The Arts Institute Film Commission

About the Film Commission

The Arts Institute is deeply passionate about supporting new, emerging and established artists in Plymouth, the South West, UK and internationally. 

The Arts Institute Film Commission takes place annually in celebration of the Plymouth Museums Galleries Archives partnership, including the South West Television Archive (SWFTA), The Box, Plymouth and other major partners in the city.

Launched in 2016, the commission is now in its third year and will once again showcase the very best in this open call to artists, filmmakers, and curators.

2018 Film Commission

The 2018 Film Commission offers two distinct prizes for successful filmmakers and curators:

• The Arts Institute Film Commission Prize - £3,500
• The Arts Institute Film Development Prize - £1,500

The theme for this year is Revolutions. 

The winning films are now currently in production and will be premiered during the Plymouth Art Weekender in September 2018. 

The Arts Institute Film Commission Prize - £3,500 - Richard Broomhall

Criteria:

• Filmmakers and curators will be expected to create new work, which will either wholly or in part, use archive material from the South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA) to reflect on the experience of living in the South West. 

• The theme of this year’s film commission is REVOLUTIONS, part of The Arts Institute's wider cultural programme that begins with the marking of the centenary of the Russian Revolution through to a consideration of wider global socio/political movements and how they often herald more private and personal change.

• We are seeking imaginative responses and interpretations to the theme with the commission providing an opportunity to reconsider how we see and understand history through the representation of archival material in a new context.

The Arts Institute Film Development Prize - £1,500 - Chris Bailey and Leuan Jones 

Criteria:

• The Arts Institute's Development prize is open to artists/filmmakers and curators living and working in the South West. You will be expected to create new work, which will either wholly or in part, use archive material from the South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA) to reflect on the experience of living in the South West. 

• The theme of this year’s film commission is REVOLUTIONS, part of The Arts Institute's wider cultural programme that begins with the marking of the centenary of the Russian Revolution through to a consideration of wider global socio/political movements and how they often herald more private and personal change. 

• The fund will provide access to the SWFTA archive and mentoring support from the selection panel (equivalent of four two hour sessions). This will include art direction, editorial and budgetary/funding advice, and how to promote your film alongside an introduction to the SWFTA archive.

Selection criteria

• Only one film presentation is selected for each commission.
  
• We look for an imaginative response to SWFTA’s film collection with the aim of presenting historical footage that re-enlivens the past and connects to the present. We are open to different styles and approaches, with an emphasis on imaginative interpretation and representation of archive material.
  
• A track record of film delivery and an outline of promotion of the film.
  
• Evidence of budget management – producing/presenting film within budgets.
  

Selection Panel

Jilly Payne I South West Film & Television Archive
Dr Sarah Chapman I Director The Arts Institute, University of Plymouth
Anna Navas I Film Administrator, The Arts Institute, University of Plymouth I Film Programmer, Plymouth Arts Centre
Dr Kayla Parker I Artist film-maker, and Lecturer in Media Arts, University of Plymouth
Professor Michael Punt I Transtechnology Research, University of Plymouth
Lucy Reynolds I Artist, Film-maker, Senior Lecturer, Westminster School of Media, Arts & Design, University of Westminster

The Arts Institute: Supporting the presentation of film and cinema

The Arts Institute run the Jill Craigie Cinema at the University of Plymouth, named after Jill Craigie (1914–1999) who was a British documentary film director, actor, writer and feminist. Drawing on this association, The Arts Institute is a passionate advocate for film, recognising the mediums ability to entertain and inspire. Past cinema programmes have supported popular, cult classics and artist films, opening up the rich history of cinematography alongside the latest developments in contemporary cinema to a wide range of audiences. It is the supporting organisation for the River Tamar Project, which launched the highly successful It’s All About the River film festival in Sept–October 2015 and regularly partners with other independent cinemas and art organisations to promote the diversity and richness of cinema and film.

South West Film and Television Archive

The South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA) is the official regional film archive for the South West of England. 

It is one of the largest regional film archives in the UK, a member of Film Archives UK (FAUK) and is recognised as one of the UK’s most significant screen heritage collections. 

SWFTA is a partner in the BFI's Film Audience Network (FAN) and will become part of The Box Plymouth combining the resources of Plymouth Museums Galleries Archives under one roof due to open in 2020.