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By Tom Vincent on

Here’s to the successes of BIFF 2012

With BIFF over for 2012, here’s a quick rundown of the festival's successes, plus links to some of the best coverage and the lovely things you said about us. Until next year...

Between 19 and 29 April 2012, the 18th Bradford International Film Festival hosted 193 films and events in 11 sites at six venues in Bradford and the surrounding area.

  • 150 individual events and screenings
  • 180 films
  • 27 premieres
  • 29 visiting film-makers
  • 8 musicians
  • 11 poets
  • 3 extended interviews
  • 7 post-screening Q&As
  • 2 lectures

The 2012 programme included several special programmes. We enjoyed particularly good responses to our retrospectives dedicated to Ray Winstone, Chuck Jones and Olivier Assayas, to the sixth edition of Uncharted States of America, and to several of our live music events, including The Dodge Brothers and Neil Brand accompanying Beggars of Life and Samon Takahashi and Vincent Epplay accompanying films by Pierre Clémenti.

Watch the video below for some of the highlights of BIFF 2012…

The 2012 Widescreen Weekend, which was dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the Cinerama format, was an enormous success, with approximately double the number of delegates as compared to previous editions.

Our Shine Short Film Competition comprised six shortlisted films, and was won by Kinderspiel, directed by Lars Kornhoff. In 2012 BIFF introduced a second competition, for new European feature films. This also comprised six films, and was won by Volcano, directed by Rúnar Rúnarsson. There were good attendances for both competitions, and positive responses from media outlets and the public.

BIFF 2012 introduced a fringe programme of events, BIFF by Night, in our café. This comprised a programme of six events that included talks, music and poetry. In addition to the official programme we also organised a spontaneous lunchtime busk in the museum foyer by skiffle band the Dodge Brothers, here to accompany a film the same evening.

Many of our individual screenings comprised a feature film preceded by a short film, and this way of programming seems to have been appreciated by attendees, with 82% of those surveyed saying that this was a good or very good idea.

The majority of films were introduced by a member of the festival staff, and almost three-quarters (72%) of those surveyed said their screening was introduced by someone. Again, the vast majority (83%) of attendees said this was a good or very good idea.


What you said about BIFF 2012…

“More sub-strands than a macramé spaghetti holder, this festival packs it in.”
Steve Rose for The Guardian

“Just wanted to thank you for the amazing opening night yesterday. Was really great to see the level of care and detail that went into the planning, as befits Whit Stillman—from the tap dancing, to the donuts, to the soap, to the ‘how to tap’ dance steps.”
Via Facebook

“The opening words from co-directors Neil Young and Tom Vincent… were admirably humble, referring to Bradford ‘speaking to itself’. This is precisely what Bradford needs to do; hold its head high, but prove organically, with actions rather than words, that it has a very specific place in the global cultural calendar, thus proving its stature as an international ‘City of Film’.”
Mike McKenny for The Culture Vulture

“Love for film is something that the Bradford International Film Festival shows so well.”
Paul Metcalf for Pissed Off Geek

“Musical Mayhem was brilliant. Especially loved the 35mm showing of What’s Opera, Doc?. Great to see a new generation there.”
@Cybaria

“I have received so much support and encouragement from the Bradford festival and the National Media Museum… This film [i am a good person/i am a bad person] would not exist if it wasn’t for Bradford.”
Film-maker Ingrid Veninger interviewed by the Telegraph & Argus

“Widescreen Weekend is absolutely thriving. Great atmosphere. Folk from all over the world.”
@adamhoplies

“You’ve got really good stuff. If anyone is listening going “I like Toronto”, no! I think they’d prefer your festival… you’re having the festival of festivals… there’s something, literally, for everyone.”
Claudia Winkleman on the BBC Radio 2 Arts Show

“Enjoyed every second of @BradFilmFest Thank you for having me all day every day. Looking forward to next year!”
@james_voller

“Another exceptional selection of premieres, sidebars and retrospectives from one of the UK’s most consistently innovative screen events.”
David Parkinson for Empire magazine

Thanks everyone… see you next year!

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