The University of Winchester has signed a five-year partnership agreement with the Winchester Film Festival to offer new opportunities to enjoy and experience film for both students and audiences.
In recent years the Winchester Film Festival has gone from strength to strength, attracting an increasing number of high quality screenings to its international competition. It has grown out of the Winchester Short Film Festival to include feature-length films for the first time this year, although short films still remain a central part of its programme.
The agreement will see students take part in work placements and have unique behind-the-scenes access to the Festival programme of events. The University's undergraduate BA (Hons) Film Production and BA (Hons) Film Studies students will also gain special admission to screenings, as well as opportunities to enter the Festival's international film competition.
There are also plans to host one of the major screening events of the Festival at the University this autumn.
The Winchester Film Festival 2018 takes place on 3-10 November, with the full programme published on 10 October.
"Our exciting new partnership sees the University play an active role in supporting this increasingly prestigious Film Festival," said University of Winchester Vice-Chancellor, Professor Joy Carter DL CBE. "Winchester students embarking on their own careers in film and cinema in the future will gain invaluable experience as a result of our partnership."
"It's great to have this long-term agreement with the University," added Winchester Film Festival Coordinator John Hayes. "We're also very pleased to be working with the University's film students in the organisation of the Festival."
The University of Winchester has also recently signed five-year agreements with Theatre Royal Winchester, the Hat Fair, Blue Apple Theatre and The Point, Eastleigh.
"We're very happy to welcome the Winchester Film Festival to our family of cultural partners," said Professor Alec Charles , Dean of the University's Faculty of Arts. "This is a fantastic opportunity for our film students to take part in a wonderful international cinema event in the heart of our city."
Photo above shows John Hayes thanking the 2017 Festival team, including University of Winchester students.