Opening Highlights

Encounters Opening Highlights

Last night Encounters presented the Opening Highlights for a remarkably diversified audience.

Among those attending was the Right Honourable The Lord Mayor of Bristol, Councillor Christopher Davies, and the Lady Mayoress, Mrs Susan Joan Davies. And of course there was a diverse range of filmmakers who have films showing at this year's festival, eager to see this first screening.

The screening started with a short presentation from Liz Harkman, the Encounters Managing Director. Afterwards, Creative Director, Mark Cosgrove, congratulated the Encounters team and asked for a round of applause for all the filmmakers who offered their films for the festival's scrutiny. He dedicated this 14th Encounters edition to the memory of Anthony Minghella. Minghella was not only a renowned writer, producer and director, but also a supporter of young filmmakers and Festivals like Encounters.

The opening highlights included films from different categories of the Festival. A clever choice of films was able to capture the audience's attention. Different styles of animation with The Weatherman, The Little Dinosaurs, Don't let it all unravel and Last Time in Clerkenwell, reflected themes such as climate change and the fragile thread of animal extinction, they showed children's points of view and also introduced the importance that sound plays in short animation.

Szalontudo (Tripe and onions), The Discreet Charms of the Refugee, Cursing Hanley and What's Virgin Mean? were just a taste of some of the comedies showing at this year's Encounters, each with its own diverse angle, from race issues to class distinctions.

As the Opening Highlights shows, Encounters promises to capture the imagination of the general public. It is a festival to captivate all ages - from 8 to 88! It promises easy and funny cinematic treats as well as complex and abstract films - something for everyone! The opening highlights was just the start of an Odyssey; a unique cinematic experience has just begun.