Film festivals are a perfect work-fun-playtime opportunity for filmmakers.They are such incredible opportunities to raise the profile of your film to people the industry and to be energised and inspired by the other incredible films on show.
Sitting in the foyer waiting for a meeting I could hear a Kenyan Wildlife Producer pitching his film about rhinos to a commissioner. A festival volunteer at the coat check told me excitedly about about her MA dissertation film following communities living side by side with hippos in India. In between sessions about alternative routes to funding and indigenous perspectives in filmmaking, I watched documentaries that moved me to tears.
Wildscreen's Official Selection Celebration brought something unexpected, an award! I was stunned and honoured to receive the Sustainability Merit. It is fantatsic for a film about love and connection to nature to be recognised by one of the world's leading Wildlife Film Festivals. When we convey how deeply personal and loving peoples relationship to nature can be, we all become more committed to creating a sustainable world that protects it.
Official Photos by Rose Bull-Wood @wildrose_photos
Later that week week I joined an incredible panel with Bristol filmmakers for a special BEST OF BRISTOL collection with Wild Summon by Karni Arieli and Saul Freed and Bear Hunt by Jacob Burley. The thread of these films in our panelists' humble opinion was a fresh perspective and style of storytelling. A massive thanks to the incredible team at Wildscreen for putting on a great showcase.
Photography by Rose Bull-Wood @wildrose_photos
Isaac Parry student of Art & Photography at Bristol School of Art and apsiring filmmaker attended the screening and wrote this about his experience:
Attending the Wildscreen Film Festival in Bristol was a great experience for me and I would recommend it to any creative, film student or aspiring film maker like myself. The event showcased an incredible array of nature documentaries and brought together a passionate community of creatives and conservationists. A display of different unique and creative craftsmanships to film and documentary making.
As an 18-year-old aspiring film maker, watching Rave On for the Avon at the Wildscreen Film Festival was an incredible experience that truly captured the essence of Bristol. The documentary immersed me in the vibrant spirit of the city, showcasing the stunning landscapes along the Avon while highlighting the local community's deep connection to the river and the ongoing battle with sewage pollution. The lively music and colorful visuals created a distinctly Bristolian atmosphere which made me feel especially emerged with the community during the end marriage to the river.
Showing delicate parts of the people and there lives makes you well up while feeling so raw and beautiful, truly connecting you to Bristol. Making me want to make a film about my own community and it struggles in Bristol so much more.
We started the screening at the Royal Photographic Society with Wild Summon. It truly was transformative. The documentary’s amazingly creative visuals combined with a groundbreaking soundtrack created a dark, apocalyptic atmosphere that captivated me from start to finish. It brilliantly shed light on the alarming decline of the salmon population, making a compelling case for urgent conservation efforts.
The way the filmmakers intertwined stunning imagery with a haunting score truly resonated, inspiring me to think deeply about how I can use my own art to raise awareness about environmental issues. Also how atmosphere created a huge roll in how the touching and mind set changing the short film was. fueled my passion to create impactful stories.
Bear hunt brought a level quirkiness to the screening while staying true to its efforts at conservationism, especially in Britain. Really stood out due to its unique blend of documentary and stand-up comedy elements. The film cleverly incorporated humor to engage the audience, making complex themes about wildlife conservation more accessible and relatable. The charismatic narrator brought a fresh perspective. Also the creative incorporation of hand drawn visuals were a joy to watch. With the ending quote sticking to my soul and opening my eyes to how backwards Britain is when it comes to nature conservation.
My favourite part though of the whole screening was the Q and A at the end. As an aspiring film maker the film industry and just starting is the most daunting part of film making, especially with very little taught knowledge that many have. The Q and A taught me things about more practical sides to film making as well as creative processes that the directors went through and the development of their documentaries. Choices and decision and there reasoning behind it to impact their films positively. It calmed my nerves for my own aspirations in the film industry, answered some of my own doubts for my own films and most importantly filled me with hope and hopefully a lot of others for there own film making journey.
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