The Cornwall Film Festival (Cornish: Gool fylm Kernow) is an annual festival, first established in 2002, which focuses on supporting and celebrating the film and media industry in Cornwall, England. Aside from the annual festival, the organisation also engages with film-makers and audiences throughout the year by offering local and national premieres, and hosting masterclasses, workshops and discussions for everyone from the enthusiast to the professional.
The film festival has been recognised by a number of well-known individuals in the film industry, such as film critic Mark Kermode, who created a five-minute promotional video for the event in 2013.[1]
The festival supports Cornish filmmaking in both the Cornish and English language and there is a "govynn kernewek" competition in which applicants present their idea for a film in the Cornish language, with the winners receiving financial, material and technical support for the production.
Many filmmakers who work solely in English will refer to themselves as Cornish filmmakers. Their films often make use of Cornish themes, landscapes and ways of life. Certainly the concept of a Cornish film industry exists, the term 'Oggywood' has been coined (from oggy meaning pasty and Hollywood). Similarly, there has been a Young People's Festival which runs a day prior to the main festival. This has run for the same amount of time as the main festival.
In 2014, a new director was appointed by the board to create a "sustainable creative vision" for the future of the festival.[2]
The 2023 event is scheduled to take place in November in Falmouth.
| 2017 | 11 & 12 November | The Poly, Falmouth | |
| 2018 | 9-11 November | The Poly, Falmouth | |
| 2019 | 15-17 November | The Poly, Falmouth | |
| 2020 | 13-15 November | The Poly, Falmouth | |
| 2021 | 15-21 November | The Poly, Falmouth | |
| 2022 | 14-20 November | The Poly, Falmouth |
2005 Delabole Slate Audience Award Film of the Festival: Encounters, Dir: Pat Kelman Prod.: Jonty Reason on behalf of Pittot Films
2005 Delabole Slate Audience Award Student Film of the Festival: Sunday Bench, Dir: Russell Hancock
2005 Govynn Kernewek Award: Tap Tap Tap, Dir: Marie Foulston
2019
Fellowship Awards: Rory Wilton (Actor)
Golden Chough:Mark Jenkin (Director)for Bait (2019 film)
Music Video Award: JERUSALEM (Ofer Winter, Shimon Engel)
Best Short Award: FUNFAIR (Dir. Kaveh Mazaheri)
Best Regional Short: YN Mor (Dir. Zoe Alker)
Sub Awards:
Best Scriptwriting (supported by The Writers Collective)THE SEA Written by Cameron Richards
Highly Commended for Writing: FLYING LESSONSWritten, produced and directed by Laurence Donoghue
Best Actor (Supproted by WeAudition): Anna Friel: The Sea
Best Ensemble Cast: 'Yn Mor'