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Film Festival Interview by Chris Olson
Please tell us who you are and what you do at High Peak Indie film festival.
I'm Nicole, the festival director of High Peak Independent Film Festival. It's my job to organise and coordinate the entire festival from films to venues to sponsors.
What makes the festival special for UK filmmakers?
I think the festival is really special because it takes place in a small town in the High Peak with some of the most gorgeous views. It also celebrates talent no matter how long they have been in the film industry. One of, what I think, the best categories definitely has to be our celebration of young filmmakers aged 13-18. The talent coming out at those ages is outstanding!
What can attendees expect from the 2018 lineup?
We have 56 shorts and 4 features, including holding a few British premieres like Sarah Barker's 'The Subject' and Christophe Leclaire's 'The Portrait'. Our selection is great and we have such a mix of films from comedies to dramas to sci-fi.
Are there any obstacles to running a UK film festival?
I think there is a lot to 'compete' (I use the word lightly) with the bigger festivals, from the fact that many bigger festivals want the premieres whether that'd be world or British and the sheer sizes of those festivals too. The festival is currently run by me and my programme manager, Nicholas Bimson, so I have had to do jobs that I would love to have other people to do, like brochure design, leafleting (I have had help here!) etc. But, I think there also many benefits of running a smaller festival, it can feel more personable to the filmmakers, so hopefully we won't lose that!
Where do you see the event in 5 years time?
As the festival is set in the High Peak, I'd like to expand to two separate venues, one in New Mills, where we are, and one in Buxton. I think two separate venues with transport access organised by the festival will be beneficial in reaching a bigger audience and we can also run programmes more than once too, which is always great for the filmmakers. I'm hoping in five years time we'll be known as one of the top small film festivals in the country, but we can only hope!
Do you have any advice for new/beginner filmmakers?
I think just make films and constantly improve. I'm a film director and producer myself and think my work is far from perfect, so I am always making stuff to improve myself and that's what I think beginners should do too.
Where can people find details about the festival?
All the information is on our website at www.highpeakindie.com or people can just pop down to the venue during the festival, which is taking place at New Mills Art Theatre, Jodrell St, New Mills, Sk22 3hj.
What would you say if you were a dolphin?
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