The 6th Wood Green International Short Film Festival presented by Haringey Council opens on 18 April with a showcase of the best local talent.
The local programme launches three days of screenings at the Wood Green Cineworld, featuring more than 70 short films from across the world. The varied programme includes animation, comedy, drama, documentary, music and experimental films.
Aside from the films, the festival acts as a nucleus for a series of fringe events. The 'Meet the Professionals' session will give aspiring filmmakers the chance to put questions to some experienced film industry veterans. The Fastforward society will be back with a selection of youth films following on from last year's successful event, and the Political Film Corner promises to spark some lively debate. More events will be revealed closer to the date.
Festival-goers will also be invited to take advantage of some special film festival deals offered in local shops and restaurants throughout the weekend. A number of local traders will be offering a variety of tempting deals to festival ticket holders, who should look out for the 'film festival supporter' window stickers around Wood Green High Road and Turnpike Lane to bag some local bargains.
The opening night will include two films developed through Haringey Council's annual short film production fund. Rolling On by Paola Desiderio is a thoughtful documentary exploring the youth skateboard culture in and around Finsbury Park, and The Extra Mile by Stuart Parkins is a touching drama, following a teacher leading his class on a journey of discovery across the borough, taking in the sights and sounds they go.
The council assisted five filmmakers in total this year, offering bursaries between £1,500 and £3,000 plus the opportunity to develop their project's potential with sessions at a top professional script agency. They will be hoping to follow the success of local filmmaker Kim Albright, whose film Dragonfly was the first film to be funded by the scheme in 2006 and went on to be a hit at the recent London Film Festival. Kim is now working in the industry as a music video director.
The festival runs from Friday 18 April to Sunday 20 April. Ticket prices range from £2.50 to £3.50, and the children's film event on Saturday is free.
Tickets will be on sale from 11 April, and can be purchased via the Cineworld booking line: 0871 200 2000 or online via
www.cineworld.co.uk The festival has been a sell out in recent years, so early booking is advised.