Carmarthen Bay Film Festival

There’s just four weeks to go to the start of the prestigious Carmarthen Bay Film Festival in Llanelli.

The festival is now in its seventh year and continues to go from strength to strength.

A total of 699 entries were received for this year’s festival award categories, from film-makers worldwide.

The festival is being staged at Llanelli’s Stradey Park Hotel, from May 14-17.

All of the film-based events are free to the public.

“It is astonishing how the festival has grown in popularity from very small beginnings,” said Festival CEO and organiser Kelvin Guy.

“They say great things grow from little acorns and that is very true of the film festival.”

The Welsh fourth channel S4C will be sponsoring the awards dinner at this years’ festival.

“That just shows how much importance is being attached to the festival,” said Mr Guy.

“In recent years we’ve had added glitz and status as the event is on the approved list for BAFTA Cymru Wales.”

Mr Guy added: “The BAFTA abbreviation is pretty special in the world of film. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is recognised as a hugely prestigious organisation worldwide. To get this recognition from BAFTA Cymru Wales is a huge honour and is a great achievement when you consider what the festival has achieved since it launched in 2011.

“Being on the list of approved BAFTA Cymru Wales festivals helps give added prestige and stardust to the festival, with entrants now being eligible for BAFTA awards as well as the ones on offer at the festival.”

Mr Guy added: “We hope the festival really catches the imagination of the public in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire and the rest of South Wales. It’s free. The only ‘pay’ part of the event is the awards dinner at the end.

“The festival will follow closely on the heels of the Celtic Media Festival at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli, so it’s clear that Llanelli and Carmarthenshire is making headway in terms of being recognised for film, television and digital media.”

Entries for this year’s festival have come from all corners of the globe, including Syria, Hong Kong, China, Korea, Taiwan, Iran, Iraq, Israel and North and South America.

Mr Guy said: “The global response has been fantastic and I’d like to think that the festival is doing its best to put Llanelli and Carmarthenshire on the world map for film-makers.” 

Weblinks to the festival website and Facebook page –

http://www.carmarthenbayfilmfestival.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/CarmarthenBayFilmFestival/posts/1708492442563525