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'Artistic Director's Introduction '

 MY INDECISION IS FINAL!

Welcome to the 19th edition. Despite the recession and its inevitable consequences of reduced funding and sponsorship it is still our commitment to bring to Chichester the best of world cinema, to celebrate imagination, originality, and diversity across film in all its forms, and to provide opportunities for  our visiting filmmakers  and speakers to  interact and engage with our audiences and encourage discussion and reflection.

We are delighted to open the festival with the utterly charming French animated feature, The Illusionist based upon a Jacques Tati scenario, and proud to close with the UK premiere of Nigel Cole’s Made in Dagenham, starring Sally Hawkins, with Miranda Richardson as Barbara Castle and John Sessions as Harold Wilson! In between these superb previews we will be showcasing over 35 new films, many having there first screenings outside Cannes, Berlin or Edinburgh. Some highlights include the eagerly awaited 2nd instalment of the Millennium Trilogy, The Girl who Played with Fire; first UK screenings of The Frost (Norway) and Black Sheep (Mexico); Nick Moran discussing his new film The Kid with Derek Malcolm, and a sneak preview of Stephen Frears’ Tamara Drewe.

Our documentary section this year goes from strength to strength with 10 diverse films, some challenging, and some wonderfully entertaining. We hope to welcome film-makers of almost all of these to introduce their work, including the brilliant Diary of a Disgraced Soldier, the delightful (and local) Little Victorian Secrets that reveals the world of the miniature and a portrait of the brilliant cameraman, the late Jack Cardiff, introduced by his son Mason Cardiff.  Tony Palmer outdoes himself this year to introduce 2 new documentaries: the UK premiere of the recently restored 1974 concert film of Leonard Cohen Bird on the Wire, and his last South Bank show on The Wagner Family. To complement this documentary perhaps the rarest film we will be showing is the 1913 German Silent film (with Dutch intertitles!) claimed to be the first ever full length Bio-Pic, this is being especially imported from Germany - and no doubt Mr. Palmer will reveal all! This is just one of the wonderful selection of 7 films representing Treasures from the Archives, which includes the full restored Fritz Lang classic Metropolis, plus Godard’s 50th anniversary of Breathless.

Retrospectives are an integral part of any important Festival, and we celebrate the centenary of Akira Kurosawa with 5 of his masterpieces, a short 4 film tribute to the late Joseph Strick, who had agreed to come over from Paris to discuss his groundbreaking 1967 Ulysses, but sadly died very recently. Our actor retrospective this year belongs to Colin Firth in a 10 film sidebar. His serious side is reflected in his commitment to supporting Brightwide, a charity promoting social and political cinema and we will be presenting 3 documentaries on a special Brightwide day (Sept1), including In the Land of the Free, introduced by Gordon Roddick.

We continue our commitment to local partnerships, with another free open air screening Chichester Cathedral and Cineworld are again hosting 3 chilling Horror Previews. Finally we continue the ambitious season of Viva Mexico & Surrealist Cinema supported by Pallant House Gallery related to their exhibition Surreal Friends.

No festival can exist without the people behind the scenes and I would like to fully extend my thanks in advance to the volunteers, the Projection and Box Office Staff and the New Park Community Centre. Plus our sponsors: Screen South, West Sussex County Council, Seawards and The Chichester Observer.

So, if you look at the current summer releases and are dismayed at the predictable blockbusters, and are hungry for engaging, diverse and entertaining cinema, here is your only opportunity to discover international and local gems, whether contemporary or classic, and yes, no 3D!

R.G. JULY 2010

Festival 2010 - At a Glance
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