Cardiff based film and TV producer, Berwyn Rowlands, who founded the biggest international LGBT+ short film prize in the world, is in line for recognition after being nominated for a 2021 National Lottery Award.

Berwyn, originally from Anglesey but who lives in Cardiff, has been shortlisted in the Arts category of this year’ National Lottery Awards for his outstanding work over 15 years as the Founder and Festival Director of the Iris Prize LGBT+ Film Festival. Berwyn is flying the flag for Wales and is one of only five individuals from across the UK nominated in the Arts category.

The National Lottery Awards are the annual search for the UK’s favourite National Lottery funded people and projects and they celebrate the inspirational individuals and groups who do extraordinary things in their community, especially during these challenging times.

Established by Berwyn in 2006, the National Lottery funded Iris Prize takes place in Cardiff annually and has developed into the biggest international LGBT+ short film prize in the world. It has become a leading voice in championing LGBT+ short film and Iris also runs LGBT+ education and community outreach projects in Wales and the UK throughout the year. Iris has cemented itself as a significant event in the British film festival calendar and has featured in the top 50 film festivals in the world by Movie Maker magazine for four years.

Thrilled to be nominated, Berwyn (pictured above in 2007), 54, who organised his first ever public film festival in Aberystwyth back in 1989, says:

This year, more than 1,500 people were nominated for a National Lottery Award in recognition of the work they have carried out with the help of National Lottery funding. 

Next month a panel, made up of representatives of The National Lottery and partners, will decide the winners in each category from a shortlist of five. 

Winners will be revealed in the autumn and will receive a £3,000 cash prize for their organisation and a coveted National Lottery Awards trophy.

Jonathan Tuchner, from The National Lottery, said: 

Encompassing all aspects of National Lottery good causes funding, the 2021 National Lottery Awards will recognise outstanding individuals in the following sectors:

• Culture, Arts & Film
• Heritage
• Sport
• Community/Charity
• There will be a special Young Hero Award for someone under the age of 18 who has gone that extra mile in their organisation.

In September a public vote will be held to find The National Lottery Project of the Year, while online polls will take place after the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games to determine the winner of The National Lottery Olympian and Paralympian awards.

ENDS.

13 Gorffennaf 2021

Mae Canolfan Ffilm Cymru (FHW) wedi dyfarnu £52,700 mewn cyllid Loteri Cenedlaethol, drwy Gronfa Arddangos Ffilmiau Rhwydwaith Cynulleidfa BFI (FAN) i 8 sinema annibynnol a gwyliau ffilm wrth iddyn nhw ailagor yn dilyn Covid-19. I rai, dyma fydd y tro cyntaf i’w drysau agor ers Mawrth 2020.

Defnyddir arian i helpu i gyflwyno’r ffilmiau DU a rhyngwladol gorau yn ôl i’r sgrin fawr mewn cymunedau yng Nghymru. Fe fydd arddangoswyr yn cefnogi llesiant a lleihau ynysigrwydd a grewyd gan y pandemig, a chynnig digwyddiadau fforddiadwy a hygyrch i gynulleidfaoedd ar-lein ac yn y sinemau lleol maen nhw’n eu hadnabod a’u caru. O linynnau ffilmiau a qollwyd i animeiddio Cymreig niwroamrywiol fe fydd cymunedau yn chwarae rôl allweddol mewn ffurfio dychweliad sinema.

Yn Theatr Gwaun yn Abergwaun maen nhw wedi bod yn brysur yn ail-lunio’r rhaglen ffilmiau a’r adeilad gyda chymorth y gymuned. Gall cynulleidfaoedd ddisgwyl gofod wedi’i ddiwedaru yn cynnwys caffi Martha a gweithgareddau newydd i ymwelwyr ifanc.

Dywedodd Sue Whitbread, Prif Weithredwraig Theatr Gwaun:

Ym Mlaenau Ffestiniog, mae CellB yn dod â’r byd i’w cynulleidfa drwy ffilm, drwy eu rhaglen ieuenctid ‘Sinema’r Byd .’ Fe fydd dros 50 o ffilmiau Prydeinig a rhyngwladol i bob oed yn archwilio diwylliant a newid hinsawdd, y gall cynulleidfaoedd eu mwynhau yn ein Sgrin 2 newydd.

