Wearside prepares for short film festival
SUNDERLAND Short Film Festival is now in its second year after a great inaugural festival in 2015. This year, we’re working to make things bigger and better.
We’re just setting the final details in stone and then we will share the final programme and timetable of screenings with you.
The four-day festival will showcase 50 short films (under 20 minutes) by filmmakers from all over the world, in venues across Sunderland.
The festival’s opening night (Thurs, June 30. 7pm @ Sunderland Minster) will see popular Sunderland band Hyde and Beast
play after the first screening. After that, screenings will be taking place at various times through Friday, July 1; Saturday, July 2 and Sunday, July 3. Through these dates there will also be family-friendly screenings across the city to ensure everyone can experience the entertainment of short film. Venues include: Independent, Sunderland Minster and Sunderland’s National Gallery for Contemporary Art.
SSFF, directed by Anne Tye, is organised by Sunderland City Council in partnership with DC Shorts Film Festival under the auspices of the Friendship Agreement between Sunderland and Washington DC. The event is supported by sponsors and various partners.
The festival is also recognised as one of the key events driving culture in the city and is supported by Sunderland’s bid to be named City of Culture 2021. The city and region has a cultural scene unlike no other – attracting the biggest names and
championing the emerging stars. SSFF is about celebrating existing talent and encouraging emerging talent in the city’s and region’s film industry, and about creating a high-calibre international fixture in the cultural calendar of the region.
Regional film-makers include: Mark Chapman’s with Camrex highlighting the haunting reality those of the infamous Sunderland hostel faced during its 40 years.
The gripping but comedic drama Dark-net, directed by Adam Woodhall, was filmed in Middlesbrough and stars the comedy heavyweight Johnny Vegas. A lecturer at the University of Sunderland has added his talents into the mix to create the chilling horror EYES.
Social issues documentary-maker Aimie Vallat will be flying in from Seattle, US, to see her film Present Moment screened, which stars her own father coping with Parkinson’s Disease. Kasper Synnevåg from Norway offers short House of Odin,
a comedy with one of the Game of Thrones cast in a starring role.
SSFF is working with Custom Reel to showcase talented young North-East filmmakers. The winning films will be entered into a partner festival, DC Shorts, which is an internationally recognised and respected short film festival – this will include at least one regional filmmaker – the winner of the Best Regional Film award.
It costs £7.50 to attend the opening night, £5 for an individual film or £35 for all competitive screenings and the launch event.
For tickets go to sunderlandshorts.co.uk/2016
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