Phew! Can’t quite believe IOMFF closes for another year. Considering we weren’t even sure we were going to be able to go ahead with it just a couple of months ago, it’s pride-inducing for all of us here at Camp IOMFF to see what was achieved and how much you all enjoyed it. THANKYOU so much for supporting us, whether that was by sponsoring us, by submitting films, attending events, buying a Tshirt, sharing our posts, providing a venue, volunteering for us or just Being There When We Needed You.
Most of our events were sold out (or thereabouts) and all were fantastic successes – due in large part to the calibre of our special guests and the variety of the events themselves, but also due to our fabulous team of helpers and volunteers who we cannot thank enough for their time, energy and enthusiasm. Please check out our core crew on our Team page to find out more about our ‘HoDs’
Highlights have to be our Goonies outdoor screening, the conversation between Sir John Hurt and Mark Kermode at the Gaiety Theatre, the fascinating talk from legendary artist Roger Dean and the Pinewood Q&A with ‘Take Down’ Director Jim Gillespie – you can check out photos of all events on the website of our wunnerful official photographer Steve Babb here.
A special mention must go, though, to the people that the festival is really all about – the filmmakers. Our 2015 Short Film Competition was packed full of excellent films of a ridiculously high standard. The shortlist was played out in full on Sunday morning to a packed Broadway Cinema crowd, all of whom took part (rather enthusiastically!!) in our Audience Vote Award.
The winners were as follows:
Best Fiction: “Me & You”
Best Comedy: “Billy The Kid”
Best Documentary: “Sarah”
Best Animation: “The Looking Planet”
Kermode’s Special Commendation: “He & She”
Best of the Fest (judged by Mark Kermode): “Billy The Kid”
– with a landslide count for the Audience Vote Award going to “Billy The Kid”, making them triple winners!
Congratulations to all who took part, and thanks also to the makers of the excellent ‘homegrown’ films screened in our Awards Ceremony; we were extremely fortunate to be able to have preview screenings of ‘Marry Me’ (wr/Dir. by Shawn Sturnick), ‘Curtain Call’ (Dir. Lesley Manning) ‘Skies of Mann’ (Brook Wassall) along with the trailer for MannIN Shorts production ‘The Battle of Ronaldsway’ (wr. James Franklin, Dir Jim Hampton) all made on the Isle of Man over the past 12 months.
And a final, heartfelt thankyou to our wonderful sponsors, without whom we genuinely could not have held a festival at all: Isle of Man Arts Council Isle of Man Film and Pinewood Pictures Group PokerStars SMP Partners. The Claremont Hotel Chrystals Estate Agents and DAM Productions, with 3FM our returning Media Partner.
IOMFFF is coming for you…
And in case you’re having withdrawal symptoms already, a little heads up that we are planning a very special – dare I say ‘frightful’ ?? – event for the end of the month.. keep an eye on our Facebook page and social network feeds for all the information.
See you out there soon folks,
IOMFF Crew.