Did you know the newly named IWM (Imperial War Museum to you and me) runs a film festival?
Well, this year is the 11th of the annual showcase, so if you didn’t, you’ve been missing out for a while...
The festival starts with a UK-wide call for entries showcasing new and emerging student filmmaking talent. The IWM Film Festival looks for short films made by young and aspiring filmmakers, inspired by the IWM collections and exhibition, and using footage from the IWM’s film archive.
This year, 40 new titles were submitted, and 27 of these are now being screened at the cinema in the IWM London.
The IWM Film Festival is also a competition. You can help shortlist the finalists by casting your votes at each screening. Those with the most votes will go on to be judged by a panel of industry experts. The winners will be announced at the IWM Film Festival Awards Ceremony, being held at IWM London in March.
We don’t want to sway the judging, but we like the sound of Family Jewels, a drama about an American soldier’s last evening before he goes on active service in Afghanistan; Too Many Ghosts, a fictional commentary on the folly of war, set in rural England at the very end of the Second World War; and Freedom is not for Free, an interview with Squadron Leader Tony Iveson, an RAF veteran who flew Spitfires during the Battle of Britain. Also, the abstract animated film, AX aka Peace Starts With Me, by Max Hattler, looking the connection between war and computer games sounds fascinating.
Film Festival at the IWM screenings runsfrom today until 24 February. Visit www.iwm.org.uk/exhibitions/iwm-film-festival to find out more.
