THE SALFORD FILM FESTIVAL
The Salford Film Festival was a showcase for the incredible surge of community made and community inspired films in the city. It was unique because it was a free event open to everyone in Salford and was backed by every legend who has ever come out of the city – Sir Ben Kingsley wrote a poem for it…Albert Finney and Harold Riley financially contributed… Coronation Street creator, Tony Warren, was its patron last year…and Christopher Eccleston, Robert Powell, John Cooper Clarke and Russell Watson all sent personal messages of support.
As community films were shown alongside movies from Salford’s rich cinematic heritage – from Love On The Dole, to A Taste of Honey, to East Is East – the Festival drew international attention, the city was dubbed `Sollywood’ and, at a time when the national media were crucifying the city’s `feral youths’, the event promoted a positive image around the globe. 280 million people saw our kids’ films as the Salford Film Festival got featured on BBC’s World TV.
When a Channel 4 property programme anointed Salford the fourth worst place in England to live last year, the Film Festival was the only good thing they could think of to say about the city, other than the Quays. The Salford Film Festival also got lots and lots of media attention, including the front page of a national newspaper, and was featured alongside all the Hollywood blockbusters on Jonathon Ross’s Film Night. In all, around one million pounds worth of positive publicity for the city was generated by the Festival. Its budget last year was £15,000.
posted by Salford Star @ 10:36 AM
1 comments
1 Comments:
There's more to this than meets the eye, I think. What happened to the original founders of the festival? Why can't you or whoever pick up the torch and go and get some funding and support from elsewhere? If they are bored with it and it's founders have got whatever they wanted out of it, then they should let someone else have a go. There are heaps of film festivals all over the world that are run on a shoestring budget, less than 15k.
Frankly, most festivals aren't run for the love of it but more for the benefit of the founder/s. Remember MIFF a few years back? That fiasco lasted a year. Salford Film Fest - created to promote a locally shot high profile short film. What happened to the Commonwealth Film Fest? They got what they wanted out of it, got bored of it and fucked it off. How long will the new Manc film fest last? In the blink of an eye.
Post a Comment
<< Home