BATH FILM FESTIVAL'10

It’s time to stuff the popcorn under one arm; grab a large coke with the other, sit back, relax and enjoy the film. Bath Film Festival is back, 20 years old it’s uninhibited, coming of age and care free. (http://bathfilmfestival.org.uk/)

The Film Festival has taken over a number of venues throughout Bath; grabbing hold of the Rondo Theatre (http://www.rondotheatre.co.uk/), the Little Theatre Cinema (http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/The_Little/), Komedia (http://www.komedia.co.uk/bath/), and Chapel Arts Centre (http://www.chapelarts.org/) with ease. With the unexpected addition of the Eastern Eye Restaurant, Bath City Farm and a surprised venue which will be texted to the audience on the day of the screening.       

The breadth of the programming reflects the spread of screenings (http://bathfilmfestival.org.uk.s22659.gridserver.com/2010-festival.html). It’s literally everywhere and everything. With documentaries, preview screenings, artists moving image exhibitions (AMIE), Bath debuts and the largest film industry in the world - Indian film. Sound to silence, unique screenings and Q&A’s.  There is so much on offer that I never get tired of searching through the programme. I could look at it again and again without it feeling familiar, getting a giddy bubbling of excitement as I pick and choose from this chocolate box of entertainment. What’s brilliant about the festival’s programming is the fun of exploring it.  The films have been cherry picked, they’re all of a high quality and stem from a true understanding and appreciation of film.

I was swept up by the Festival at the Little Theatre Cinema, for the screenings of Peepli (Live), The Arbor and Mary and Max. A sprightly Indian satire, a riveting AMIE documentary and a dark multi-awarding winning animation – that’s just a small slice into layers of variety of film on offer. You too can take a bite as I’ll be posting a trailer of each. But it was the atmosphere that really caught my attention. The general buzz of excitement at the availability of these films was infectous.       

The Film Festival has been embraced by the city, most shows are sold out and special screenings have proved so popular that extra dates have had to be added. I was struck by the hype around the films. As the audience was gagging to be let into the screen I could catch the odd comment about how they’d been eagerly awaiting a particular screening. However, as a student, I did notice a lack of this particular audience. Most members seemed to be thirty plus, I don’t feel it was the programming that alienated students, more just a lack of promotion to this group. It’s clear that the Festival values its audience and cares for their enjoyment: ‘if you build it, they will come’. We’ll keep building if you keep coming. It’s not just about the audience; the Festival has a local feel to, with support from local businesses (http://bathfilmfestival.org.uk/support-us.html) there is an overall sense of community.

There’s no doubt that the event has been a success. It seems to be growing with each year, building on knowledge from the last. I think I’m lucky to have walked in on it at this particular age, at its unarguable prime.