Twickenham Alive festival garners praise

Twickenham Alive, the first film festival to be held in the London borough of Richmond, received a storm of acclaim last week, attracting 400 viewers and more than 100 entries for the 11 film categories.

Last weekend saw hundreds of amateur filmmakers descend upon Twickenham stadium to show off their creative skills at the event, which was organised with support from the council, RFU, Twickenham Studios, McGeachie Medd and Best of Richmond.

Those wishing to enter films were asked to create short original pieces of no longer than ten minutes, which saw a number of unique and special entries submitted in contest for the £5,000 prize.

These included Bursting at the Seams by the Teddington Society which offered residents a video snapshot of their local area, as well as the Borough Attraction Award winner, the Garden of Reason, made by young people from Ham Youth Centre.

There was even an international award, obtained by Werther Germondari for his video Panca Popolare Italiana, which portrays life around a park bench in Rome over the course of six years.

"The standard for entries was extremely high and is a perfect example of encouraging creative talent in the borough," commented councillor Pamela Fleming, Richmond council cabinet member for business, community and culture.

Councillor Rita Palmer, mayor of Richmond, agreed with her colleague on the exceptional standard and went on to say how essential such festivals are to those living in the local area.

"[The event] highlights how films can encourage local people to explore, celebrate and promote local achievements," she said.

Twickenham has been known for playing an important role in the British film industry, having played host to the filming crews of classics including Alfie and A Hard Day's Night.

The district is home to many people in the film business, with the council hoping the keen audience will keep the festival living well beyond its 2013 incarnation.

Entries for next year's Twickenham Alive event are already being taken, with the deadline being Easter 2014.

Posted by Ben Carter

Published 3rd May, 2013

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