Dywedodd Rhys Roberts, perchennog Cellb:

Gyda chyfyngiadau Covid i’w hadolygu ym mis Gorffennaf mae safleoedd ar draws Cymru yn gweithio’n galed i baratoi ar gyfer ailagor yn ddiogel ac yn hyfyw.

Mae Hana Lewis, Rheolwraig Strategol Canolfan Ffilm Cymru yn esbonio:

Mae Cronfa Arddangos Ffilmiau FAN BFI yn bosibl drwy gyllid y Loteri Cenedlaethol gan y Sefydliad Ffilm Prydeinig (BFI) drwy ei Rwydwaith Cynulleidfa Ffilm (FAN). Mae’r gronfa yn cynnig cymorth i arddangoswyr ar draws y DU i hybu rhaglennu diwylliannol ac ymgysylltu gyda chynulleidfaoedd amrywiol wrth i gyfyngiadau lacio. Gweinyddir y cronfeydd yng Nghymru gan Ganolfan Ffilm Cymru drwy Chapter fel y Corff Arweiniol Canolfan Ffilm.

Mae’r Loteri Cenedlaetholo yn codi £36 miliwn yr wythnos i achosion da ar draws y DU.

Diwedd.

Darllenwch y datganiad i’r wasg llawn yma

Images/Delweddau – left to right: Off Y Grid and Wicked Wales, Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival, Cardiff Animation Festival © Mission Photographic, Pontardawe Arts Centre, CellB – Sgrin 2, Theatr Gwaun July Reopening, WOW “Wales One World” Film Festival

Mae’r Loteri Genedlaethol yn croesawu carwyr ffilmiau yn ôl gyda thocynnau am ddim i dros 500 o sinemâu led led y DU ar ddydd Sadwrn 19 a dydd Sul 20 Mehefin ar gyfer Penwythnos Sinemâu’r Loteri Genedlaethol 

Mae Edith Bowman, a’r cyfarwyddwyr, Dexter Fletcher a Prano Bailey-Bond yn rhannu eu cyffro am y gefnogaeth hon i’r sinema gan y gall unrhyw un sy’n chwarae’r Loteri Genedlaethol hawlio pâr o docynnau am ddim ar www.cinemaweekend.co.uk

Dydd Mercher 16 Mehefin 2021: Mae dros 200,000 o docynnau sinema am ddim ar gael i garwyr ffilmiau’r penwythnos nesaf (Dydd Sadwrn 19 a Dydd Sul 20 Mehefin), fel diolch i chwaraewyr y Loteri Genedlaethol am eu cyfraniad allweddol i ffilm.  

Cynhelir Wythnos Sinemâu’r Loteri Genedlaethol, mewn partneriaeth â Sefydliad Ffilm Prydain (BFI), mewn mwy na 500 o safleoedd sinema led led y DU, gan gynnwys Cineworld, Odeon, Vue a chadwynni a sinemâu annibynnol eraill o Thurso i Penzance, ac o Goleraine i Gaerdydd. 

Gall chwaraewyr ddefnyddio unrhyw docyn Loteri Genedlaethol, gêm ennill ddi-oed neu gerdyn crafu a brynwyd ar-lein neu mewn siop adwerthu (mae Amodau a Thelerau yn gymwys) i hawlio pâr o docynnau am ddim i’w defnyddio mewn sinemâu sy’n cymryd rhan trwy edrych ar www.cinemaweekend.co.uk. 

Yn ystod Penwythnos Sinemâu’r Loteri Genedlaethol eleni, mae rhywbeth i bawb ei weld; o ffilmiau diweddar a gefnogir gan Sefydliad Ffilm Prydain (BFI) megis After Love gyda Joanna Scalan yn serennu ynddi, a The Reason I Jump, ffilm ddogfen sydd wedi ennill gwobr BIFA (Gwobrau Ffilmiau Annibynnol Prydain), hyd at ffilmiau poblogaidd sy’n gwerthu llawer o docynnau megis y ffilm gerddorol In the Height, Cruella gan Disney a’r ffilm arswyd A Quiet Place Part II, ynghyd â drama The Father sydd wedi ennill BAFTA ac Oscar® gyda Sir Anthony Hopkins yn serennu ynddi.

