Welcome to the Borderlines Film Festival 2005

lt's the biggest and best yet with over 100 screenings of 60 films from 15 different countries. As in previous years The Courtyard will be the buzzing hub of the Festival. We will be showing the best British films of the year, some fascinating documentaries, and a selection of a dozen of the most beautiful and inspiring films from all around the world. Among the Festival highlights are a series of events on films, food, psychotherapy and Street Art in which directors and critics discuss the films being shown and the issues they raise.

Award-winning feature film & documentary director, Deborah Koons Garcia will be flying in from the States to introduce her film The Future of Food, a timely warning of the impact of modern farming methods on the food we eat and the health of our children. After the film Martin Orbach, Director of Abergavenny Food Festival, will chair a discussion of the issues raised by the film with among others, Reverend Nick Read, Agricultural Chaplain to the Bishop of Hereford.

We have a day devoted to Derek Jarman, one of the most original filmmakers Britain has ever produced. We will be screening two of his best films (Caravaggio & The Last of England), along with a screening of a documentary about Jarman’s life and work that will be introduced by the director, Andrew Kimpton-Nye.

One of the great successes of last year’s Festival was the River of Life screening of local films from times gone by and we are searching through archives across the country again to bring you another evening of long-lost gems.

For the first time we are showing a series of music films – Ray, White Stripes, Metallica, The Sound of Brazil – that are guaranteed to put a smile on your face, and each weekend we are also showing some children’s films. Our selection of the very best films from around the world from Bhutan to Brazil, from Argentina to Russia features films that are as different and distinctive as the countries they come from.

In the Best of British strand the highlights include Mike Leigh’s masterpiece Vera Drake, Enduring Love, a sensitive adaptation of Ian McEwan’s novel, and three films from first time women directors A Way of Life, Dear Frankie, and Afterlife which show just how vibrant and diverse British cinema has become. All of these films feature fantastically good performances, and we are delighted to have the directors of all three coming to introduce their films.

Last year we introduced a special feature - Happy Hour - designed to get you into the Festival spirit by offering tickets at a reduced price of £3 to all films showing in the early evening. You will all be glad to hear that we are doing the same this year and also offering a special Festival ticket for the main evening screenings of 5 films for £15!

I would like to thank all our partners – at The Courtyard, Disabilty Arts Shropshire, Flicks in the Sticks, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, and Presteigne Assembly Rooms - and their staff for their hard work in making this festival so wide-reaching and exciting. I believe there’s something here for everyone to enjoy from the serious film fan to the first time visitor.

Finally I would specially like to thank our funders – Advantage West Midlands, Herefordshire Creative Industries, Screen West Midlands, the Elmley Foundation – without whose financial support the Festival would not take place, and particularly MovieMail who have sponsored the world cinema strand for their generous support. I hope you enjoy watching the films as much as I have enjoyed selecting theme

David Gillam
Borderlines Film Festival Director