West Sussex film festival seeks entries across the county

Entries  are coming in from film-makers in and around West Sussex and further afield for the Horsham Film Festival 2021 and its awards night.
Nicola HumeNicola Hume
Nicola Hume

Spokesman Geoff Cockwill said: “The event is run by Horsham-based video production company Silvertip Films and is now in its third year. The submission deadline for the Film Festival has been extended from December 18 to January 18. This now gives film-makers an extra month to work on their films and deliver them to the Festival. If you’ve been thinking about making a film, now is the time to do it!

“We are also excited to announce that we will now be holding the 2021 Awards Event at The Rec Rooms in Horsham on March 13 2021

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“Due to the current climate we live in and the restrictions on people gathering, we have taken the decision to turn our awards night into an awards event and create a full programme of events taking place throughout the day at The Rec Rooms meaning we can spread the numbers of attendees over the day and utilise all the spaces available at the venue. Nicola Hume is our amazing host for the event and she will be hosting the awards and screening sections and compering the different sections of the day.

“The event will begin with the under-18s awards and screening. Here, we will run through the nominated films and reveal the winners in each category and screen those films in full. This will take place in The Rec 2.

“Following this, singer/songwriter Tim Newman will perform a 45-minute acoustic set live in the Rec Rooms.

“Next up, the over-18s awards and screening will take place back in The Rec 2 with the shortlisted films recapped and the winners revealed and their films screened. To close the event, a live performance from a local band will take place on the Rec Rooms stage.

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“The awards sections of the day will take place in the 92-person capacity, seated The Rec 2 with the stage and 4K projector and screen. There will be table service and food and drinks available via the bar in the Rec Rooms next door. The awards event will be a ticketed event and filmmakers and general audience alike can purchase tickets for any or all of the sessions of the day. Ticket info and sales will be released soon. In our worst case scenario, we will host a closed event which we will stream live and announce the winning films then.”

Geoff added: “The Horsham Film Festival celebrates not only local, West Sussex-based talent but also looks further afield to celebrate films from all over the UK. We want to see films from everyone – whether you are a filmmaker who has already won awards at other film festivals or a first-time filmmaker looking to start developing your skills.

“The Horsham Film Festival is the event to enter because our judging criteria don’t exclude filmmakers by being based around equipment quality or technical expertise. We want to see and experience good stories first and foremost. Of course we consider shots, editing, acting and so on as part of the judging process but your film will not be penalised if you have shot it on your phone rather than Blackmagic gear!

“The Festival hosts four categories for both over 18s and under 18s, each with their own prizes and awards:

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• Best Drama – move us, thrill us or maybe even scare us - this is the category for storytelling at its best.

• Best Documentary – tell us about the people, places and stories that matter to you. Bring them to life on screen.

• Best Animation – we love animation whether it’s hand drawn, stop motion or computer generated.

• Best Comedy – we want to see the funniest, wackiest, most off the wall entries to make us laugh!”

Head over to Filmfreeway – www.filmfreeway.com/horshamdistrictfilmfestival – to submit your film. Go to www.silvertipfilms.co.uk to find out more.