Dywedodd Edith Bowman, darlledwraig a llefarydd ar gyfer yr ymgyrch:

Mae Prano-Bailey Bond, y cyfarwyddwr o Gymru wedi profi effaith y buddion a ddaw yn sgil arian y Loteri Genedlaethol ei hunan. Roedd Prano, sy’n cynhyrchu ffilmiau arswyd seicolegol, yn un o’r gwneuthurwyr ffilmiau oedd yn dod i’r amlwg ac a ddewiswyd i fod yn rhan o raglen datblygiad proffesiynol y BFI sy’n rhedeg ochr yn ochr â Gŵyl Ffilmiau Llundain y BFI yn 2017. Bydd ei ffilm nodwedd gyntaf, Censor, a gefnogwyd gan y BFI a Ffilm Cymru gan ddefnyddio cronfeydd oddi wrth y Loteri Genedlaethol yn y sinemâu yn ddiweddarach eleni. Dywedodd Prano: “Mae’r BFI wedi bod yn eithriadol o gefnogol ac ni fyddwn wedi gallu gwneud Censor heb eu cefnogaeth. Wedi gwylio gwneuthurwyr ffilmiau yr wyf yn eu hedmygu’n fawr yn dod i’r amlwg trwy’r BFI, megis Lynne Ramsay (y gyfarwyddwraig Albanaidd adnabyddus ar gyfer ffilmiau megis Morvern Callar a We Need to Talk About Kevin) a Sarah Gavron (cyfarwyddwraig Rocks sydd wedi ennill BAFTA yn ddiweddar), mae’n freuddwyd i gael y gefnogaeth hon ar gyfer fy ffilm nodwedd gyntaf. Diolch yn fawr i holl chwaraewyr y Loteri Genedlaethol!”

“Mae’r BFI wedi bod yn eithriadol o gefnogol ac ni fyddwn wedi gallu gwneud Censor heb eu cefnogaeth. Wedi gwylio gwneuthurwyr ffilmiau yr wyf yn eu hedmygu’n fawr yn dod i’r amlwg trwy’r BFI, megis Lynne Ramsay (y gyfarwyddwraig Albanaidd adnabyddus ar gyfer ffilmiau megis Morvern Callar a We Need to Talk About Kevin) a Sarah Gavron (cyfarwyddwraig Rocks sydd wedi ennill BAFTA yn ddiweddar), mae’n freuddwyd i gael y gefnogaeth hon ar gyfer fy ffilm nodwedd gyntaf. Diolch yn fawr i holl chwaraewyr y Loteri Genedlaethol!”

Dywedodd Ben Roberts, Prif Weithredwr o fewn BFI: “Diolch i haelioni chwaraewyr y Loteri Genedlaethol, rydym yn gallu cefnogi gwneuthurwyr ffilmiau beiddgar, addysg a hyfforddiant ffilmiau, y sinemâu sy’n golygu cymaint i gymunedau lleol, ac yn galluogi cynulleidfaoedd y DU i weld amrywiaeth eang o ffilmiau. Dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf, mae cymaint ohonom wedi colli’r profiad cymunedol arbennig hwnnw o wylio ffilm ar y sgrîn fawr, felly pa ffordd well o ddweud “diolch i chi” nag ymweliad am ddim â’r sinema!”

Mae’r Loteri Genedlaethol wedi ariannu gwneud mwy na 600 o ffilmiau, gan gynnwys ffilmiau sydd wedi ennill gwobrau ac sydd wedi bod yn llwyddiannus yn fasnachol ar draws y blynyddoedd megis Bend it Like Beckham, The King’s Speech ac yn fwyaf diweddar, Rocks, a enwebwyd saith gwaith am wobrau BAFTA. Gyda’i gilydd, mae’r ffilmiau a ariannwyd wedi ennill 15 Oscars®, 109 o wobrau BAFTA a 29 gwobr yng Ngŵyl Ffilmiau mawreddog Cannes.

The National Lottery has funded the making of more than 600 films, including award-winning and  commercial hits across the years such as Bend it Like Beckham, The King’s Speech and, more recently,  seven-time BAFTA nominee Rocks. The funded films combined have won 15 Oscars®, 109 BAFTAs and 29  awards at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.  

