2018 Cambridge Film Festival Report

38TH
FESTIVAL
38th Cambridge Film Festival:
Festival Report

38TH
FESTIVAL
“Cambridge offered
what may be one of
crazily few chances to see
big international festival films –
Roma, most strikingly – on the big
screen. It also consistently rivals or
bests London in revivals.”
Henry K Miller - Sight & Sound
Since its founding in 1977, the Cambridge Film Festival has played a vital role in the
city’s excellent cultural programme. It brings together residents and international
visitors in a joyous celebration of cinema, and contributes to an ever more vibrant
city.
Following an opening night at which world renowned filmmaker Terry Gilliam
presented a gala screening of his latest masterpiece The Man Who Killed Don
Quixote, the 2018 Festival attracted its highest attendace in over 5 years, with 159
films presented over 8 days, to an audience in excess of 11,000, with further public
engagement online through a social media following of over 38,000.
Cambridge Film Festival is now firmly established as one of the largest cultural events
in the East of England, welcoming 45 filmmakers from around the world, presenting
over 50 UK premieres, screening major UK and American titles often many months
before their theatrical releases, and in 2018 once again showcasing the very best films
from across the globe including award-winning features from major international
festivals, (Berlin’s Golden Bear, Cannes’ Palme d’Or and Venice’s Golden Lion).
The 2018 Festival programmers selected films from 43 countries, including stand
out works from Austria, China, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Iran, Japan, Kenya,
Kosovo, Norway, Sweden & South Korea.
“A truly international film festival in the heart of an ever more international city!”
“We
at Studio 24
are proud to be long
standing sponsors and
enjoy holding our annual
gala evening during the
Festival.”
Simon Jones (Managing
Director) - Studio 24
Tony Jones, Festival Director
“It is great to
have the opportunity
to see such amazing films
in our home city. The whole
festival is always fantastic,
such a great event.”
Audience Feedback
“It opened my eyes
to a different kind of
cinema experience and things
I enjoy which weren’t on my
radar previously. I wish I had
more time to make the most
of it.”
Audience Feedback
“One of
the best regular
film festivals in the
country for silents.”
Silent London
“Over
30 years ago we set
out on a journey to broaden
the landscape for world cinema, to
give people in this City, and further afield,
a chance to see films from many different
countries.
One of the pleasures of running a film festival is
discovering new talent and giving it a platform.
It has been one of the great pleasures, each year,
seeing new filmmakers with debut features or short
films meeting a new audience and talking about
their passion for their work. We think it is
something that Cambridge audiences
have shared with us over the
years.”

Festival at a glance
FESTIVAL
5
venues
around
Cambridge
134
Volunteers
38TH
45
visiting
filmmakers
& artists
152
Delegate
Passes
43
countries
represented
17,000
Festival
brochures
54 UK
premieres
159
films
95%
of audience members rated the
Festival experience 4 or 5 stars
& said they are likely or very
likely to attend again
22
Q&As
1,530,200
social media
impressions
8 days
219,600
website
page views
89
features
4,000
e-newsletter
readership
11,019
admissions
40%
female
directed
films
798 film
submissions
150 film
introductions
70
shorts
150
local
press
contacts
38,600
social media
followers
DIRECTOR: Hirokazu Kore-eda
On the margins of Tokyo, a
dysfunctional band of outsiders are united
by fierce loyalty, a penchant for petty theft and
playful grifting. When the young son is arrested,
secrets are exposed that upend their tenuous,
below-the-radar existence and test their
quietly radical belief that it is love—not
blood—that defines a family.
Shoplifters
Bogdan i
Roza
Director:
Milena Dutkowska
Bogdan and Roza are
in an old marriage. Their
life is filled with silence
and daily reciprocal
malice.
GOLDEN PUNT
BEST FEATURE
38TH
FESTIVAL
38TH
FESTIVAL
CRYSTAL PUNT
BEST SHORT
Letter
From
Masanjia
Award Winners
SILVER PUNT
BEST DOCUMENTARY
38TH
FESTIVAL
DIRECTOR: Leon Lee
An Oregon woman finds an SOS message
from a Chinese dissident in a package of
Halloween decorations from Kmart, setting off a
chain of events that would shut down the entire
labor camp system in China and ignite the letterwriter’s
dangerous quest to expose a deadly
persecution.
38TH
FESTIVAL

Faces of the Festival
38TH
FESTIVAL
Terry Gilliam: The Man Who Killed Don Quixote
Nigel Clarke: Baftta Kids
Claire Bloom: Miss Dali
Tommy French: I Love My Mum
Dr Leila Mukhida & Amrit Sandhu: Roobha
Family Film Festival Brain Hats Workshop
David Wood: If....

Comedy for Kids with Neil Brand
Kierston Wareing: I Love My Mum
Family Film Festival
Young Filmmakers Networking
Harriet Kelsall Bespoke Jewellery Gala
Katy Reece: Feline
Dimitri de Clercq: You Go To My Head
BFI Network Writers Lab

A huge thank you to our
supporters
Please contact Owen Baker: owen@cambridgefilmtrust.org.uk Festival Office: 01223 500082
www.cambridgefilmfestival.org.uk
Registered charity number 1120059 VAT registration number 775 386 385