Copper Coast International Film Festival 2020

The Copper Coast International Film Festival returns for its fourth run from January 27 to 30, with a packed week of screenings and speakers, and a variety of discussions and debates.

At the heart of the festival, organised by UWTSD's Swansea College of Art, is an international short film competition, with entries submitted from around the world. The nominated films will be screened throughout the week, culminating in an awards ceremony, hosted by Mal Pope on Friday, January 31.

Mal said: "I’m delighted to be a part of this year’s festival.  It’s been exciting to see how the students own their festival with so much support from the UWTSD Staff.  This is my fourth year and each year the festival has grown.  Who knows where it could go in the future?”

To open the festival, in commemoration of the 75^th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on January 27, Emmy award winning director and producer Chris Durlacher will be discussing film and television’s transforming coverage of history and the holocaust and screening excerpts of his documentary, “Hitler’s Hidden Drug Habit”. In addition, a selection of Israeli short films will be screened.

Also at the festival, Professor Mark Blagrove of DreamsID and Dr Julia Lockheart will be discussing dreams and their relationship to the cinema. Staff from the BA Film & TV course at UWTSD Swansea will be exploring the question, ‘is humanity worth saving’ through the perspective of five sci films.

And BAFTA will chair an event that sees the nominees for the Best Short Film award at the recent BAFTA Cymru awards discuss their career paths into the industry and offer advice for emerging filmmakers. 

UWTSD Professor of Practice Marc Rees, interdisciplinary creative, said: “Festivals play a pivotal role in the career trajectory of any filmmaker so Copper Coast Film Festival is a brilliant way for the students to learn and understand the mechanics of one. Copper Coast Film Fest belongs to them that's why it's so unique and exemplary, I was blown away by the talent that I saw on screen last year and I am delighted to be returning to the festival to hand out the Best Director award.”

Academic Director Caroline Thraves said she wanted this year’s festival ‘to explore new ways to help students engage with matters of global importance’. “We are proud to host an event that sees each year deliver new experiences for the students and new ways of thinking about these experiences. The programme has developed an approach to film that embraces diversity and ensures that no-one is left out of having the ability and right to tell their story,” she added.

Timi O’Neill, Festival director and Programme Manager of BA Film & TV at UWTSD Swansea College of Art said: “Having the first day of the festival set on the 75^th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz means that this year’s event both remembers those lost in that dark period of history, but also testifies to the strength of the human spirit to overcome these evils and to be resolute in saying that we will never forget.”

Also joining the festival for the second year is Swansea-based Cygnet Distillery. Robyn Lee, head of commercial and PR / Marketing manager for Cygnet Distillery said of the collaboration: “We’re so pleased to be involved with the film festival again this year. Last year was a really successful event for us and we’re glad to be able to support this event for the second year. It’s exciting to see the calibre of talent that’s produced and for Cygnet, being a local and proud Welsh heritage gin distillery, to be there supporting this event with arrival gin and tonics and soft drinks, is something that we’re incredibly proud of.” 

For further details, please contact Festival Director Timi O’Neill at timi.oneill@uwtsd.ac.uk

Note to Editor

Day 1  

Monday 27

• 10:00-13:00:
• 10:30-12:30:

Alex Reading Room

Guest Speaker Chris Durlacher

Lecture Theatre 1 Dynevor

Festival Films – selection

• 10:30-12:30:

Dylan Thomas Centre

Festival Films – selection

• 14:00-16:00:

Alex Reading Room 

Film screening - ‘A Film Unfinished’ (2010)

• 14:00-16:00:
• 10:00-12:00:

Dylan Thomas Centre

Festival Films - selection

Day 2 

Tuesday 28

Dylan Thomas Centre

Festival Films - semi final

• 13:00-16:00:

Dylan Thomas Centre

Guest Speakers Mark Blagrove, Julia Lockheart.

‘Dreams ID’

• 14:00-16:30:
• 10:00-12:00:

Alex Reading Room 

Festival Films - semi final

Day 3 

Wednesday 29

Alex Reading Room  

Festival Films - Finalists

• 10:00-13:00:

Glynn Vivian Art Gallery

Guest Speaker Simon Kilshaw

‘Finding musical meaning in the readings of Rabbi Nosson Scherman's 'Study of the Holocaust’

Guest speakers Jamie Brown, Eduardo Djissule-Pereira

‘the stories we tell ourselves’

• 10:00-12:00:
• 10:00-16:00:

Dylan Thomas Centre  

Film screening - ‘Fade Away Pastoral’ (2019)

Dylan Thomas Centre  

Festival Films -  Finalists

Day 4 

Thursday 30

• 10:00-12:00:
• 14:00-16:00:

Dylan Thomas Centre

Festival Films - Finalists

Dylan Thomas Centre

Festival Films - Finalists

• 14:00-16:00:

Alex Reading Room 

Short talks

‘Is humanity worth saving?’

Day 5 

Friday 31

• 13:00-16:00:
• 18:30-21:00:

Dylan Thomas Centre

BAFTa Cymru Screening

and q & a

Alex Reading Room

cciff Award ceremony

Further Information

Rebecca Davies

Swyddog Gweithredol Cysylltiadau â’r Wasg a’r Cyfryngau

Executive Press and Media Relations Officer

Cyfathrebu Corfforaethol a Chysylltiadau Cyhoeddus

Corporate Communications and PR

Tel: 01792 483695

Mobile: 07384 467071

Email: Rebecca.Davies@uwtsd.ac.uk