The Cornwall Blog

Watching movies is quintessential holiday fun, and come rain or shine you can enjoy the latest releases or some great classics this summer in Cornwall. When the weather is balmy then it can be hard to drag yourself from the beach, there is no need this August with open air cinema. At Falmouth's Pendennis Castle you can watch Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl on the 8th, A Knight’s Tale on the15th and Shrek on the 22nd August 2019. Or head to Porthminster Beach for Finding Nemo on the 18th, Disney's Moana on the 25th August and Les Miserables on the 1st September 2019. Plenty of opportunity to watch some real family favourites in fabulous locations! Find out more at the website, open air cinema Cornwall .

Guillaume Rivaud as Arthur Announcing crowdfunding campaign for Devon & Cornwall indiefilm “Mordred”, showcasing local actors and local history /Arthurian legend “I am what you made me become!” is the tagline of the film, spoken by Mordred. How relevant that seems! This production aims to not only showcase very heavily researched Dark Ages (6th century) history of Devon and Cornwall, linked to some of the very earliest and less known Arthurian legends, but also equally to showcase the amazing skills by local actors, filmmakers, and other production creatives - a lot of film work happens in the southwest but very often local people are passed over completely for roles, in favour of imported talent due to stereotypes of "local people being no-good". Since there are very few opportunities, we decided to make our own and claw our own way up. There is a national campaign at the moment for the recognition of working-class actors, who on a national scale, not just loc...

Miracle Theatre has gone into production of a feature film based on its recent sell-out show Tin, commissioned by the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site. Using an imaginative combination of digital technology and hand-made models, the Redruth-based company has now commenced production of a micro-budget feature film of this story of love and money, opera and tin mining. The film will feature the original cast of the theatre production, which includes opera icon Ben Luxon. They will be joined by other actors, including Jenny Agutter (The Railway Children, Call the Midwife, Outside Bet) and Dudley Sutton (Lovejoy, Weekend Retreat) who will play Abraham Bennett, one of the devious bankers. Jenny Agutter said of the project “I loved the production of Tin, which I saw at the Count House Botallack in a domed tent on the coast. This was an extraordinary and appropriate setting for the play, surrounded by ruined tin mines, one could easily imagine this fantastic tale taking place. The thea...

There are now only two and a bit weeks left until the deadline for the Govyn Kernewek Award 2010 - don't forget to send us your ideas to be in with a chance of getting £5,000.00 to make a short film! The GOVYN KERNEWEK AWARD is a competitive annual commission of £5,000 to make a short film using Kernewek. The award is supported by Cornwall Film Festival, MAGA and awen productions cic. We are looking for a great idea for a short film that uses Kernewek (the Cornish language) wholly or substantially in an interesting way. It must be viable to make within the £5,000 budget and be completed and delivered by 30th September 2010. We accept ideas of any genre. The suggested title for GK10 is ‘Yn Termyn Eus Passyes’ (Once Upon A Time…) SUBMISSIONS Your proposal must be for a short film with a maximum duration of 20 mins. Your proposal should include a synopsis of your idea, relevant experience, and, if appropriate, details of your proposed production team. Entries are welcome from individu...

Film maker Brett Harvey on working within the video dance medium. “Video Dance” or “Dance for Camera” has established itself as a new and vital ingredient in the UK’s evolving film scene. Video Dance, uses movement in place of, or as well as, dialogue and is a rich medium that smashes the boundaries to redefine both dance and film, stretching our imagination and the way we think about what film can be. This course is designed to detangle the world of dance for camera The course will: · Give you experience and confidence of working in a new genre · Give you clear ideas and approaches to working in this highly creative area of film making · Stretch your imagination and ideas of what film making can be · Give you the chance to work creatively and collaboratively with a dancer · Give you insight and experience into a vastly growing area of the film industry Videodance can be seen on almost any media platform from iPods to feature films, commercials and television programs. Currently there ...

St Austell’s £75 million town centre scheme, White River Place, has joined an elite group of the UK’s top buildings by becoming one of the most environmentally-friendly developments in the country, it has been announced today. Assessors working on behalf of BREEAM, the world’s most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings, have given White River Place a score of 74.16% and an ‘Excellent’ rating. Only a handful of the country’s retail schemes have reached this level. The South West RDA (Regional Development Agency) is investing £31.5 million in the scheme, with the remainder of the funding from White River Developments, a subsidiary of Elan Homes. Once completed, the re-development will include new shops, restaurants, a 550-space multi-storey car park and 69 apartments. The new four-screen White River Cinema and restaurant chain Frankie & Benny’s have already opened to the public, with others retailers in the process of fitting out their shops. The scheme, wh...

Teenage Correspondents Report from the Healthcare Frontline In a ground-breaking new film project, Stepping into Shoes, seven Cornish teenagers have been recounting their first hand experience of receiving medical treatment within the NHS. The first film tells the story of three young people with long-term illness, exploring what impact managing their condition has on their lives. Seen entirely through the eyes of these adolescents, it reveals ‘matter of fact’ insights into the daily care regime for three teenagers with Muscular Dystrophy, Cystic Fibrosis and Diabetes. Working with Cornish film-maker Hana Backland, the documentary uses video diary and interviews to explore the issues, challenges and good practice which inform their encounters with the health service. The second film follows the journey of four healthy teenagers, recruited from Youth Cornwall, who report on their experience of hospital treatment. It examines the hospital environment from the viewpoint of teenag...

Cornwall’s first new cinema complex for over 70 years – White River Cinema in St Austell is gearing up for a busy Easter and will be preparing to welcome its 50,000th customer since opening. Owners WTW Cinemas is reporting ‘consistently strong’ business with ‘record’ admissions during the first quarter of this year (January-March 09) and over the Christmas and New Year period. The two most popular films to date have been Academy award winning ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ and children’s feature ‘Bolt’. White River Cinema has been a huge success with local people and visitors to St Austell since the £3.5 million building on Trinity Street was officially opened on Friday 19 December last year. Mark Williams, General Manager of White River Cinema said: “Our initial forecasts for business have been more than exceeded. We are absolutely delighted with the first few months of trading and have been overwhelmed by the support, both locally and regionally and from customers who have visited our...

Devon and Cornwall Film are running a competition for film makers in the South West to celebrate the Free Cinema Movement's 50th anniversary. They focus on the void that is quality cinema down here in the far west. If you are struggling to cope with the vacuous blockbusters and need some mental stimulation, take a look at their web site.