Premieres from BAFTA nominated artists and a series of open air screenings in iconic riverside locations will be among the highlights of an ambitious new film festival.
It’s All About the River is a major cultural programme presented by The River Tamar Project and Peninsula Arts at University of Plymouth, which aims to explore the historical and future connections of local and international communities with the river.
Running through September and October, the festival will feature new commissions from local, national and international artists and filmmakers, alongside screenings of popular and cult classics in impressive settings along the banks of the Tamar.
Being staged with funding from Arts Council England, the British Film Institute Film Festival Fund, the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site, the Heritage Lottery Fund, FEAST, the festival aims to celebrate and revitalise cultural spaces and communities and raise new questions about the river’s potential as an economic and cultural force in the 21st Century.
Artistic Director Paula Orrell says:
“Working with such renowned artists allows us to explore the international reach and context of the river and to help develop new thinking around the River Tamar’s future. We are enabling national and international artists, as well as individual communities, to create striking works and thought-provoking experiences. The festival will not only celebrate this important natural asset, but will raise its profile both nationally and internationally.”
Professor David Coslett, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of University of Plymouth, said:
“University of Plymouth is committed to enhancing the cultural offer in the city and across the South West and has a record of bringing leading artists to the region. Our support for It’s All About the River is part of that commitment and will provide the communities along the Tamar, as well as other visitors, with a new insight into the river’s impact on their lives now and in the future. It will also enable our staff, students and the wider community to engage with internationally recognised artists and filmmakers.”
It’s All About the River spans the tidal reach of the Tamar and begins on Friday 12 September with a weekend of events in Calstock and Gunnislake. It then flows downstream, stopping at Bere Alston, Cargreen, Saltash, Barne Barton and Devonport, before its conclusion on Sunday 12 October. The venues will include Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s striking Royal Albert Bridge, stately homes such as Pentillie Castle and the National Trust’s Cotehele House, and the dockyard of the Royal Navy.
