Wirral International Film Festival returns for second year

Nov 18 2009 by Matt Hurst, Birkenhead News

WIRRAL International Film Festival (WIFF) returns for the second year next week, showcasing the peninsula’s movie-making talents alongside French and Italian productions.

Organised by Alan Veste and Phil Bimpson, WIFF 2010 will run an extended schedule, with new prize categories and a plethora of diverse genres – all free to view.

The action kicks off at Birkenhead’s Queens Hotel next Wednesday, November 25 with music videos.

Thursday, November 26, sees documentaries and productions by under 16s given an airing, while the opening week is rounded off with the first day of short films.

After the weekend, the second selection of shorts will grace the silver screen before international day on Tuesday, December 3.

Film-makers from Wirral’s twin towns of Latina in Italy, and Gennevilliers and Lorient in France, have thrown their weight behind the initiative.

Movies were collected by Alan and Phil on their recent visit, but a steady stream has also been arriving by post and a number of continental auteurs are expected to make the trip to Birkenhead to see WIFF in action.

Alan told the News: “It’s going great.

“The fact we didn’t get any funding or help or even a building has only made us more determined to make this a success.

“Next year we’ll definitely be making sure we get somewhere bigger and better but we’ll just carry on, that’s all we can do.

“We love film-making, it’s as simple as that, and it’s nice to have somewhere to show movies. It’s a great buzz.”

The awards ceremony will take place on the final day of the festival, Friday December 4.

And this year, awards will be handed out for the best director, best actor or actress and the best cinematography, alongside those based on genre.

Also back is the Wirral News Award, based on a public vote so everyone who watches the films could have a say in the winner, and the Alan Clark Award, in recognition of outstanding achievement.

In total, almost 100 films have been submitted and entrance for viewers is free.

l WIFF 2010 runs from November 25 to December 4 at the Queens Hotel, Park Road West, Birkenhead.

Keep an eye on wirralnews.co.uk in the coming days for the full schedule, while next week’s News should carry complete running times.