aim of identifying new Welsh-speaking young programmers and developing a programme of Welsh-language films.
They will continue to work with children at Tir Morfa, a school for children with additional needs. 50% of money taken from their July screening will be given to the ReACTions school enterprise group to invest in film equipment. This will be followed by an autumn screening, which will be chosen and marketed by ReACTions.
They will also continue to screen films programmed by the young programmers at Rhyl Wicked Cinema, as well as British and foreign independent releases, to be reviewed by the young programmers, opening them up to films that they might not be familiar with such as Bicycle Thieves on August 18.
WALES ONE WORLD FILM FESTIVAL RURAL OUTREACH PROJECT
Wales One World Film Festival (WOW) are extending their work across Wales through a series of international film screenings and discussions for audiences in West Wales, designed to bring rural audiences together and grow new audiences for the WOW Film Festival, with the aim to tackle isolation, foster common understanding, social cohesion, debate and to inspire sustainable communities.
SINEMA SADWRN DOCUMENTARY PROJECT
Sinema Sadwrn, recently nominated in the Best New Society category at Cinema For All’s Film Society of the Year awards, will screen three documentaries later this year showcasing different aspects of life in rural Wales. The films on show will be Gideon Koppel’s acclaimed ‘Sleep Furiously’, a love-letter to community of Trefeurig; ‘A Good Bitch’ by Rhys Edwards, about a north-Wales farming family and their working dogs; and 'Dial-A-Ride’, from Superfolk Films, an uplifting and touching portrait of life on a community bus service in the Brecon Beacons.
LATCH SCREENINGS AT PONTARDAWE ARTS CENTRE PROJECT
Canolfan y Celfyddydau, Pontardawe and the children’s cancer charity LATCH have teamed up to provide free screenings for families, to support children living with cancer. Events are taking place throughout the summer, offering an exclusive opportunity for families to catch-up and take a break with a day out to the cinema.
YEAR OF THE SEA CINEMA EVENTS
Working alongside Visit Wales’ Find Your Epic programme, which celebrates Welsh Government’s Year of the Sea, venues will be using the big screen to promote Wales as a 21st century coastal destination, from lakesides to riverbanks, bays to beaches. Film Hub Wales trawled through an Ocean-sized list of films to curate some of our favourite sea-themed films, from contemporary to cult, and the best of Welsh cinema. Theatr Gwaun screened ‘The Island and the Whales’ on Aug 17 as part of the Land Of The Sea event in Fishguard and Goodwick.
JERRY THE TYKE TOUR
Screenings of Jerry the Tyke animated shorts are introduced to a modern audience in a zany production with an electrifying musical score, composed and played live by Simon Lovatt. Wales’ oldest animated cartoon character gets up to mischief as Lovatt’s musical trickery combine to make an exciting, fast moving and hilarious show. Produced by Arad Goch Theatre Company who present theatre for families and young audiences all over Wales and abroad and screened with the cooperation of the National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales, British Pathé and the support of Film Hub Wales. The tour began at the National Eisteddfod FAN BFI a Chapter in August.
