Brief Encounters, Bristol's annual celebration of short film, was born in 1995 with a budget of just £11,000 explains Clare Wilford.
Although originally envisaged as a one-off celebration for the 1995 centenary of cinema, the success of this first festival led to it becoming an annual event, and by 2001, the 7th Brief Encounters, The Guardian called it ?The UK?s most important short film festival?.
Over 5,000 tickets sold were sold during the 5-day event and average attendance was 77%. The combined turnover for Brief Encounters and its partner festival, Animated Encounters ? which celebrates the art of animation ? was £171,000. The 2002 event, from November 20-24, will feature extensive film exhibition, including over 40 film premieres, a four-day Film School, and events led by top industry professionals including John Mathieson, the cinematographer who shot Gladiator. Alan Yentob, Chairman of the ICA, will be speaking about his views on the shape of things to come for new talent, and audiences will get the chance to vote for their favourite film to win the Rizla Audience Award. Eight awards will be announced at the Festival with over £10,000 of prize money on offer as well as prestigious national distribution deals.
The continuing success of the Encounters festivals can be attributed in part to the existence of close long-term relationships with Bristol?s world class short film and animation production companies, which have provided leadership and ongoing support, both in cash and in kind, has been vital. The Festivals bring together some of the leading film and television companies in Bristol together with representatives of arts organisations: the Brief Encounters Board and Animated Encounters Working Group comprise individuals from BBC, HTV, Aardman Animations, GWR Radio, Watershed Media Centre, University of Bristol and others. Patrons for Brief Encounters, which operates as an independent company and registered charity, include such leading film-makers as Jake Eberts, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Nick Park.
But despite its credentials and high profile supporters, the one area where Brief Encounters differs very little from any other celebration of short film as an artform, is in national media response to the Festival. Whilst local papers are generally supportive and enthuse about the artistic opportunities it brings to the region, the nationals ? even those who are generally supportive of film development - remain resolute in their view that their readers are simply not interested. ?There are too many other film festivals in November? , said James Christopher, Film Critic of The Times; and Paul Gent, Arts Editor of The Telegraph reckons ?if you ask anyone in the street to name a short film, they won?t be able to...?. But that?s not much of an excuse Paul. Remember, in a recent poll, Vladimir Putin was correctly identified by only 16% of the 1,000 people surveyed, but no one is suggesting (yet, anyway) that news of events in Russia should be spiked at the editor?s desk.
Clare Wilford manages the Press and PR for Brief Encounters t: 020 7729 0692
w: http://www.brief-encounters.org.uk. Further details of Brief Encounters can be found in ?Bristol?s Film Festival and Business Sponsors? e: andrew.kelly@bristol2008.com