Acclaimed film director, Shekhar Kapur, (Bandit Queen, Elizabeth, Four Feathers) is a great supporter of the Festival, saying "It's a great idea to be showcasing the amazing talent of filmmakers from across the Commonwealth and introducing audiences to an incredible range of movies." Kapur has become a patron of the Festival - joining Lord Attenborough, Michael Apted and Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon - and is enthusiastic about its far-reaching implications. "I see a real future for a festival which promotes Commonwealth film and develops exciting new links between national film industries."
The ten-day celebration of film will be spread across several Manchester city centre screens, including Cornerhouse, Greater Manchester's international centre for contemporary visual arts and film.
In a packed programme the Festival will show over 200 features, shorts, and documentaries from the 72 nations of the Commonwealth, many of which are World and European premieres. Alongside the screenings will be a large-scale schools programme, together with industry events, masterclasses, lectures, debates and 'meet the director' sessions.
Audiences can expect a fair amount of glitz and glamour, especially at each day's headline gala presentation, but also a chance to watch out for up and coming talent and to be charmed by the unexpected. Visiting filmmakers will receive a warm welcome in film-savvy Manchester and may go home with one of the Festival's prestigious Audience Awards!
In June 2002 the first edition of the Commonwealth Film Festival drew thousands of spectators to its 387 films on display. 200 filmmakers and industry delegates joined the party, three quarters of whom flew to England for the event. The successful event is now one of the conerstones of the British cultural calendar and one of the largest film festivals in the UK.
Submissions for CFF 2003 are now open until the end of February for recently completed shorts, features and documentaries made within the Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth Film Festival is supported by the Lottery through the Film Council's and North West Vision's Regional Investment Fund for England, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Manchester Investment & Development Agency Service.
The Commonwealth Film Festival is set to attract a huge number of people to the Northwest from across the UK and overseas. Those wanting further information on the Commonwealth Film Festival can visit www.commonwealthfilm.com or call +44 (0)161 953 4059 for more information.