O ganlyniad i’r arian a godwyd gan Y Loteri Genedlaethol ar gyfer achosion da, mae’r BFI yn buddsoddi dros £50 miliwn y flwyddyn i ddatblygu a chefnogi gwneuthurwyr ffilmiau a ffilmiau sy’n tarddu o’r DU, gan gyfoethogi’r diwylliant ffilmiau annibynnol gyda’u lleisiau gwreiddiol.  

Mae Penwythnos Sinemâu’r Loteri Genedlaethol yn rhan o gyfoeth o weithgareddau ym mis Mehefin i ddiolch i chwaraewyr y Loteri Genedlaethol am gyfrannu dros £30 miliwn pob wythnos tuag at achosion da led led y DU. 

Rhaid i chwaraewyr holl gemau’r Loteri Genedlaethol fod yn 18 mlwydd oed neu hŷn.  

Participating cinemas in Wales: 

∙ Maxime Y Coed Duon 

∙ Odeon Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr 

∙ Neuadd Gyhoeddus Brynaman

∙ Chapter Arts Centre 

∙ Odeon Caerdydd 

∙ Showcase Caerdydd Nantgarw 

∙ Vue Caerdydd 

∙ Vue Caerfyrddin 

∙ Vue Cwmbran 

∙ Odeon Llanelli 

∙ Vue Merthyr 

∙ Reel Port Talbot 

∙ Scala Cinema, Prestatyn 

∙ Vue Rhyl 

∙ Odeon Swansea 

∙ Vue Abertawe 

∙ Odeon Wrecsam Eagles Meadow 

-ENDS 

Darllenwch y datganiad i’r wasg llawn

Information from Cheltenham International Film Festival

Tickets to Cheltenham International Film Festival 2021 (online) are now on sale via our streaming partner YourScreen. Once again, we are working with exhibitor partners to reach audiences across the UK using our Virtual Cinema model and hope that you will join us once more to share our programme with your audiences.

We will provide you with a discount code entitling your audience to 25% off tickets. This year we are also offering Festival Passes for any five films at an early bird price of only £25 up until midnight on 23 May.

For all sales made using your code we will pay you 30% of all revenue received. Existing YourScreen 25% codes will still be valid for individual ticket purchases. We also have a new affiliate scheme for selling passes which means all you need to do is share a link and revenue will automatically be tracked.

I gofrestru, anfonwch click here to register as a Virtual Screening Partner.

If you require any further information, please email: [email protected]

The full festival programme can be browsed at: https://cheltfilm.com/

About the Festival

Opening with a preview of the multi-Oscar winning film, The Father, and closing with a preview of an adaptation of Steven Berkoff’s comedy play Brighton, the festival presents 33 films from around the world, including 17 UK premieres and 11 previews. The official film festival competition to select BEST FILM, EMERGING DIRECTOR will be judged by a respected jury of film and media personalities chaired by Anna Smith, who, most recently, was Chair of the London Film Critics’ Circle.

This year we acknowledge the 50th anniversary of the release of Stephen Frears’ debut feature film Gumshoe. In an exclusive interview with Tim Robey of The Daily Telegraph, Stephen talks about Gumshoe and his long and prolific career as one of the UK’s most respected filmmakers. Other interviews during the festival include Aneil Karia, director of the exhilarating thriller Surge, the Cannes Camera D’Or winning director of Wet Season , Anthony Chen, Michael Bentham, director of topical Australian drama Disclosure and the Director of Brighton, Stephen Cookson along with cast members Larry Lamb a Marion Bailey.  More Q&A events will be announced in the coming week.

This year, we have had more interest than ever in the festival programme with ticket sales already taking off and each film has a limited number of tickets. Therefore, we recommend you start promoting asap so that your audience doesn’t miss the opportunity to watch these wonderful films. Better yet, they can buy a pass for excellent value.

The full programme is now on sale at https://cheltfilm.com/ with tickets available at Early Bird prices until midnight on 23 May.

Mwy o wybodaeth Patrick Bliss, [email protected]

From May 17th, cinemas in Wales and across the UK are beginning to open their doors to audiences again. Reconnect with the best  British and international films on the big screen. 

Check back in for more updates as cinemas confirm their reopening dates in the coming weeks and months.

