It’s time to turn everything PINK!!!! The Pink Snowball Film Festival is back with plenty of glitter, plenty of sparkle and plenty of films. On the 27th of October 2007 The Tabernacle Arts Centre in Machynlleth will play host to our annual Pink Snowball Film Awards where the work of young, budding and amateur film makers will be showcased to a full house. A panel of special judges will select winners in several categories for a Pink Snowball Award. This years Judges include: Bollywood super star Mayur Raj Verma, Dan Thomas from The Film Agency of Wales, LLinos Wynne producer for BBC North Wales, Lembit Opik MP and our very own resident film buff Chris Laughton.

For some lucky winners from The Pink Snowball Awards last year their success did not end at The Pinks. Seimon Lea from Dolgellau, who took part in FILM 15 2006 and won a Pink Snowball Award last year went on to win The Coca Cola Cinemagic Young People’s Filmmaker Award 2006, a prize at Zoom as well as having his films shown at Leeds Young Film Makers. Recently he has been selected for The Co Operative Young Film Maker. Greg Marsh from Arthog who won a Pink Snowball Award in the adult section also continued his success at Cinemagic too.

The Pink Snowball Film Awards is about giving people a chance to try something different and explore their creative spark. The awards night aims to provide a platform for which we can celebrate the film makers achievements and encourage them to follow their passion. Emma Macey Director of FILM 15 says “There is so much talent out there that is yet to be discovered. The Pink Snowball Awards enables new filmmakers to test their ideas on an audience and experience success on a local level. FILM 15 believe that The Pink Snowball Film Awards is an integral part of developing and encouraging a local industry of new filmmakers. The aim of our collective initiatives is to inspire and promote film making and film literacy in the region across all age groups and give voice to young people living in rural communities in Wales”.

The Pink Snowball awards is just one event in a week of film related activity including a series of film nights to be held at The Corris Institute. This includes: Tuesday 30th Oct- A Night With Pictiwrs – a mobile welsh cinema project, Thursday 1st Nov- A Bike IN featuring films Cheat Neutral, Electric Bike to Brussels; an equitable approach to carbon capping and Blood Diamond, Friday 2nd Nov – Corris Fflics presents the unveiling of the new film society led by a group of young and amateur cinema programmers.

Phil Wheeler, Chairman from Mach Fringe says “Mach Fringe have been developing, co creating and organising community events for the last 10 years. It is our aim to inspire theatre, cinema, film, music and exhibition activities across the region. The Pink Snowball Awards is our most popular and saught-after event. We really hope everyone will come again to join us in such a wonderful celebration of film talent”

Also on the bill is Acting for Film with Mayur Verma. This workshop will be an opportunity for budding actors/actresses to work with this acclaimed Bollywood film star and learn some tricks for acting in front of a camera. The workshop runs from 10am -4pm on 27th October at the Corris Institute, Corris. All enquires on 01654 761346.

Tickets for The Pink Snowball Awards will be on sale from the second week of October from The Tabernacle Arts Centre in Machynlleth, or can be ordered via Mach Fringe, FILM 15 or Llwyngwril Gallery. Tickets are £3.50/£5. Doors open at 6.45pm on the 27th of October, 2007.

The Pink Snowball Awards and associated projects and events are funded and supported by The Film Agency For Wales, Mach Fringe, The Social Risk Fund, The Corris Institute, FILM 15, The Co Op, MOMA Wales, The Arts Council of Wales, Llwyngwril Gallery, Pixel Foundry and Pictiwrs.

FILM 15 would like to welcome on board Jim Elliott as one of our workshop facilitators for 2007. Jim is an experienced education officer and workshop leader working in the medium of film and music production. Jim has previously worked for DARTS running film projects with a range of community groups. Jim bring loads of expertise to FILM 15 including animation and editing skills. FILM 15 are very pleased to have convinced such an experienced individual to join our team. He even does special effects!!!!!

The Film Agency of Wales has backed this years Pink Snowball Awards and Pink Snowball Film Festival, providing funding to put on our glitzy awards night and a series of special film nights throughout half term. This year The Pink Snowball Awards will feature 21 short films by young and aspiring film makers of which four winners will be found for a Pink Snowball Award 2007. The extra film nights will be equally interesting with a range of feature films for everyone. Pictiwrs will present a range of rare and experimental masterpieces from Wales, including animation and film shorts, The Bike In will focus on politically/environmentally driven content including feature film Blood Diamond, and short films Cheat Neutral and Electric Bike to Brussels; an equitable approach to carbon capping while the newly formed Corris Film Society, CORRIS FFLICS, will present a selection of short treasures and feature film Porco Rosso, the seventh anime film by Hayao Miyazaki. It’s got some air pirates and a guy with a pigs head!

The Film Agency of Wales have also invested in the FILM 15 2007 DVD compilation and the new FILM 15 website. Both ventures aim to promote the work of the young people from FILM 15 2007 and provide a platform for global audiences to view and enjoy the film content. The DVD will be on sale at The Pink Snowball Awards in late October. The DVD features a collection of all the finished short films made by FILM 15 and a range of experimental films made during the FILM 15 project.

“The Film Agency for Wales provides grant-in-aid funding for film activities across all ages and areas of society, delivered through an unlimited range of venues including schools, community groups, cinema venues and via charities,” explains Pauline Burt, Chief Executive of the Film Agency for Wales.

“Grant-in-aid funding is similarly provided for cinema exhibition venues and specialist exhibition events, including a wide range of film festivals. Both streams of funding are designed to reach out and include a diverse range of individuals and social groups, enhancing their exposure to and appreciation of film and, importantly, in the process bring about wider added benefits including improved literacy and communication, sense of citizenship and social inclusion.”

“Additionally, the Film Agency is a delegated lottery distributor, providing equity for film development and production with identified Welsh benefits. Amidst our slate of projects are films that seek to stimulate and support the growth of film industry activity in Wales and with Welsh talent.”

Established in July 2006, the Film Agency for Wales is the sole Agency for film in Wales, with a remit to ensure that the economic, cultural and educational aspects of film are effectively represented in Wales, the UK and the world. As a strategic agency, the Film Agency aims to facilitate the emergence of a viable and sustainable Welsh film industry and to promote a vibrant and dynamic film culture.