About
The first ever Salford Film Festival was held at Red Cinemas in November 2003. It ran over three days and celebrated the past, present and future of Salford film-making, the regeneration of Salford, and the community activists that make it happen.
The festival screened classic feature films from Salford’s past and present such as a Taste of Honey, Love on the Dole, and East is East. The centre-piece of the event, however, (and the driver behind the establishment of the festival) was the premier screening of ‘Talking with Angels,’ a short film developed in the area of Seedley and Langworthy by Producer Mike Knowles and Director Yousaf Ali Khan. Yousaf grew up in Salford on the Ellor Street Estate and the film is a portrayal of how he and his siblings struggled to come to terms with the stigmas attached to their mother’s schizophrenia.
The film was very much a Salford-based project. Casting sessions were held at the Cornerstone, a community resource centre in the heart of Seedley and Langworthy, with untrained actors from the area. The film provided acting opportunities and placements for some 25 residents/local people interested in developing the skills required to produce professionally made films. Additionally over 240 young people were involved in the workshops that took place prior to the film. They learned the discipline of a film set, how to act in front of a camera, and the mechanics of the film making process.
The success of this initial festival set the template for those which followed. The festival continues to highlight Salford’s film makers, and celebrate the local talent within community groups and the individuals who have been at the centre of the regeneration of the areas in which they live.
The film festival was originally a jointly funded project developed initially through Michael Knowles and Northern Film Network and Salford Innovation Park (SIP) at The University of Salford with support from the Primary Care Trust and Salford Community Venture. The Advisory Group included representatives of community organisations and statutory agencies. This then evolved into a formal Steering Group.
Festival partners past and present have included Northern Film Network, CRIS, SRB 5, Salford Community Venture, IMMC, CIDS, Red Cinema, Looking Glass Films, Rip-Roar Productions, REEL MCR, The Commonwealth Film Festival, and Salford City Council.
Salford Film Festival is a limited not-for-profit company managed by the Salford Film Festival Management Board.
