As stated in its Charter, the Charity Trust manages the Film Festival with the purpose, among others, to introduce, attract and boost audience diversity for the best of independent film from around the world; screening films that reflect the times we live in culturally, socially, politically, artistically and giving voice to a new generation of emerging filmmakers.
And, via its charitable aims, the Festival seeks to inspire young people, especially disadvantaged and living in marginalised communities, to engage with the culture of cinema and the art of film making. To this end, the Festival organises Master Classes in the arts & crafts of filmmaking for students of film, as well as members of the public, giving a peek behind the scenes into how the magic of film is created.
In 2020, the Trust will launch a Youth Festival to run alongside the main festival with workshops on basic film craft and film screenings directed at young people who have had little to no access to film. And in so doing ,we shall put film at the heart of social development.
Beth Thomas, assistant manager at The Poly in Falmouth, writes about attending the Film Hub South West Annual Members' Forum at Watershed in November 2024.