Biggest and Best Ever Ealing Film Festival Promised
More than four hundred films submitted from forty countries
Preparations under way for the 2023 festival
October 19, 2023
The organisers of this year’s Ealing Film Festival say it will be the biggest and best so far.
This will be the fourth time that the event will be held since its launch in 2020 and it has already been another record year for entries, with more than four hundred films submitted from forty countries around the world.
As well as submissions from the Ealing area, filmmakers from Argentina and Australia, from Iran and Iraq, from South Korea and Kazakhstan have presented their work to give a total of sixty-nine hours of films.
The films cover a wide range of genres, including drama and documentaries, comedy and horror, animation and sci-fi. They are all shorts, no longer than twenty minutes.
The judges have already made their choices and gold envelopes with the names of the award winners are waiting to be opened at the festival.
This year there will be a Green Planet category for films raising concerns about the environment and there’s a special category for students, which has attracted entries from young filmmakers studying in the borough and far beyond.
“We have received some amazing films which deserve to be shown on a big screen in a cinema, in front of an audience,” says Peter Gould, one of the festival directors.
“The Ealing name is known by filmmakers around the world. They are aware of our borough’s cinema heritage, and it is a privilege to be able to share their work and provide them with an audience.”
The judges have already chosen this year's award winners
The best of the entries will be screened at three venues across Ealing during festival week which runs from November 20-25.
As well as the now traditional venue of the Ealing Project, for the first time this year, the ActOne Cinema in Acton will be hosting. It will be here that the Homegrown category of films will be shown.
As a bonus, Ealing Distillery will be offering ticket holders a free G&T.
The festival is also returning to Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery to show a selection of animation and experimental films in an event it is calling Art on Screen and there will also be a discussion about The Magic of Animation.
The three venues are each selling tickets for their own events.
Bafta-winning director Coky Giedroyc (second right) with previous award winners
“We set out to shine a spotlight on new talent,” says Annemarie Flanagan, one of the festival directors.
“A short film is like a calling card. It brings your work to the attention of people in the industry. After just four years, we are already seeing how filmmakers are developing their skills, making connections, and networking with other filmmakers. It’s what film festivals are all about.”
In addition to the in-person screenings at our three venues, the Official Selections will be available to view online and there will be an opportunity for everyone to vote for the People’s Choice award.
“We have come a long way in four years, but this is just the start,” says Alan Granley, another of the festival directors.
“We have had an amazing response from the local community, and there are further opportunities for individuals and local businesses to get involved with the festival and support the creative talent in our midst.
“And after so long without a High Street cinema, we are proud to be part of a process that has brought film back to the borough of Ealing, where it belongs.”
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