The 20th Cornwall Film Festival concluded its annual celebration last Sunday. Marking another successful year of championing cinema and industry connections, Mor Media welcomed Cornwall audiences to the Princess Pavilion for seven days of film screenings and live industry events.
The festival kicked off with its collaboration with INTO FILM, a charity organisation supporting film in education. CFF hosted three INTO FILM family-friendly screenings including Around the World in 80 Days, Spirit Untamed, and A Dog’s Way Home.
Running in parallel with the festival, the third edition of the New Wave Jury Programme consisted of masterclasses and workshops in support of young cinephiles with an interest in film criticism. Our jurors virtually met The Guardian chief film critic Peter Bradshaw who shared his experience and industry insights with them at the beginning of the festival. They also attended educational sessions with writer-poet Amanda White and head of Falmouth University’s Film & Television Department, Dr. Kingsley Marshall.
On the festival’s second day, CFF director Louise Fox introduced this year’s first feature screening, the Icelandic Oscar entry, Lamb. The folk horror film stunned many, including one of our New Wave Jurors who dedicated a full review to it.
The CFF line-up also included some of the most highly anticipated films of the year: Spencer. It was no surprise that the screening was our top-selling film with over 100 tickets sold! Another notable screening was Cornwall Climate Care’s third installment of their Cornwall Climate Stories documentary series, Living on the Edge. Directed by Bryony Stokes, the film’s premiere was accessible at CFF’s official venue, the Princess Pavilions, as well as online.
CFF screened other critically acclaimed films including The Card Counter, Titane, and Ali & Ava. On its final day, the festival celebrated international cinema highlighting Arab and Romanian cinema in its screenings of Memory Box and the CFF closing film, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn. A special documentary screening of the 2021 Grierson Award winner, Becoming Cousteau was also part of this year’s festival.
In addition to the festival’s feature programme, three short film competitions were held this year: Student, South West Regional, and International. Dedicated to supporting young filmmaking talent, CFF screened a total of nine student shorts as well as Origin, a collection of documentary short films made by first-year students from Falmouth University. The South West Regional Shorts featured 12 films from diverse genres including comedy, horror, and experimental film. Our New Wave Jurors also had the chance to view and judge the 2021 International Shorts, selecting Adrien Mérigeau’s Genius Loci as the winner of this year’s New Wave Jury Award with a special mention to Isla Badenoch’s The Elvermen.
Known for its ESF workshops, Mor Media hosted a special session during the festival with photographer and video maker Annie Bungeroth. The photographer led an ESF Get Creative Street Photography workshop as part of CFF 2021. Participants walked around Cornwall with Bungeroth and took the perfect snapshots of the Cornish outdoors in this hands-on practical session.
Another CFF highlight was the festival’s Industry Day. Hosted in collaboration with Cornwall x Connectivity, the day-long events included a BFI networking lunch and industry talks with filmmakers. The event was a great success with a bustling congregation of creatives from all around the UK. Attendees met film and television professionals like costume supervisor Jessie Metcalf and screenwriter-producer Neil Fox. Special talks shed light on location scouting and the importance of intimacy coordination on set. The day culminated in a special Middle Eastern supper feast sponsored by The Kin Collective followed by an evening screening of Petite Maman.
Mor Media was pleased to work with numerous filmmakers and sponsors this year including the BFI Network, My Air Bridge, Creative England, St. Michael’s Hotel, and Verdant Brewing. We look forward to bringing together cinephiles and industry leaders at our next edition in 2022!