Welwyn Garden City will be hosting a film festival to highlight the impact of crime on victims. Students of Oaklands College have teamed up with Beacon, the Hertz victim care centre, for a second year, to organise the festival in WGC, Hertfordshire. A dynamic programme will present film-making and victims’ awareness workshops, that show how victims of crime get affected by their experiences.
The workshop highlights include the chance to recreate iconic scenes from films, like The Dark Knight or The Matrix, using industry standard equipment. A workshop on modern slavery, a workshop by National Centre for Cyberstalking Research on cyber harassment & abuse and a session on use of cinema’s green screen, are included.
Oliver Samuel, the film-maker and lecturer, is excited about the Becon Film Festival, with students producing different films and many international submissions too. Building on last year’s success, they look forward to hold many filmmaking and photography workshops, focusing on crime victims and the broader community, he added.
All are free events and open to all, but for film screenings are for those who are 15 years and above. The Beacon Film Festival will award ‘Official Selection’, a laurel leaves award, to short-listed films and a similar award to a film as ‘Best International Film’.
David Lloyd, Police a& Crime Commissioner, said the festival can highlight the consequences that crime has on its victims and last year it had some remarkable films covering a wide range of subjects. This year, the variety of workshops and the festival puts victims on top of the agenda and allows them to take back their lives, he added.
The free event takes place from 7th to 9th February, to conclude with screening of the best international movies of this year, the screening of students’ films and an awards ceremony. Tickets can be booked at the website – eventbrite.co.uk/e/beacon-film-festival-2018-tickets-41941791026.
