Carmarthen bay Film festival next week

by Robert Lloyd

There’s been a massive increase in entries for the Carmarthen Bay Film Festival.

Entries have flooded in from all four corners of the globe to hit a magnificent total of 135 submissions.

The third annual festival starts on Tuesday, May 6.

“Excitement is building and the foundation blocks laid by the first two festivals are paying great dividends, ” said festival founder and chief executive Kelvin Guy.

“In our first year, we received 35 entries from film-makers. Last year, the total was 65. This year, we’ve hit the figure out of the park with a massive

135 film entries.

“Obviously, we won’t have time to screen them all during the festival, but the schedule will see 130 films screened to the public – and it’s all free!”

Mr Guy said entries had been submitted from Iran, Chile, South Korea, Cyrus, Japan, Hong Kong, Argentina, Brazil, Finland, Serbia and Kosovo.

“I’ve had my world atlas out checking out the different locations and believe you me this is going to be a truly international festival of film.

“We always knew that we would start small as a festival, but it is hugely encouraging to see the event growing year by year and attracting more interest nationally and internationally.”

The festival aims to encourage independent film and cinema in Wales and beyond.

Mr Guy said his interest in film stemmed from his ancestors – including Gareth Hughes, the first Welsh silent film star in Hollywood, who was his grandmother’s cousin.

“I made a documentary about him and met and interviewed some of his friends and family in the USA,” said Mr Guy.

“So I suppose it is his fault that I had the idea to start a festival in the first place, and what better place than his birthplace of Llanelli here in Wales?”

Mr Guy said: “Independent film-makers put a lot of time and money into their project, so we work very hard in the Carmarthen Bay Film festival to make sure that film entries get screen time and due prominence in what is a very busy schedule.

“We give time at the end of each film for a short Q and A question and answer session between the audience and film-maker. It’s all about fairness.

The festival is, and will always be, a champion of independent film.”

Wynford Ellis Owen is this year’s festival president, while the patron of the event is Carmarthen-born Hunky Dory director, Marc Evans.

Tickets for the week are free and all screenings are at the festival venue at the Stradey Park Hotel, Llanelli.

Mr Guy added: “The standard of films was really high last year with quite a few big independent studios entering. You could see the quality.

“There has never been a film festival in Carmarthenshire, so it is about trying to encourage film-making and give existing film-makers a lifeline. We are also keen to support Welsh language films.”

Mr Guy, a 49-year-old former Bryngwyn School pupil, who works nights at Morrisons in Pemberton, first got into film-making five years ago when he decided to make his documentary about the life of Gareth Hughes.

He said despite huge interest in the festival, it was being run on a “shoestring” budget – and said he was looking for sponsorship and funding to expand the event year by year.

He added: “Attendance at last year’s festival rose by more than 200 per cent.

“The festival is not about making vast amounts of money off the backs of film makers, but giving them the opportunity to have their films screened and judged fairly. We operate as a not-for-profit community group. Which basically means all money from submissions and sponsorship goes towards making the festival bigger and better year on year.”