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Friday 27 April, 5.30pm, MacRobert Arts Centre
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There are over 25 local film festivals in Scotland, and that number continues to grow, as we have seen from the interest in our Local Film Festival Challenge Fund (now closed). Each festival is different because they speak directly to their local audience, whilst often having a national or international outlook. Local film festivals are supported by local businesses, organisations, venues and most importantly – people – to deliver programmes that engage and excite audiences and benefit the lives of the people in their communities. They enrich their culture, economy and bring people together around a shared activity.
Blythe DuffOn Friday 27 April we opened Your Festival Your Community with an event celebrating local film festivals and honoring their achievements. Hosted by our special guest Blythe Duff, we heard about film festivals from all over Scotland, and after the event, there was a special buffet dinner reception to allow more time for networking.
We presented awards in five categories for festivals that have taken place in the last 10 years. Anyone could make a nomination in any category – whether a film festival organiser, a volunteer, an enthusiastic audience member or a festival partner.
A panel including Regional Screen Scotland and Blythe Duff decided on the winners, and all nominees were recognised on the night for their brilliant achievements.
Five Awards
The categories for awards were:
Best Guest
Nominees:
Sean Petrichor, Raisah Ahmed, Robin Haig and Dylan-Starr Adams, guests of Aberfeldy Film Festival. They were so popular with young filmmakers and film fans from nearby schools that time ran out during their Q&A.
George MacKay, who was a helpful, fully engaged and enthusiastic guest of Screenplay on Shetland. He danced, sang, spoke the local dialect and swam in the North Atlantic as part of the festivals activities.
Terry Wragg from Leeds Animation Workshop, who was so committed to getting to Tiree for the Sea Change: Powering Women in Film festival – despite March’s Beast from the East – that she spent 8 hours stuck on the M80 and had to dig her way out with a beach mat.
Who created a real buzz by: introducing a film, taking part in a Q&A, leading a workshop, or just being part of the festival scene?
WINNER: Sir Sydney Samuelson CBE, guest of a special screening of his father’s 1923 film ‘A Couple of Down and Out’s’ at HippFest. Sir Sydney turned out to be a charming, attentive and very supportive guest.
Blythe told us that Sir Sydney won due to his, “on-going support for a film festival that has a very personal association, and for having prepared for the event beautifully.”
Most Surprising Location
From harbors to lighthouses, gable ends to living rooms, festivals are forever finding innovative new ways to screen films: has your festival found the most surprising location to screen a film yet?
Nominees:
Fallin Welfare Miners Society & Social Club, which hosted a screening of Still the Enemy Within at the Central Scotland Documentary Film festival in Stirling. An innovative and relevant venue for a true community event.
Victorian Pier Building, which hosted screenings during Dunoon Film Festival while their usual Dunoon Burgh Hall was being refurbished. A super popular event was a scratch n’ sniff screening of Matilda, a very funny and smelly event celebrating 100 years since Roald Dahl’s birth.
Shetland Livestock Market, which was host to 30 owners and their dogs watching a film about dogs at Screenplay Festival in 2010.
WINNER: Ben’s House at Cromarty Film Festival. Ben Leyshon opens his house to festival visitors, making them feel welcome and cosy, and converting a living space into a cinema.
“Inviting people into your home well and truly captures the spirit of community which this event seeks to encourage. It’s obviously important to this person to make people feel comfortable and at ease.” – Blythe Duff
Extra Mile Volunteer
Volunteers are the backbone of local film festivals: who has put in that extra mile to make your festival special and how have they done it?
Nominees:
Louise Carney, Chair of Heartland Film Society and Aberfeldy Film Festival. Louise has successfully engaged young people in the film festival by starting the Young Indies Short Film Competition, which has led to a broader festival scope enabling youth-led fundraising initiatives.
Felicity Snowstill and Chris Grace, volunteers for Comrie Film Festival. Felicity and Chris are the driving forces of Comrie, they originally set up Comrie Cinema Club over a decade ago and have worked tirelessly since then to keep it going.
Alan Plampton, a volunteer for Cromarty Film Festival who is their box office wizard, providing accounting support and helping to grow ticket sales every year.
WINNER: Marij van Helmond, a volunteer for Dunoon Film Festival. Marij is an essential part of many aspects of the festival organisation, from programming, volunteer coordination, organising special events and the recent launch of dementia friendly screenings at Dunoon Burgh Hall.
“The winner in this category has so obviously worked and continues to work hard to engage the community at all levels with passion and commitment.” – Blythe Duff
Biggest Surprise Hit Film
Which film (short or feature) proved to be a surprise hit with your festival audience?
Nominees:
The Big Lebowski at the Slaughterhouse Café, at Cromarty Film Festival. Nominated because it was so popular people queued in the cold to see the film, but all who turned up got a seat.
Morpeth Movie Weekend’s selection of Dancer directed by Steven Cantor. At their first ever festival event this year, it was the first documentary that the community cinema had screened in their 7 years of running, and it proved a real hit with audiences.
Caileach by Rosie Reed Hillman, which screened at Screen Tiree’s Sea Change: Powering Women in Film festival. Selected by one of the young programmers, and loved by all who saw it.
WINNER: New Found Sound at Hippodrome Silent Film Festival in Bo’ness, from the music tutors, Susanne Bell, John Somerville and Marc Duff; the students from Larbert High School; Falkirk Orchestras; and the young people who curated the programme. All worked hard to ensure the quality of the event was high and it proved to be an audience favourite.
“If you engage the community in the arts it’s never a surprise when a project is a success.” – Blythe Duff
Most Supportive Partner
It could be a sponsor or a venue, a school or a local radio station — which festival partner has done most to make your festival special?
Nominees:
Manager and Staff of the Birks Cinema, the main partner venue for Aberfeldy Film Festival, who have supported the festival with ticketing, programming and catering and their superb customer service.
Iain Hansen of Hansen’s Kitchen, partner of Comrie Film Festival, whose support is so essential – and delicious – that the festival changed their 2018 dates to ensure the availability of their food.
Bakkavor, partner of Hippodrome Silent Film Festival since 2013. The largest employer in Bo’ness, they are a partner that has sponsored youth and community engagement projects and been prominent in the festival’s advocacy work.
WINNER: Into Film Scotland, supporter of Screen Tiree’s Sea Change: Powering Women in Film festival. A funder and partner who enabled the very first screenings on Tiree and are consistently supportive and inclusive.
“This was hard as I know the vital part food plays in any event. However the winner edged ahead. Having an organisation on board that you trust and continue to work in tandem with is crucial. They can target what is required in the moment but give the much-needed back up throughout the year as well.” – Blythe Duff
Image courtesy of MacRobert[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]