Lights, camera�.act now to take part in Birmingham Film Festival
The countdown is on to Birmingham 's international film festival - and businesses are being given the opportunity to get involved and support this annual cultural event.
Just three months from now, title credits will roll at the 350-seat auditorium at Millennium Point, where more than 200 professional and independent films from home and abroad will be showcased in a 10-day celebration of movie making.
Birmingham Film Festival, now in its seventh year, is again expected to attract thousands of visitors to the free screenings, as well as seminars, workshops and conferences led by some of the top people in the business, making it the biggest film and media event in the West Midlands.
Last year 's festival received over 1,000 entries, vying for more than 30 awards such as best film, best feature, best short, best documentary, best international film and best local film, as well as gongs for actors, cast, young filmmaker and students.
More than 200 shortlisted films will be shown at Millennium Point on the largest cinema screen outside London throughout the 10 days between 4 - 13 November.
Award winners will be decided by a Grand Jury of expert industry professionals and revealed at a red-carpet gala dinner, which is also live streamed to thousands of viewers.
The regional business community is now being invited to get involved in supporting this celebration of creativity through the various partner and sponsorship packages available.
These range in price from £20,000 for a headline sponsor to £3,000 for a standard partner, award sponsorship, plus advertising opportunities such as £250 for on-screen advertising and £200 for festival event guide adverts.
Birmingham Film Festival was set up by writer/director Kevin McDonagh and producer, performer and actor, Dean Williams, in 2016 to nurture and grow the region 's filmmaking talent.
It 's supported by patrons Steven Knight, creator of Peaky Blinders, and Trevor Beattie, British film producer, advertising executive and proud Brummie. Trevor 's portfolio includes Moon starring Sam Rockwell, Six Minutes to Midnight with Judy Dench and the Bafta-nominated documentary Nureyev: Lifting the Curtain.
Other partners and supporters include Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, The Producer Forum, Film Birmingham, Birmingham City University, BBC Writers Room and the Pauline Quirke Academy.
Kevin McDonagh, president of Birmingham Film Festival, said: “This annual 10-day event is about celebrating every aspect of film and screen and establishing Birmingham as hub of creative talent in the industry.
“We want to nurture and inspire budding filmmakers of all ages, giving them the opportunity to meet and learn from some of the top people in the business, as well as the chance to see their films shown on a large screen, in front of industry professionals, distributors and TV commissioners.
“The seminars, workshops and all the public screenings are free to attend, making the festival truly inclusive and accessible to all.
“We do this through support from the region 's business community, who all help to make this annual event possible. As sponsorship opportunities go, this is a great way for businesses to give something back to their community while promoting their brand on a large platform to the thousands of people who will attend, watch and participate in the festival.
“The festival continues to grow and was recently identified by National Geographic as one of '7 things you must do in Birmingham in 2022 ', so it 's a great time to get involved. ”
Tickets are also on sale now for the glittering gala awards dinner taking place at The Burlington Hotel on 12 November.
Find out more information about the festival or to submit an award.
Details about sponsorship opportunities can be viewed here. Or for more information, please email [email protected].