Ffresh - the student moving image festival of Wales - 2007
15 - 16 Feb 2007Ffresh is the annual showcase for the work of moving image students studying in Wales. The 2007 event was produced by The Festivals Company under contract to The Film Agency for Wales.
Stephen Frears, Film Distribution, Pitching, Torchwood, Award Winners and Brian Clough were amongst the talking points of the Ffresh 2007. The programme was the most eclectic and ambitious to date in the festival’s history, with over 30 guests from 10 different countries attending the event. There was also an abundance of talent on show as the festival showcased and celebrated the best work created by moving image students from throughout the country.
"Ffresh 2007 exceeded all expectations. The response from the students and guests couldn’t have been more positive." said Festival Coordinator James Nee. "This year’s programme had a strong industry and international focus which the festival audience responded to enthusiastically. The quality of work on show once again demonstrated the abundance of new talent ready to infuse the moving image sector in the UK and beyond".
The first day saw a record number of people registering for the event, with the festival hosting sessions on the importance of film festivals, the successful 
rebranding of S4C, and an introduction to the dynamic business of film distribution, as well as a Masterclass with the distinguished film producer Nic Powell introduced by Festival Patron Marc Evans. Oscar nominated director Stephen Frears brought proceedings to a close with a rare insight into his craft as well as revealing that his next film will be a biopic of Brian Clough, with Welsh actor Michael Sheen playing the revered football manager ("because he looks like him" added Frears).
The highlights from Day Two included a Production Designers Masterclass, an interview with cult animator Phil Mulloy and a pitching session (organised in association with Skillset Screen Academy Wales) where three students pitched an original idea which could be exploited across multi-platforms to a distinguished panel of industry professionals and the festival audience. The winners were Laurence Hall and Alasdair Davies from the University of Wales, Lampeter who won £500 worth of training courtesy of Skillset Cymru and a place on the Nesta Insight Out programme, including up to £5,000 in start up funding. "We hope to invite Laurence and Alasdair back to the festival in 2008 to tell us about how they get on with their project in the next twelve months, it’s a great feeling that Ffresh is not only the place to share ideas but also now the place that can really move projects to the next level" said Festival Chair Maggie Russell.
For the closing session of the festival, Ffresh welcomed Richard Stokes (the Producer of Torchwood) and Cath Tregenna (one of the series’ writers) to discuss the making of the show with Maggie Russell. In response to questions from anxious fans eager to find out when they can expect the next series to hit their TV screens, Richard Stokes stated that the second series was due to be aired in early 2008.
The festival came to a close with the Ffresh Awards Ceremony where the winners of the Ffresh Awards were announced by this year’s judges (for the full list of winners click here). The coveted Fiction Award was shared by Julie Owen-Moylan for Babycakes and Jie Yuan for A Scoundrel’s Marriage. The Audience Award (sponsored by Sequence) went to Louise Bartmann, Warda Al-Jawahiry & Sarah Phillips (pictured) – three recent Aberystwyth graduates – for Soho for Women.
See images and view the archive of on-demand sessions from the 2007 event by checking out the Ffresh web site - www.ffresh.com
