Michael Gubbins, journalist - International Film Festival Workshop St Andrews

Michael Gubbins, former editor of Screen International, speaking at the International Film Festival Workshop held at St Andrews University, Scotland, on 4 April 2009.

The Workshop was integral part of the Dynamics of World Cinema project, an international research project (2009-2011) funded by the Leverhulme Trust Foundation thats looking at the ways films find their audiences in the digital world of the 21st century.

The one-day Workshop brought together an array of international academics, film industry practitioners and critics who in three lively sessions discussed the wide ranging array of issues presented by Film Festival Studies, and how best to go about them. For one thing was universally agreed, that with roundabout 2,000 film festivals worldwide per year, and growing, the matter is undoubtedly central to understanding the true scope of contemporary global cinema.

Participants included Prof Dina Iordanova, Centre for Film Studies at St Andrews University; Prof Stuart Cunningham, Director Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Australia; Michael Gubbins, Editor Screen International, UK; Nick Roddick, Sight & Sound, UK; Richard Porton, Editor Cineaste, USA; Irene Bignardi, FilmItalia, former Director of the Locarno International Film Festival; Nuria Triana, University of Manchester, UK (excerpts from their contributions have been posted).

These and all other participants agreed that more events like the St Andrews International Film Festival Workshop are needed in the future in order to facilitate platforms for mutually beneficial meetings and discussions between academia and industry.

For more info on Workshop and all participants, as well as the Dynamics of World Cinema project and the Centre for Film Studies at St Andrews University please visit www.st-andrews.ac.uk/worldcinema/

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Film
• Festival
• Workshop
• St
• Andrews