Climate emergency is the defining issue of our time. We can’t afford to look away. We’re working with cinemas and festivals Wales wide to develop our #PlanetaryPromise by ensuring that the projects we support, consider their impact on the environment.

We also recently released a biodiverse big screen programming pack, a free film resource available UK wide to raise awareness through environmental film programming.

We’re also considering the impact we make in our office. We’ve switched to recyclable tape, refillable bamboo pens, note books from Born Free Foundation and we refill our liquids in glass bottles. We’re committed to making a difference on a local and national level.

The National Lottery Environmental Campaign

To celebrate the National Lottery’s support for film, and to provide support for UK cinemas, National Lottery Cinema Weekend (NLCW) will be returning.

Looking forward to brighter times, BFI and Camelot are planning the next National Lottery Cinema Weekend (NLCW) for 19 and 20 June 2021, by which time it is hoped that as many venues as possible across the UK will be able to participate. Players of The National Lottery can claim a pair of free adult cinema tickets at participating venues, which are then reimbursed by Camelot up to the agreed maximum value.

To get involved click here to register.

The Independent Cinema Office in its capacity as Film Hub South East will be the co-ordinating body on behalf of the Film Audience Network and the central contact point for cinemas. They will be following up with registered venues in April with regular updates, and a press and marketing toolkit will be available in May.

Registration is open until the 31^ain of May and the official microsite will go live with venue listings at the end of April.

For more information, please see the campaign summary a Cwestiynau Cyffredin.

Os oes gennych unrhyw gwestiynau, cysylltwch â: [email protected]

Register now

Mae Picturing our Past / Fframio’n Gorffennol yn ap hynod sy’n cael ei lansio ar-lein ar 4 Mai 2021 mewn digwyddiad arbennig gyda’r cerddor Gwenno sy’n canu yn Gymraeg a Chernyweg, y gwneuthurwr ffilmiau ffeministaidd Michele Ryan ac un o gyflwynwyr S4C, a chyn-rocar, Aled Samuel. Bydd rhaghysbyseb (trailer) arbennig gyda throslais gan Cerys Matthews yn cael ei chwarae yn ystod y digwyddiad.

Mae’r ap yn crynhoi sawl carreg filltir o fewn hanes gwneud ffilmiau yng Nghymru – a ddisgrifiwyd unwaith gan yr hanesydd uchel ei barch, Dave Berry, fel “Yr etifeddiaeth ffrwythlon honno”. Mae Archif Sgrin a Sain Cymru Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru wedi chwarae rhan hollbwysig yn y gwaith o warchod ffilmiau a recordiadau sain o Gymru ac mae nawr yn cefnogi cynnyrch dwyieithog sy’n torri’n rhydd o ffiniau llyfr, gan greu cyfuniad unigryw o eiriau a delwedd symudol.

Mae’r cyfarwyddwr arobryn Colin Thomas a’r archifydd ffilm Iola Baines wedi dewis pump ar hugain o glipiau ffilm o orffennol ffilmig Cymru wedi’u cysylltu â thestun i adrodd stori sy’n mynnu ein sylw. Cafodd yr e-lyfr hwn ei lunio gan Thud Media yng Nghaerdydd gyda chefnogaeth Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru a Hwb Ffilm Cymru.

Dywedodd Pedr ap Llwyd, Prif Weithredwr a Llyfrgellydd y Llyfrgell Genedlaethol:

"Mae'r e-lyfr newydd yma yn ffordd gyffrous a blaengar o gyflwyno casgliadau clyweledol cyfoethog y Llyfrgell Genedlaethol, gan gynnig llwybr ffres a chyfoes i ddefnyddwyr o bob math fedru cyrraedd at y dreftadaeth apelgar hon. Edrychaf ymlaen yn fawr at ein lansiad arlein ar 4ydd o Fai, pryd bydd ein panel byrlymus yn siwr o godi awch am lawrlwytho'r 'ap' a'i gipolwg ffresh ar y sinema Gymreig."

