The Ramsgate International Film & TV Festival returns this month for its seventh year.
The festival has become the biggest event of its kind in the South East and this year it rolls out four days of screenings and special events which will take place in various venues across Ramsgate and Broadstairs.
The opening gala on Thursday 22nd June, which will take place at the Palace Cinema in Broadstairs, features the UK premiere of Jacqueline Bisset film, Loren & Rose, directed by Russell Brown.
The screening event of Kent’s best work will take place on June 23. This year, feature film Estate of Mind – a visceral, hard-hitting piece from Westgate film maker Drew Cox- will be shown.
The film focuses on Ramsgate man Peter Germaine and his family, documenting struggles with mental health and drug addiction, the impact of brain injury but the light at the end of the tunnel through music. The film is followed by a special networking event in partnership with Kent Film Makers and entertainment by rapper Morrison Ford and his band.
The festival will close on Sunday 25th June with the UK premiere of film Pierre Et Jeanne, the directorial debut of award winning French actress Clémentine Célarié. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Clémentine and producer Matthieu Rubin.
Countries represented this year will include South Korea with the feature My Daughter about the topical subject of Artificial Intelligence mixed with loss, bereavement, and mental health. Korean nationals will no doubt recognise leading cast members Park Sung-hoon and Jeon So-min, who won the South Korea TV BAFTA equivalent for the film.
A plethora of work from new and returning directors will also entertain festival goers. Previous alumni Alexander Milo Bischof, who won Best Screenplay in Ramsgate in 2021 for his first film, Trouble Will Find Us has come back with his new picture, Tyger.
Documentary fans will appreciate the selection of The Ballad of Bessie Mae from another Ramsgate alumni, Oliver Guy-Watkins, who showed Who’s James Payton? during the Covid online event.
The festival includes in the Short Narratives competition, the BBC commissioned short film The Body with No Face, by disabled filmmaker Owen Tooth.
The programme is completed by a series of industry talks encouraging new vocations amongst young people.
A total of 11 feature films and 64 shorts films feature in five categories – narrative, documentary, animation, experimental and Web/TV – from the five continents.
The awards ceremony will take place on Sunday 25th June, with the presentation of the Anchor Award, a solid bronze piece designed by the late Dominic Grant, to the Best of the Fest and other prizes for all winners. Once again, Oscar nominated and BAFTA winning actress and festival patron Brenda Blethyn will judge the Best First Film. Judges this year include acclaimed actor/director David Leon, Jane Sanger and Baz Russell.
The festival is starting on a new journey in partnership with the Kent Film Foundation to enable more events and courses for deprived youngsters to be offered. Curation of the festival is in partnership with Violet Pictures, which successfully curated the Folkestone Documentary Festival now in its third year. That partnership will lead to all year-round screenings.
The majority of events are pay what you can tickets to give everyone access to the films.
For more information: www.ramsgateiftvfest.org
Eventbrite tickets at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/ramsgate-international-film-amp-tv-festival-12896795015
Documentary Estate of Mind shares Ramsgate man’s powerful story of brain damage, addiction, prison, music and hope