Seaside film festival competition launched in Blackpool

The Regent Cinema in Church Street has launched its Shorts at the Seaside festival which is set to take place in May.

Part of the fun will be a competition for short films with three categories, each with a £100 first prize.

The first category is for short films between two and 10 minutes for people aged under 25 on the day of the festival. Films must show a deckchair in them for at least 20 seconds.

The second is short films between two and 10 minutes for people aged 25 or over on the day of the festival. Films must show a deckchair in them for at least 20 seconds.

The final category is for a film between two and 10 minutes for any age range and on any theme.

Regent owner Rick Taylor said with a new digital projector and plans to install a 35mm projector well in hand, the Regent is in the position to put on the festival and competition.

He said: “There is a huge interest locally in making films and we are doing this to support new film makers. We have been speaking to the colleges and students can use this as part of their portfolio and studies. Technology is so much cheaper these days and it opens things up to more people to take part.”

Festival organiser Carole Moran said: “It’s a great opportunity for film makers to see their film on the big screen, not to mention the £100 first prize for each category.”

She said there will also be guest speakers from the film industry who will talk about their experiences and answer questions from the audience.

And the day of the event will be open to anyone to attend with free entry.

There is a charge of £5 for each film entry.

Details at https://filmfreeway.com/ShortsattheSeaside