Meddai Iola Baines, Curadur Delweddau Symudol, Archif Sgrin a Sain Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru:

Ychwanegodd Colin Thomas:

“Tra’n anrhydeddu enghreifftiau nodedig o lwyddiannau byd y ffilm yng Nghymru, megis Hedd Wyn, bydd yr ap yn ceisio sicrhau nad yw campweithiau na chafodd gymaint o gydnabyddiaeth yn cael eu hanwybyddu – ffilmiau fel David ac Un Nos Ola Leuad. Ac er y bydd yr ap yn cydnabod poblogrwydd gwladgarol ffilmiau megis Zulu, bydd hefyd yn trafod ffilmiau sy’n portreadu Cymru o bersbectif mwy dadleuol – megis Twin Town a Human Traffic.”

Meddai Hana Lewis, Rheolwr Strategol Canolfan Ffilm Cymru:

A oes gan Gymru etifeddiaeth ffilm nodedig? Yn dilyn cyflwyniad ffilm byr, dyma’r cwestiwn a drafodir yn lansiad yr ap gan y gwneuthurwr ffilmiau ffeministaidd Michele Ryan, y darlledwr a’r cyn-ganwr pync roc Aled Samuel a’r cerddor a’r artist sain Gwenno

–ENDS–

Biography

Sara Sugarman was born in Rhyl, Denbighshire, Wales. She is an actress and director, known for Sid and Nancy (1986), Very Annie Mary (2001), Disney‘s Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004) and Vinyl (2012). In 1994 she won a place at Bournemouth Film School, scripted and directed three short films, nominated for a BAFTA, BAFTA CYMRU and won twenty three International film festivals.

When was the first time you realised you wanted to make films?

I sent away for a super 8 kit from the classified section of my dad’s newspaper when I was 11. It was plastic. I still have the camera and it was so so exciting! I wanted to remake JAWS on Rhyl beach and this was the time I realised I could make my imagination have a place telling stories.

What was the last project you worked on / made?

Just finished shooting SAVE THE CINEMA for Sky cinema.

What are you up to now? What is the next project you’re working on?

I am editing the film now. I feel very lucky in a time of a pandemic to be making a movie.

Biography

Producer, writer and former co-director of Gaucho production company. Producer of award winning feature films One Full Moon, Leaving Lenin a The Making of Maps. Multi BAFTA award winner as producer of numerous TV drama series & film. Mentor & producer of short film projects nurturing new directors & writers. Project manager for Off y Grid, a Film Hub Wales initiative. Currently producing short films in a pilot project between Wales and Nepal and developing a TV drama series for young people.

When was the first time you realised you wanted to make films?

As a child, cinema was a regular feature on a Saturday morning & over the years the more films I saw the more I fell in love with the big screen. However I always thought that working in films was an impossible dream for a girl from the sticks. After a brief mindset detour – when I thought I would become a surgeon- I realised that this was definitely not for me. Throughout adolescence, university & the early days of my career film has always fired my imagination & has transported me to other worlds & cultures.

What was the last project you worked on / made?

I wrote & produced a 3 part drama series for S4C, filmed in Wales & Majorca.

What are you up to now? What is the next project you’re working on?

Mentoring a filmmaking course for young people + waiting for venues to open to rekindle Off y Grid activities as a project manager/co-ordinator and producing a 6 part drama series for young people. Also I’m considering potential film projects. I have just accepted an invitation to produce/mentor 3 short films with young filmmakers from Wales as part of the International Youth Media Summit. This is a collaboration between Nepal & Wales. I’m also a producer/mentor on a forthcoming filmmaking course for young people in North Wales.

Useful links:

• Into Film: Cinemas That Made Me – Pauline Williams 

Biography

Claire Fowler is a writer-director from Wales who is based both in the US and UK. Her latest short, Salam, was the first Welsh short film to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, and was one of ten shorts selected for the Short Film Award at the BFI London Film Festival. It has since screened at more than one hundred festivals and won over ten awards including the BAFTA Cymru award for best short in 2020.

When was the first time you realised you wanted to make films?

