The Ealing Film Festival opened with a selection of student films commencing a week of British and international short film screenings.
The fourth annual festival opened its doors to eager audiences last night at the Ealing Project in Ealing Broadway where seven short films competed for the Best Student Film award.
Screenings will take place during evenings throughout the week at the Ealing Project and Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery in Ealing Broadway near to the iconic Ealing Studios and at ActOne cinema in Acton.
Peter Gould, the festival’s Co-Founder and Co-Director said: “We thought: isn’t it crazy that a place like Ealing with all its history, one of the birthplaces of British cinema, doesn’t even have a high street cinema? It’s crazy.
“This year we’re back here again with over 400 films which is amazing. We’ve seen over a thousand films since we started.”
Ealing Film Festival was founded in 2020 by Annemarie Flanagan, Alan Granley and Gould with the aim of providing a platform for filmmakers in the borough to showcase talent and pay homage to Ealing’s unique cinema history.
Since 1902, Ealing Studios, the world’s oldest continuously working film production studio, has produced films including The Ladykillers, Notting Hill and The Theory of Everything and TV productions including Porridge and Dr Who.
The six days of short film screenings include submissions from selected entrants based in West London and national and international submissions including films from Argentina and Iran.
The film genres showcased include documentary, drama, comedy, horror, experimental film and animation which culminate in an awards ceremony at the Ealing Project on Saturday 25th November where the festival jury will announce the Best Film winner.
The Best Student Film was awarded to Deep Fake Love, a satirical comedy about a woman with an addiction to an AI app which creates her wildest dating fantasies using the features of real people but prevents her from living them out in reality.
Annemarie Flanagan, the festival’s Co-Founder and Co-Director, offered her view on the selected student films.
She said: “You can see the potential, that’s why it’s so exciting.
“After just four years, we are already seeing how filmmakers are developing their skills, making connections, and networking with other filmmakers.”
Otto Shed, the director of the winning student film, added: “It’s strange it’s [AI] now bigger than it was when I wrote it.
‘It’s scary how true to life it is.”
Feature image credit: Harry Mear
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