The second International Media Festival of Wales (IMFW) took place at University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s (UWTSD) Yr Egin building in Carmarthen last week, to celebrate and elevate local and international media talent.
The festival, only in its second year and run by UWTSD Filmmaking Lecturer Brett Aggersberg, included a variety of submission categories, including Drone, Adventure, Animation, and Virtual Reality, among others.
The Festival received submissions from countries including France, the United States, Kuwait, China, and New Zealand, as well as a large amount of films by UWTSD students and members of the local south Wales media industry.
Winners were announced at an awards ceremony on Tuesday 24th October 2023 at Yr Egin, with entertainment from The Hepburns and sponsorship from local rum brand Barti Ddu.
Brett Aggersberg, UWTSD Film Lecturer and organiser of the event said: “The International media Festival of Wales is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the cutting-edge technology and techniques film makers and content creators are using to tell their story.
“The festival has grown since last year and promises to get even bigger. With major companies such as Panasonic Lumix, Format Hi-Tech, and Tokina cinema lenses, as well as local companies such as Carmarthen Cameras and Wales Interactive, supporting the event, it shows the world the innovation taking place in Wales, and celebrates the common passion to tell stories. Judges were particularly impressed with the quality of submissions from young local film makers.”
Rhys Cannon, who graduated from BA Filmmaking at UWTSD last academic year, won the Television category for his short Horror film The Pit which was shot in Wales. Rhys said: “I am extremely grateful for this award, and to have been featured in this innovative and progressive festival.
“The Pit was a collaborative project between myself and other Filmmaking students, as well as students from other Creative Carmarthen courses. This award serves as recognition for everyone’s efforts, and a proud moment for me in my time at UWTSD.”
During the same week, the host venue Canolfan S4C Yr Egin celebrated 5 years as a vibrant cultural venue, business and creative hub. The iconic building on UWTSD’s Carmarthen campus provides a focal point for the creative community as well as for diverse communities across the region, and is the headquarters of Welsh medium television channel, S4C.
