February, 2021

“That fertile legacy from the past century” was how Dave Berry, Wales’s much-missed film historian referred to Welsh screen culture. It is now being honoured in a completely new way – with a series of film screenings throughout Wales to promote the publication of an innovative free-to-download app, Picturing Our Past/Fframio’n Gorffennol, which will tell the story of Welsh film and television by combining text and film inserts in one free product.

The screenings, organised by the National Library of Wales Screen and Sound Archive with the support of Film Hub Wales as part of the BFI Film Audience Network (FAN), will pair a film from the past with a more recent production. On 27 February, at the Phoenix Cinema, Ton Pentre, the 1937 documentary Today We Live (1937), with its famous shots of miners scrabbling on a coal tip, will be shown with the heart-warming, award-winning documentary Dark Horse (2015), about the celebrated racehorse bought and trained by a Cefn Fforest syndicate. Then on 5 March at Yr Egin, Carmarthen, composer John Rea’s powerful new film Atgyfodi will be paired with Tryweryn – the Story of a Valley (1965) – made by the pupils of Friars School, Bangor.

On 23 March the Coliseum Cinema, Brecon will be screening Coming Up Roses/Rhosyn a Rhith (1987), a gentle comedy that is a joyous celebration of cinema itself, portraying the plight of the much-loved Rex in Aberdare, together with Cinema Memories, a short film recording the reminiscences of Cwm Afan residents of movie-going and working in the cinema. The star of the main film, Dafydd Hywel, will join the audience for a Q+A at the end of this showing, and also at the later screening in Theatr Twm o’r Nant, Denbigh on 3 April, where it will be paired with the award-winning documentary short Dial-a-Ride. The tour will conclude on 29 May with the new bitter-sweet Welsh comedy Denmark at Sinema Sadwrn, Llansadwrn.

The app Picturing Our Past/Fframio’n Gorffennol, supported by the Books Council of Wales, brings Dave Berry’s pioneering book Wales and Cinema up-to-date and digital technology enables its authors, Colin Thomas and Iola Baines, to include extracts from key films from Wales’s cinematic past.

Iola Baines, Moving Image Curator at The National Library of Wales Screen and Sound Archive explains:

Colin Thomas, a TV producer/director of who made the Welsh history series The Dragon Has Two Tongues and is three times winner of BAFTA Cymru’s Best Documentary and a Prix Europa, adds

Pedr ap Llwyd, Chief Executive and Librarian of The National Library of Wales, said:

Hana Lewis, Film Hub Wales’s Strategic Manager adds:

The app will be officially launched in May with a special event in Cardiff.

To raise the profile of the existing youth ticketing schemes at FAN member venues we’ve developed a new partnership with the Art Fund’s Student Art Pass which aims to give independent cinemas in the UK some additional profile.

COLLABORATIVE OPPORTUNITY

If you have a ticket offer of £5 or less for 16-25 year olds (or if your general ticket offer is £5 or less) they’d like to profile your cinema and offer to their student membership. The partnership will run for a year from the 25th February and will continue if successful. All we need to add your cinema to their offer is details about your venue, your ticket prices and a lovely image! Venues will be added on a rolling basis over the year but the more we have on board by the 25th February the better.

Film Hub Wales (FHW), led by Chapter as part of the BFI Film Audience Network, has announced two pioneering new projects that will champion Welsh storytelling across Wales, the UK and internationally.

Supported by Creative Wales and developed in consultation with Welsh screen organisations, an exciting new role will be created for a Made in Wales Officer. Building on the work of FHW to date, the post holder will explore ways of bringing Welsh film to public audiences, ensuring that regional stories, talent and locations are at the forefront. Details of the post can be found on Film Hub Wales’ website.

Also underway, is a piece of research into the potential of Made in Wales as a recognisable brand. Funded by Clwstwr, the project will explore the possible cultural and economic impact of a national brand for films with Welsh connections.

Read the full press release here

At Abertoir Corp’s 2019 edition of the festival, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Alien and their sci-fi theme, Abertoir attempted something literally out of this world…Abertoir, IN SPACE!

Teaming up with one of the writers of Alien, Ron Shusett, they recorded a very special introduction to the screening of the iconic film.

Before the festival, Ron’s video was loaded onto a computer attached to a special balloon capable of travelling to the edges of space. There, a mounted camera recorded Ron’s introduction playing back against the backdrop of our planet. The resulting footage was screened before the 40th anniversary screening of Alien on the closing day of the festival.

As a special thanks, Abertoir included Film Hub Wales, BFI Fan, the Institute of Physics, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth Arts Centre and Ffilm Cymru in the launch!

Rare Beasts and Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm, two films that featured in our latest Welsh Film Preview Days, will premiere at the festival held in Austin, Texas in March.

