UWTSD’s Copper Coast International Film Festival, took place from 29th January to 1st February 2019, welcoming films and film lovers from around the world to Swansea.
The event culminated in an awards ceremony in the Reading Room at the University’s Alex Design Centre in Swansea on February 1, which featured category presenters including Mal Pope, Professor of Practice at UWTSD, Marc Rees; Tracey McNulty, Head of Cultural Services at Swansea Council; Huw Rees, Presenter and Director at Tinopolis; Anna Redfern at Cinema & Co and Mark Jermin, CEO at Jermin Productions.
Education is one of the key pillars of Copper Coast. It first began as a student project at UWTSD Swansea College of Art and continues to involve students at its heart, overseeing various aspects of the Festival, from the selection process to organising screenings to running social media and marketing campaigns.
This year’s Copper Coast embraced the events centred on the Holocaust Memorial events, with the theme – Torn from Home. Students from the BA Film and TV degree courses gave emotional readings during the evening and there was a performance by Monique Simone (mezzo) and Sian Davies (piano) from the Wales International Academy of Voice.
As part of Copper Coast, actor Hannah Good visited UWTSD’s Swansea College of Art to run a workshop with UWTSD students and student visitors from Coleg Sir Gar.
UWTSD Vice-Chancellor Professor Medwin Hughes, DL said: “The festival and awards ceremony is a fantastic opportunity for us in Swansea – this great city of culture – to tell a story of making a difference. And what better way to do it than through creativity – to transform ideas into a creative work that can inspire and enthral its audience. We have experienced this evening the power and transformational potential of such story-telling – it is a theme that runs through this University; it is what we do by transforming education and the lives of those we serve”.
Professor Ian Walsh, Dean of Swansea College of Art said: “Copper Coast is a celebration of the good that we find in young people all over the world. We are honoured to be able to give them an international platform to pay tribute to their creative skills. After three years, this Festival has grown, but one thing remains true – this is very much a student-led festival. Here at UWTSD Swansea College of Art, we believe in the power of story-telling – the importance of narrative and connecting our students with the real stories which shape real lives. These qualities are reflected in our courses and in this faculty.”
The range of this year’s awards reflected the wide range of talents involved with the film industry. These include; Best Director, Best actress, Best Actor, Best Film and Best Documentary.
The event builds upon the success of the previous two editions of Copper Coast, which saw over 5,000 entries submitted from around the world, and panel speakers including BAFTA-winning film directors Kevin Allen (Twin Town), Destiny Ekaragha (Gone Too Far) and Claire Sturges (My Brief Eternity).
In addition to screening a selection of some of the finest short films from the next generation of global filmmaking talent, this year’s Copper Coast also hosted a series of events with filmmakers discussing their work and their roles in this fascinating industry.
The shortlist of films were also shown on the big screen in Castle Square during the festival week.
Festival Director, Timi O’Neill: “This year’s edition of the Festival has given us a chance to take stock and realise that what started as a student project at the University has become an event of international reach that enriches everybody who gets involved – students, staff, volunteers, filmmakers and audiences.”
UWTSD Head of School of Fine & Media Arts, Caroline Thraves: “Copper Coast continues to go from strength to strength and this year saw increased engagement with local schools, encouraging pupils to see the potential for fulfilling careers across the film industry.”
UWTSD was also pleased to welcome Swansea-based business Cygnet Gin and Swansea’s Village Hotel who helped to support this year’s event.
Copper Coast International Film Festival Winners
- Best Student Film – Alexander Haydn Jones- Stationary Bike
- Best Cinematography – Nicholas Canton and Simon Panay – Nobody Dies Here
- Best Film – Andrew Muir – Turning Tide
- Best Soundtrack – Arte Yuahamme – Tunnel
- Best Actor – Lasse Valdal – Astray
- Best Director – Manuel Del Valle – Bloodhound Disciple
- Best Screenplay – Joshua Jarman – Swimming
- Best Actress – Genevieve Barr – Lighting
- Best Documentary – Halid Ilhan – Born in 9/8
- Best Welsh Language film – Benjamin- Martyn Wheeler
