Widnes independent film festival goes global
● Runcorn author Peter McKeirnon, who wrote Dead Town, formed Slumberjack Entertainment in 2016
AN independent film festival will make its debut in Widnes this month after sparking an international response with entries from around the world.
Organisers received 272 submissions from about 32 countries, and have now whittled these down to the 64 best, to be shown at The Studio on Lacey Street on Saturday-Sunday, March 25-26.
Slumberjack Film Festival will also welcome California-based film-maker Crafty St James who will making the long trip from Los Angeles to present two shot films and take part in a question and answer (Q&A).
Independent shot films, web series, music videos and trailed will be running throughout the weekend.
Highlights include the screenings of two award-winning films – with Southport-set festive horror Good Tidings to close the festival’s Saturday night and Stoke-on-Trent vampires horror comedy The Slayers to close the Sunday.
Dave Gilbank will be showing his multi-award winning short films Polterheist and Working Late.
Entry is free and organisers Slumberjack Entertainment have shared the film submission fees with The Studio.
Punters will also be able to take part in some retro gaming courtesy of festival sponsor Player 2 Comics & Games, and will also be able to vote for their favourite films for the best overall feature, genre feature, short under 60 minutes, super short – five minutes and under, trailer, web series and music video.
Slumberjack Entertainment was formed in May 2016 by Dead Town author and director Pete McKeirnon and Rod Hay.
Their credits include Youtube sitcom Dead Town, the short film Swings & Roundabouts and The Quacky Slasher, which is in production now and follows the vigilante slayings by a man in a duck mask and boiler suit,.
Pete said he has been amazed at the festival’s global response.
He said: “It’s crazy considering it’s a film festival in Halton. We’ve not tried to big it up to be anything other than it is.”
Commenting on the screening entries’ global pool, he said: “(They’re from) about 32 or 33 countries, mostly from the UK and American but we’re showing entries from all over the world – Germany, Malta, Spain, Canada, France.
“We’ve actually got a filmmaker from LA who’s going to be there all weekend.”
In a statement about the festival’s origins, he said: “It is our belief that the indie filmmaker is the heart of our industry and our aim is to give individuals and organisations a platform to showcase their work.
“Indie filmmakers are the future and deserve to be celebrated. We want people to see that you don’t need a big budget to create wonderful cinema.
“All you need is an idea and the drive to see it through. Our goal is to create and support independent film.
“Slumberjack Film Festival is our way of giving indie film makers a platform to showcase their work to a live audience whilst bringing something different to Halton.”