The SXSW Film Festival celebrates raw innovation and emerging talent from both behind and in front of the camera and this year it features two Made in Wales films in it’s programme.

Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm, a feature-length music documentary is about two Welsh brothers that launched the legendary Rockfield studios and brought rock and roll royalty such as Black Sabbath, Oasis, Coldplay, Stone Roses, Robert Plant and Simple Mind to their studio in the Monmouthshire countryside. It is produced by ie ie Productions’ Catryn Ramasut and also features Wales’ own James Dean Bradfield and Nicky Wire (Manic Street Preachers)

Joining Rockfield at SXSW is another film, Rare Beasts that featured in our latest Welsh Film Preview Days at Gwyn Hall in Neath & Galeri in Caernarfon and is the directorial debut of Billie Piper, who also plays Mandy, a modern woman in a crisis. Raising a son in the midst of a female revolution, mining the pain of her parents’ separation and professionally writing about a love that no longer exists, she falls upon a troubled man, Pete, who’s searching for a sense of worth, belonging and ‘restored’ male identity. Rare Beasts is produced by Vaughan Sivell (Western Edge Pictures) who is from Pembrokeshire.

Both films have received funding from Ffilm Cymru Wales.

FIRST LOOK IMAGE REVEALED

London, October 31, 2019 — Cornerstone Films has closed worldwide sales, including a multi-territory deal with Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA), for BAFTA award-winning director Euros Lyn’s Dream Horse. The film stars Toni Collette and Damian Lewis together with Owen Teale, Joanna Page, Karl Johnson, with Nicholas  Farrell and Siân Phillips. It is is currently in post production in Wales. Cornerstone Films has also closed deals with  Welt Kino (Germany), Impuls (Switzerland), Hakuhodo DY music & pictures Inc. (Japan) and Terry Steiner (Airlines). As previously announced, Bleecker Street and Topic Studios have jointly acquired the U.S. rights and Warner Bros is  distributing in the UK. The SPWA deal includes rest of world, excluding Canada, Italy and France.

Jan Vokes, a cleaner and bartender, recruits her initially reluctant husband Brian and local accountant Howard Davies to help her bring together a syndicate of local people to breed a foal – which they name Dream Alliance. On the racetrack, he proves himself to be more than a match for the multi-million pound racehorses he comes up against – a true working-class champion, taking on the establishment at their own game. But much more than this, Dream begins to alter the lives of everyone in the syndicate, not least Jan’s. He is everything to her: friend, confidant and an escape from a life of always putting other people’s needs first.

Dream Horse is a classic story of triumph against adversity, and a tale of how a woman strives to make her dream a reality in a place where hope is thin on the ground. The true story behind the film was previously told in the documentary Dark Horse, produced by Judith Dawson and directed by Louise Osmond, also backed by Film4 and Ffilm Cymru. It won the World Cinema Audience Award at
Sundance before being released by Picturehouse in the UK and Sony Pictures Classics in the U.S.

The RAW production was written by BAFTA award-winning writer Neil McKay and developed with Film4. It is produced by Katherine Butler and Tracy O’Riordan. Executive producers are Piers Vellacott and Joely Fether for RAW, Daniel Battsek and Ollie Madden for Film4, Peter Touche and Stephen Dailey for Ingenious Media, and Pauline Burt for Ffilm Cymru Wales.Film4, Ingenious Media, Ffilm Cymru Wales provided funding for the film, which is also supported by the Welsh Government. They are joined by Warner Bros UK, which will release the film in the UK. Cornerstone Films handled
international sales, and is selling Canada, Italy and France.

November / Tachwedd, 2019

For over a year The National Library of Wales (NLW) has been developing a scheme to offer bilingual resources from the Library’s graphic and audiovisual collections for reminiscence.

As part of the scheme, they are offering independent cinemas and film societies a programme of archival films that will appeal to older people, those living with dementia and their families; they will also offer a wider audience a medium to generate discussions about their community, e.g. how culture and traditions change over the years.

Find out more here

Ers dros flwyddyn mae Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru (LlGC) wedi bod yn datblygu cynllun i gynnig adnoddau dwyieithog o gasgliadau gweledol a graffigol LlGC ar gyfer hel atgofion ac i hwyluso therapi’r cof.

Fel rhan o’r cynllun rydym yn cynnig rhaglen o ffilmiau archifol (sy’n addas ar gyfer pobl hŷn, rhai sy’n byw gyda dementia a’u teuluoedd) i sinemau annibynnol a chlybiau ffilm; bydd y ffilmiau hefyd yn cynnig cyfrwng i gynulleidfa ehangach i gychwyn sgyrsiau am y gymuned, e.e. sut mae diwylliant a thraddodiadau wedi newid dros y blynyddoedd.

Darganfod rhagor

The Equipment Hire Scheme is designed to help members who need to hire kit for pop up screenings.
Cinema For All has three sets of equipment one of which is hosted by Film Hub Wales, which are available to hire at low prices.

