Hub Members attend Film Festivals in Texas and Sydney
Hub Members attend 2024’s SXSW and Sydney Film Festival with help from training bursary
SXSW festival celebrates the convergence of tech, film, music, education, and culture, helping creative people achieve their goals, and takes place in Austin, Texas every March. Hub member Robert Corcoran from 73 Degree Films attended 2024’s SXSW Festival to build on his relationships in the industry and attend the premier of Welsh film Timestalker. Akulah Agbami from Sheba Soul Ensemble wanted to attend the 2025 Sydney Film Festival to explore films and open new dialogues and awarenesses with indigenous Australian and Maori women film-makers whose films aren’t very accessible outside of Australia.
“Geographical barriers are clear as many of these filmmakers (travelling to SXSW from all over the world) will not have considered submitting their work to a Welsh (or perhaps even a European) festival previously, therefore meeting someone such as myself, to explain the benefits can set them at ease.” – Rob
Working on behalf of FOCUS Festival, Rob felt his time at SXSW was extremely valuable to grow his network as well as speaking to filmmakers to “convince them of the benefits of submitting their work to a Welsh festival.” Attending the premier of Timestalker also gave Rob an insight into the appetite for Welsh film overseas, providing ideas on how to connect with international audiences. Rob feels his attendance at SXSW resulted in a marked increase in US submissions to FOCUS Wales 2025. “Additionally I managed to meet with key people at the festival to kickstart conversations around how to continue the work and increase ties further.”
Akulah, who is the Director at Sheba Soul Ensemble, who have hosted intimate and inclusive events to celebrate Black women’s film history on screen, wanted to find out how to source films from indigenous Australian and Maori women film-makers. Akulah noted that no First Nations people attended any of the screenings and found the event still has some work to do to represent this community. With this in mind, she still came away incredibly inspired, and delighted to access several brilliant films by Black women directors, managing to watch 11 films and one short with one animation that she hopes to bring to Wales that will appeal to 16-25s and an older queer audience.
“The first time I had the ‘banquet buffet’ film festival experience was whilst working in Sydney for a year after university… But so many things I had forgotten. Like how hauntingly exquisite the State Theatre in Sydney is…For the 72nd SFF edition, I experienced 11 films and a whole lot more.” – Akulah
Rob and Akulah were able to attend these Film Festival’s 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 yma.