4th July 2023
Film Hub Wales (FHW) has awarded £50,000 of National Lottery funding to nine independent cinemas and film festivals in Wales through its Film Exhibition Fund.
Funds will enable Welsh communities to watch the latest UK independent and international films on their doorsteps. From queer animated shorts in Cardiff, to live music and film nights in Tywyn, there’s a huge variety of activities to choose from.
The funded projects share the aim to offer climate conscious events at affordable prices. Wales One World Film Festival are running their ‘Ecosinema’ event with the theme of ‘Another World is Possible,’ which includes two short climate stories on screen from Bangladesh and an event in partnership with the Land Workers Alliance, all on a ‘pay what you feel’ basis.
Annita Nitsaidou, Marketing Officer at WOW Festival explains why these are important themes for WOW in 2023:
The climate and cost of living crises are two issues that are as local as they are global, just like Ecosinema. We want to accentuate the urgency of climate change, its global nature and the need for sustainable solutions – reminding us all that ‘Another World is Possible’. We have always believed in the power of storytelling to create social change and by making ‘Ecosinema’ accessible with our ‘pay what you feel’ offer, it will continue to offer a platform for filmmakers, activists, and audiences to come together and engage in meaningful conversations. A space where people can learn, be inspired and be part of a community that is committed to making a positive difference in the world.
Cardiff Animation Festival (CAF) have a host of events on offer all year, from free monthly screenings at their Cardiff Animation Nights, to regular free family film club screenings at both Chapter in Canton and Oasis’ centre in Splott. They are also continuing their ‘Planet Positive’ strand of screenings and talks on how animation can help fight the climate crisis.
Festival Director, Lauren Orme explains how CAF is creating a community around animation in Wales:
CAF is all about bringing people together around a love of animation. We’re running a year-round programme of films, talks and activities people can get involved in, to nurture the kind and welcoming community we’ve built around animation over the past nine years – which is more important than ever after lockdown. We’re making our programme more accessible and inclusive through captioning and BSL interpretation, and making our events free wherever we can. We’re really grateful for the continued support of Film Hub Wales, who have helped CAF to grow since our first festival.
Other highlights Wales wide include free films for families at the Magic Lantern in Tywyn and special climate conscious events as part of the ‘Greener Tywyn’ initiative. At Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival there will be a free Manga café alongside events, where audiences can read Japanese comics after watching a film. At Cellb in Blaenau Ffestiniog, they have monthly Youth PicZ screenings where their Clwb Clinc youths can watch films at affordable prices, whilst also building their skills in front of house, projection, technical and media techniques.
Hana Lewis, Head of Film Hub Wales explains why funding for exhibition is so important:
The Film Exhibition Fund exists to help cinemas, festivals and community screens to bring the best UK independent and international films to audiences right across Wales. Welsh exhibitors are navigating serious challenges like the cost of living crisis, whilst also adapting at a time of global climate crisis. This is no easy thing to do but they never fail to think creatively – meaning that Welsh cinemas and festivals are still the best places to watch films and for audiences to enjoy an affordable night out. Investment to preserve these community services is crucial.
The projects are supported by Film Hub Wales, which is part of the BFI Film Audience Network (FAN) using funds from the National Lottery to ensure the greatest choice of cinema is available to everyone across the UK. Funds in Wales are administered by FHW via Chapter as the Film Hub Lead Organisation.
More than £30M is raised each week for good causes across the UK by the National Lottery.
Download the full press release here
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