To help new groups get started the equipment pack is comprised of:

• a projector
• portable Screen
• AMP
• speakers
• blu-ray player & cabling

For more information about the scheme, click here.

If you’d like to book, fill out the booking form here.

This is an online space for Film Hub Wales members to connect with each other.

Hold conversations, announce events, provide information and ask questions. The more members and partnerships we build, the greater impact we can make for audiences and our exhibition sector in Wales.

Find out more

Film Hub Wales (FHW), led by Chapter and part of the part of the BFI Film Audience Network, has announced support for 10 new projects. Thanks to National Lottery funding they will bring more films, to more people, at more cinemas and film festivals across Wales.

BFI unveils full programme for BFI MUSICALS! THE GREATEST SHOW ON SCREEN Including BFI UK-wide re-releases of Tommy, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and in the Rain across the UK from Oct 19 Jan 20.

On Tuesday (10th September), the BFI revealed the programme for the UK’s greatest ever season celebrating the film musical, at an all-singing, all-dancing event at BFI Southbank with special guests including actors Petula Clark and Clarke Peters and

Patricia Ward Kelly, wife and biographer of Hollywood legend Gene Kelly. BFI Musicals will celebrate the greatest stars including Gene Kelly, Barbra Streisand, Judy Garland and Doris Day, and spotlight the directors and composers whose creativity was the driving force behind countless beloved musicals; from the virtuoso choreographer and director Bob Fosse (Cabaret, Sweet Charity) to the late great composer Michel Legrand (Yentl, Les demoiselles de Rochefort). The programme will also shine a light on the musicals which engage with socio-political themes, such as racism or the horrors of the Depression, as well as celebrate the films which provide audiences with escapism from political uncertainty and troubled times; from the Golden Age of Hollywood’s box office boom during WW2 and in the post-war years, to the phenomenal successes of the latest musical films like The Lion King (Jon Favreau, 2019), which has already surpassed $1.5 billion globally. From singalong screenings to Q&As and immersive events for the whole family, BFI Musicals is guaranteed to have the UK singing and dancing in the aisles this autumn.

Head Curator of the BFI National Archive, and BFI Musicals Programmer Robin Baker tonight revealed that the programme would span the length and breadth of the UK, with nationwide re-releases of Ken Russell’s rock opera Tommy (1975), starring Roger Daltrey, Ann-Margret, Elton John, Oliver Reed and Tina Turner, and of Jacques Demy’s Palme d’Or-winning The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) starring Catherine Deneuve and Nino Castelnuovo. Alongside the previously announced BFI re-release of Singin’ in the Rain (Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen, 1952), these re-releases will screen at venues across the UK, alongside a touring programme of 12 musicals presented by the ICO (Independent Cinema Office) and a major series of special events programmed in partnership with the BFI Film Audience Network (BFI FAN). Highlights of the UK-wide BFI FAN programme will include the Wizard of Oz(Victor Fleming, 1939) in Belfast Cathedral; an immersive screening of Brigadoon (Vincente Minnelli, 1954) in Edinburgh; Reframing Streisand, a UK-wide film tour celebrating the iconic star; a series of aquatic themed musicals in and around Belfast harbour; and a Russian musicals season in London, Bristol and Nottingham. The full UK-wide programme will be revealed soon.

Special guests from the world of film, TV and musical theatre will take part in events throughout the season, with full line-ups being announced by individual cinemas soon. Guests confirmed for BFI Southbank so far include:

• Imelda Staunton (Theatre: Gypsy, Follies, Sweeney Todd, The Wizard of Oz)
• Patricia Ward Kelly (Wife and biographer of Hollywood legend Gene Kelly)
• Clarke Peters (Theatre: Five Guys Named Moe (writer), Guys and Dolls (actor), TV: The Wire)
• Kerry Ellis (Theatre: Wicked, We Will Rock You)
• Howard Schuman (TV: Rock Follies)

While the movie musical never truly went away, the last few years have seen a major resurgence in the popularity of the genre, with La La Land (Damien Chazelle, 2016), The Greatest Showman (Michael Gracey, 2017) and Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again (Ol Parker, 2018) taking a combined global box office of more than $1.25 billion, emulating the Golden Age of Hollywood, when MGM musicals ruled the box office. Meanwhile, Rupert Goold’s forthcoming biopic Judy (2019) starring Renée Zellweger as Judy Garland, and TV series Fosse/Verdon, which immortalises director and master choreographer Bob Fosse and Tony Award-winning actor and dancer Gwen Verdon also point to a renewed interest in the life and work of musical icons. As well as the recent success of the movie musical, theatre audiences continue to lap up musicals on stage, with revenue from the genre in London’s West End increasing year on year by 15.4% in 2018 to just shy of £504 million. With stage successes being regularly developed into feature films – such as Tom Hooper’s much talked-about Cats (2019) and next year’s adaptations of Lin Manuel Miranda’s In The Heights and British hit Everyone’s Talking About Jamie – it’s clear that the movie musical is here to stay.

