PRESS RELEASE

08 May 2012

On Friday night, the Saffron Walden Film Festival 2012 gets underway. The festival’s events and screenings promise a variety of delectable cinematic treats – from pre-film performances by local dance groups Bedazzle and Pure Rhythm to acclaimed foreign language films followed by hosted discussions, and everything in between.

As part of the film festival, Saffron Screen is launching the 90 Second Film Competition. The competition is now open for all ages to make a film of any sort lasting a maximum of 90 seconds. Whatever your age or previous experience in filmmaking, Saffron Screen encourages you to create a documentary, comedy, drama, action film or animation and submit it by 30 September 2012.

Cinema Director Julie Kendall said, ‘Saffron Screen is excited to launch the 90 Second Film Competition as part of the Saffron Walden Film Festival and we look forward to receiving entries from those living locally and further afield. The first competition in 2009 produced some high quality films and allowed those taking part to develop their technical and creative skills. Saffron Screen encourages anyone who has ever wished to make a film and those who wish to boost their CV to have a go and see what you can do! How exciting would it be to see your work on the big screen?’

All entries for the 90 Second Film Competition will be judged anonymously by an independent panel. There will be a top prize of £50 and two runner-up prizes of £25. These three films and any other highly commended films will be screened before feature films at Saffron Screen and all films which be shown on the big screen at a special screening. For the competition rules and an entry form, please visit the competition website or the Saffron Walden Tourist Information Centre or cinema box office.

To help encourage the creative thinking, Saffron Screen is hosting an interactive session called Scribbles on a Napkin: Making Movies and the Creative Process at 5.30pm on Sunday 20 May. Join local filmmakers Pug and Mike for an interactive 90 minute discussion sharing the highs and lows of independent filmmaking and commercial video production; the journey from an idea scribbled on a napkin to the finished product as well as the wide variety of roles and people required to make a film. All ages and experience welcome and tickets are only £2.

Michael Rowland, from Pugmen-Mikrofilm, said, ‘Filmmaking is journey of discovery – in our experience, there is no right or wrong way to create a film. Getting involved in Saffron Screen’s first 90 Second Film Competition gave us an opportunity to further develop our filmmaking career. We welcome anyone with an interest in filmmaking to attend the Scribbles on a Napkin session and look forward to hearing about your experiences and aspirations.’

For the complete list of Saffron Walden Film Festival 2012 events, please visit: www.saffronscreen.com. Tickets are available from the cinema box office, the Tourist Information Centre, or online at www.saffronscreen.com.

The Saffron Walden Film Festival 2012 is being supported in part by grants from: Saffron Walden Town Council, Uttlesford District Council and Essex County Council through the Essex Legacy for the 2012 Games.

www.saffronscreen.com

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For further information please contact:

Amanda Lightstone, Marketing and Development Manager, Saffron Screen, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it