Sunderland Shorts Film Festival is collaborating with the Snowdance Film Festival in Essen, with a number of films made in the North East being shown at the event, which starts on 4 February.
The collaboration will bring together two of the leading European film events, as recognised by industry site FilmFreeway.
Sunderland Shorts Film Festival Director and Film Engagement Officer at Culture House, Chris Allan, who will be attending the event, said: “Every year we have the privilege of sharing some of the best new films around here in the city.
“It is a joy to have this opportunity to be able to share work produced here in the region to a wider international audience and shine a spotlight on why the North East of England is fast becoming a powerhouse for some of the most exciting new voices in filmmaking and storytelling.”
Sunderland Shorts Film Festival has been an inclusive community for filmmakers and film lovers since its launch in 2015 and was inspired and supported by DC Shorts when it was first developed. It has grown to become the largest short film festival in the North East of England.
Taking place annually, the festival is a celebration of cinema, dedicated to showcasing the best new British and international short films and music videos.
It is a British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) qualifying festival and is rated in the Top 100 festivals globally on FilmFreeway, from over 13,000 worldwide.
Supported by key creatives in the German film scene, Snowdance has grown in its first twelve years to become one of the top indie film festivals in Europe.
Through the collaboration, both festivals aim to expand their international reach, diversify their programming and foster deeper cultural understanding between UK and German audiences.
Cllr Beth Jones, Cabinet Member of Communities, Culture and Tourism at Sunderland City Council, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the quality of Sunderland Shorts Film Festival to a new audience and shine a spotlight on some of the great work of North East film makers.
“It is also a great opportunity to continue to build on the longstanding partnership between Sunderland and Essen, which have been twinned since 1949 and I hope that the relationship between the two festivals will continue to grow for many years to come.”
Included in the line-up audiences can look forward to are ‘Where It Ends’, featuring local comedy favourites Jack Robertson, Lauren Pattison and Charlie Hardwick on a pantomime tour gone wrong; director Ellie Land’s animation ‘Plunge’, exploring the benefits of cold-water swimming off the Roker coast; powerful drama ‘Hide’, produced by Sunderland-based filmmaker Carley Armstrong; and documentary ‘The School on Seaside Lane’, chronicling a community reflecting on the demolition of the old Colliery Primary School.
This year’s edition of Sunderland Shorts Film Festival is presented by Culture House Sunderland and runs from 11-17 May, with details of screenings, workshops and events coming soon.
To find out more about Sunderland Shorts visit filmfreeway.com/SunderlandShorts
The Snowdance Independent Film Festival takes place from 4 February at venues across the city of Essen, with the Sunderland Shorts showcase taking place at Sabu at the Lichtburg on Sunday 8 February from 3pm, for more information visit https://snowdance.net/en/sunderland-shortz/
