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Neil Ainger finds out how the Sunderland festival is helping to put North East film on the map, one short at a time
Image: Field Music by Andy Martin
Sunderland Shorts Film Festival is a week-long celebration of film, boasting a bumper programme across multiple genres and venues. Now in its 10th year, there is arguably more than ever to celebrate when the festival returns this Spring. I spoke to festival director Chris Allan to see what’s on offer for the festival’s 10th anniversary spectacular.
“At our screenings you get all the qualities you’d hope for with a trip to the cinema, with engaging stories, skilled direction and great performances, but the twist in a short film screening is that you get a selection of several different films bundled together. If you’re interested in seeing some of the best new films around, simply pick a genre screening for a type of film you’ll enjoy, or take a look at one of our shorts showcases where you get a selection of films of different types. This year the festival is absolutely packed with over 180 short films and music videos, so there’s really something for everybody.”
“The calibre of films we receive continues to go from strength to strength,” says Chris, regarding how the festival has grown over the last 10 years. “This year we’ve got Oscar nominated and BAFTA winning films on show alongside first-time filmmakers with incredible stories to tell. It’s such a pleasure to bring such a diverse selection of stories from across the country and around the world to share with our audiences.”
Alongside the genre-based screenings, highlights of the packed programme include a Field Music music video retrospective hosted by David and Peter Brewis; the emotional story In The Veins, which uses archive footage to look at the region’s mining heritage; and the touring Northern Exposure programme which showcases the best short films from the North of England.
It’s such a pleasure to bring such a diverse selection of stories from across the country and around the world to share with our audiences.
As Sunderland Shorts has grown so has the city of Sunderland, and developments such as Culture House (who are delivering this year’s festival for the first time) and the Crown Works Studios will really open doors for filmmaking in the region. “We’re really excited that the festival is now part of The Culture House family! There’s so much enthusiasm for this new development in Sunderland, and we are really excited to work together to develop a year-round offer of film programmes and events. Whether that’s a filmmaking programme run from the media studio for young people who have never tried something like this before, to providing space for year-round screenings, we want join up the dots of the creative and cultural endeavours happening here and hope it will provide more for audiences to enjoy alongside the festival.”
Chris is further motivated by the growth of the film and television landscape across the North East. “What we can’t wait to see is not only the fantastic productions that come and utilise the studios, but the opportunities it gives to creatives here in the region. We’re really passionate about shining the spotlight on filmmakers and creative talents from here in the region. This year we’ve got more local work up on the big screen than ever before with animation, comedy, documentary and drama all made right here in the North East.”
Sunderland Shorts Film Festival takes place from Monday 12th-Sunday 18th May at The David Puttnam Media Centre Cinema, Pop Recs Ltd., and Omniplex Sunderland.
