Press release -
Film festival receives financial boost
The Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival in Hawick is one of four events across the country to receive support from VisitScotland.
The international festival of experimental film and artists’ moving image – taking place in Hawick between March 2nd to 5th – has been awarded £7,000 in round 33 of the EventScotland National Funding Programme, which is part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate.
The festival is one of four events to receive a combined total of £32,500 in the latest round of funding, which aims to enhance event delivery and ensure wide variety is maintained across Scotland’s events portfolio.
The Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival was founded in 2010 and is produced by Alchemy Film & Arts in partnership with Heart of Hawick, a venue and cultural regeneration initiative run by Scottish Borders Council.
This year’s programme will feature 120 films, including 24 world premieres, with over 50 filmmakers in attendance. The films range from Warsaw-based Karolina Bregula’s The Tower receiving its UK premiere to the Scottish premiere of Rachel Maclean’s It’s What’s Inside That Counts which focuses on a group of rats addicted to the juice that powers phones and tablets in a nightmarish city.
Richard Ashrowan, Creative Director from The Alchemy Film & Moving Image Festival said: "Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival has become one of Europe's leading international festivals of experimental film and artists’ moving image. It is a celebration of some of the most creative, challenging and inspirational film from around the world. Now approaching its seventh edition, our international programme includes feature films, experimental shorts, video art installations and live performances.
“This year we will be screening over 120 films, including 24 World premieres. The location of the Festival in the border town of Hawick lends the visitor experience a special quality of friendliness and intimacy, an environment in which filmmakers, audiences and volunteers all mix, generating a real outpouring of creativity and conversation. The festival has grown enormously every year, attracting 1,000 international film submissions this year, and attended by over 50 filmmakers from around the world."
Doug Wilson, Regional Director VisitScotland, said: “I’m delighted that the Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival has been selected as a funding recipient in the latest round of EventScotland’s National Funding Programme. I’m sure that the financial boost combined with the fantastic programme planned for this year will ensure it is a superb success.
“These funding awards for regional events provide invaluable support by helping them create an even more attractive proposition to attract increased attendance - not only from their local areas but also from much further afield. That promotes the venues as excellent visitor destinations and contributes greatly to the region’s economy - which is hugely important.”
National Programme funding supports the strategic development of events which occur outside of Edinburgh and Glasgow, with the aim of driving domestic tourism, delivering economic impact for local communities and generating media profile for Scotland.
Building upon existing event activities, extending marketing reach and enhancing the on-site food and drink offer are just some of the ways national programme funds are often put to use.
. EventScotland National Programme Round 33 funded events:
- Strathpuffer 24, Strathpeffer, January 21-22 – Awarded £6,000
- Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival, March 2-5 – Awarded £7,000
- Etape Loch Ness, April 23 - Awarded £9,500
- Quest Scotland, Loch Ness - Awarded £10,000
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
- scottish borders
- eventscotland
Regions
- Scotland
Notes to Editors
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- 2017 Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology
- 2017 is the year to delve into the past and discover Scotland’s fascinating stories through a wide-ranging variety of new and existing activity to drive the nation’s tourism and events sector, boosting tourism across Scotland.
- The Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology begins on 1 January 2017 and will end on 31 December 2017. It will build on the momentum generated by previous themed years in Scotland including the 2015 Year of Food and Drink, Homecoming Scotland 2014, the Year of Creative and the Year of Natural.
- The Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology is a Scottish Government initiative being led by VisitScotland, and supported by a variety of partners including Creative Scotland, Scottish Tourism Alliance, Scottish Enterprise, The National Trust for Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Built Environment Forum Scotland, Heritage Lottery Fund, Museums Galleries Scotland and Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland.
- The Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology is supported by £570,000 of Scottish Government funding.
- The Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology events fund is managed by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate.
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