BFI Musicals will explore the reasons for the current success of the movie musical, including the notion that it is the best form of escapism from the troubled times we are living in. The season will celebrate the greatest stars, directors, composers and choreographers, and look at the stories of the Hollywood, British and international musical. The season will also look to confirm the musical as a genre which, hidden beneath the glitz and glamour, speaks to audiences
about profoundly serious subjects, from the hardship of the Depression and the insidiousness of racism to the fight for LGBTQ+ rights.

Robin Baker, Head Curator, BFI National Archive and BFI Musicals Programmer said:

 “Welcome to the new golden age of the movie musical. Audiences flock to musicals in troubled times – from Busby Berkeley’s spectacular routines during the Depression to the masterpieces of MGM’s Freed Unit during WW2 – so it’s no surprise that the big screen musical is currently enjoying a major revival. We’re delighted to be bringing both classic musicals and rarities to cinemas across the UK in Britain’s biggest ever celebration of the musical. So, time to leave your woes behind and immerse yourself in the emotional, hairs-on-the-back-of-your-arms-raising joy brought to you on the big screen by Barbra Streisand, Gene Kelly, Doris Day, Bob Fosse, Judy Garland, Beyoncé and an all-singing, all-dancing cast of thousands.”

BFI MUSICALS THE GREATEST SHOW ON SCREEN will be in cinemas and venues across the UK from October 2019 to January 2020 and will celebrate the joyful, emotional, shared experience of watching film musicals; with the biggest stars, the most iconic scenes and the best-loved song and dance numbers on the big screen where they belong. BFI MUSICALS will include:

• A major season at BFI Southbank, with screenings and one-off events, immersive venue takeovers, a pop-up piano musicals bar, quiz nights and much more
• BFI UK-wide re-releases of Singin’ in the Rain (Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen, 1952), Tommy (Ken Russell, 1975) and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Jacques Demy, 1964)
• Hundreds of screenings and events at venues across the UK programmed in partnership with the BFI Film Audience Network (BFI FAN) and the Independent Cinema Office (ICO); details to be announced in full soon.
• BFI home entertainment releases of Yentl (Barbra Streisand, 1983) (Blu-ray), Hair (Miloš Forman, 1979) (Dual Format Edition) and Les demoiselles de Rochefort (Jacques Demy, 1967) (Blu-ray)
• A major musical collection on the BFI’s VOD service BFI Player
• 100 newly digitised musicals-themed TV programmes available to watch for free in the BFI Mediatheque at BFI Southbank

#BFIMusicals

Visit www.bfi.org.uk/musicals for more information and www.bfimusicals.co.uk for full UK-wide listings

The training, launched at the start of World Autism Awareness Month, was developed by people with autism and industry experts. In becoming ‘autism friendly’, cinema staff are trained on how to make small adjustments to the environment that create a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for people with autism.

Autism friendly screenings are intended to open up cinemas and cinema-going to people with autism, and may help people with autism transition into attending traditional screenings.

The launch coincides with research from Dimensions highlighting the pivotal role of autism friendly screenings in helping people with autism feel valued and included in society.

Elements of a traditional cinema screening can discourage visits from people with autism, 80% of whom have felt excluded from their local community. Their top concerns include too much noise, having to sit through adverts and trailers, and worrying about being judged by others.

The training tackles this with guidance on how to make small adjustments, such as altering the volume and lighting levels. As a result, people who go to autism friendly screenings feel more valued and understood (33%) and more connected to their community (27%).

Crucially, breaking down barriers to inclusion and communication, four in ten people with autism (41%) say that autism friendly screenings give them a reason to leave the house.

Since Dimensions first launched its autism friendly cinemas initiative eight years ago, there have been over 400,000 visits to over 350 autism friendly cinema sites (out of over 1,000 cinema sites in the UK*).

Yet with a quarter of people with autism (24%) having never attended an autism friendly screening, there is an urgent need for more cinemas to participate to ensure this opportunity is available across the country.

Sarah Clarke, Campaign Manager at Dimensions, said:

Lauren, 18, has autism and helped produce the training. She said:

Phil Clapp, Chief Executive of the UK Cinema Association, said:

Toki Allison, BFI Film Audience Network Access Officer at Film Hub Wales, said:

The initiative is part of a wider Dimensions campaign to create more autism friendly environments around the UK. Dimensions has also launched a range of free training resources for libraries, museums and Belong by GAME stores to encourage a widespread perception change and ensure more public spaces across the UK are autism friendly.

For more information and booking details, visit the Dimensions website.