I’ve always been attracted to the idea of filmmaking, and I’ve always loved narrative in the form of reading books, drawing, and watching films. But being from a small village in North Wales it didn’t really occur to me that directing was even an option for me– which sounds ridiculous when you consider that I studied Fine Art at University. I guess my naive teenage brain thought I could be a teacher and an artist, but never a director because only posh people did that- which just goes to show that representation matters. But at University I began to make little experimental films and I became completely absorbed in the process. There was this palpable magnetic pull towards filmmaking, but there was also a huge amount of resistance from me (and my family) in the form of very practical questions such as: How do I even begin to do this? Where will I find the money for each film? How can I make a living? But I had to give in to the gradual realisation that I would not be happy unless I pursued it. To be completely honest, it still feels very far away because I don’t yet make a full-time living from directing. Sometimes I manage to for months at a time, but right now I still need a back-up for the dry periods. What we do not talk about is the fact that most people who succeed in this business have independent wealth. To make even a short film a director has to not only raise the funds for the film itself, but also factor in lost earnings for all of the days spent casting, in prepro, on-set and then in post.  If you don’t have all of the resources on hand, you still have to pay rent and bills, eat and travel and maintain other employment. It’s a real juggling act when you’re not wealthy and no one is ever going to give you extra credit for that. 

What was the last project you worked on / made?

The last project I worked on as director was actually as a director-for-hire and it was unfortunately not an enjoyable experience. The writers were great, the scripts had a lot of potential and the cast and crew were lovely, but it was low budget, corners were cut, and certain directorial decisions were taken out of my hands by the producers. It only served to weaken the end result and make the process painful. A director’s job is to bring their vision to a project. One person takes on that responsibility because design by committee is disastrous. A director-for-hire has the additional responsibility of pleasing various people– execs, writers, producers. In this situation, there is a process that should be followed to ensure that everyone is happy– for example, casting and other creative decisions (such as hiring key crew) should be made in consultation, there should be in-depth concept and tone meetings for every episode, a post-production schedule, time set aside for a director’s cut. It should be a collaboration, but one that supports the director as the creative helmer of the project. This job did not follow the usual professional process, and it did not respect my role as director. Compromise is always possible when there is respect present in a relationship, but if someone insists on imposing their vision over the director’s, then there is going to be discord on-screen and off.

What are you up to now? What is the next project you’re working on?

I am developing a feature script with BBC Films and Sorcha Bacon of Try Hard productions. It has taken pretty much the whole of the pandemic to get the contract to a place where we are all happy, but I am really excited to be working with Sorcha, and Claudia and Eva of the BBC.

Useful links:

• Cleveland International Film Festival: Q&A with filmmaker Claire Fowler

Following months of development and an extensive recruitment campaign, the Torch Theatre’s Young Film Ambassadors scheme launched this Wednesday (25 March) with its first online session, as the Torch Theatre’s Alex Lloyd and James Gent welcomed aboard its first intake of new members at the start of what promises to be an unmissable opportunity for young people in Pembrokeshire who are interested in film and cinema to experience film in a fun and educational way.

The Torch Theatre Young Film Ambassadors is a new scheme for those aged 14-18 in Pembrokeshire that will give opportunities for young people to watch, discuss and review the latest independent, UK & International, and blockbuster films. The scheme will give the young ambassadors the opportunity to get their reviews seen, and, to find out more about cinema and filmmaking in focused workshop sessions for aspiring reviewers with special guest speakers.

For the first session, the new recruits were joined by Keiron Self, the film editor for Buzz Magazine, who is also an actor, script writer and filmmaker in his own right. Keiron led an engaging, wide-ranging discussion on film, film genres, making your opinion count as a viewer or critic, and his own experiences writing, performing, and developing scripts for film & TV. 

Also present was Hywel Roberts of young people’s film network Into Film Cymru, whose Into Film Festival is the world’s largest free annual film festival, to share with the group just some of the opportunities available for young people to engage with great filmmaking and to develop a critical viewpoint so that they can learn and grow from those experiences.

Due to current COVID restrictions, the Young Film Ambassadors workshops and film screenings are taking place online. Conditions permitting, once the Torch Theatre is fully reopened and operating with a full cinema programme the Torch Theatre looks forward to welcoming its Ambassadors in person to take full advantage of the unique experience of enjoying films on the big screen.

Alex Lloyd, Senior Manager – Marketing, Press & Communications at the Torch Theatre said:

The Torch Theatre’s Young Film Ambassadors scheme has been made possible by National Lottery funding distributed by Film Hub Wales, through the BFI FAN Film Exhibition Fund which was awarded to the Torch in the Autumn of 2020.

Diwedd.