Organiser: The British Council, Southern Pocket Film Festival

Date: 7pm-10pm, 10th September, 2010
Venue: 2-7-8, Yangcheng Creative Park, 315 Huangpu Da Dao Zhong, Guangzhou
Admission: This is a free event and application of admission can be made through the following site: http://eventreg.britishcouncil.org.cn/register1.aspx?target=qnandreg&campaignid=3ec51b5a-a6b1-df11-971d-0019b9bfb022 Deadline for registration: Monday, 6th September, confirmation will be sent out on 7th September.

There's a lot more than Harry Potter to contemporary British film. From dynamic box office hits to challenging, thriving independent cinema, the variety of the UK's cultural landscape is up there on the screen for all to see.

With its multicultural background and inclusive nature of arts, the UK possesses great appeal for talented filmmakers from all over the world. Among them, short film is one of the most popular units introduced in various film festivals and award ceremonies, because they are highly challenging in a way that the directors must develop their creativity and technique to the maximum exploring stories to a restricted time range.  A successful short film is an important step-up for many famous directors nowadays to progress towards making full-length feature films.  

In September 2010, the British Council brings the best UK short films to Chinese audiences in the Southern Pocket Film Festival. Seven short films will be screened and the legendary British Film producer NIK POWELL will attend the “Best of UK Night” to share his expertise and stories in the UK film industry. Don’t miss the chance!

About Nik Powell

Director, National Film and Television School (NFTS); egendary British Film Producer.

One of the UK's top film producers, Nik Powell embarked on an entrepreneurial career in the 1960s, when he set up Virgin Records with Richard Branson. His long partnership with Stephen Woolley, with whom he founded Palace Pictures and Scala Productions, brought an unrivalled slate of award-winning features to the screen, including Neil Jordan's Company of Wolves, Mona Lisa and The Crying Game. Nik's films have garnered many awards and nominations, including an Oscar, several Oscar nominations and a Golden Globe. His more recent films include Little Voice, Calendar Girls and, most recently, Ladies in Lavender starring Dame Judi Dench and Dame Maggie Smith.

Since becoming Director of the NFTS in September 2003, Nik has introduced several innovative new programmes, keeping the School at the leading edge of film and TV education in the UK. Alongside the day job, he is non executive Chairman of Scala Productions, Vice-chairman of the European Film Academy, Vice-Chairman of GEECT, the European Grouping of Film and Television Schools, Vice Chairman of the Bafta film committee and a member of the Bafta board of Trustees, and a member of the British Screen Advisory Council. He has also served on many film festival juries (sometimes as Chair) including the Sundance Film Festival, The Moscow Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, as well as Bafta juries and European Film Academy juries. He is a Patron of the short film organisation Future Films and of the Rocliffe writers forum.

About Southern Pocket Film Festival (SPFF)
www.spff.net
The Southern Pocket Film Festival (SPFF) is the first pocket film festival in China. It was launched by Southern Television Guangdong (TVS) in mid-July and will last until mid-September. With the aims of enhancing TVS’s interaction with TV audiences and appreciating their creative works, the SPFF seeks pocket videos produced by people from all over the world through a variety of media, such as digital video cameras, mobile phones, and camcorders, etc. Any pocket films reflecting the reality are welcome to be submitted to the festival.