Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

There's four weeks to go to the start of the prestigious Carmarthen Bay Film Festival in Llanelli. The festival is now in its fourth year and more than 200 entries have already been received for the event, which is being held at Llanelli’s Stradey Park Hotel, from May 12-15. “It is astonishing how the festival has grown in popularity from very small beginnings,” said Festival CEO and organiser Kelvin Guy. “They say great things grow from little acorns and that is very true of the film festival.” There is added glitz and status to this year’s festival as the event is now on the approved list for BAFTA Cymru Wales. Mr Guy added: “The BAFTA abbreviation is pretty special in the world of film. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is recognised as a hugely prestigious organisation worldwide. To get this recognition from BAFTA Cymru Wales is a huge honour and is a great achievement when you consider what the festival has achieved since it launched in 2011. “Being on t...

S4C and BBC Cymru Wales have welcomed the launch of a brand-new award for excellence in the production of Welsh language film.  The Carmarthen Bay Film Festival is to award the Gwobr John Hefin Award for the best Welsh language short film. It can either be a live action narrative fiction or a factual report on a chosen subject or idea. The film’s final running time must be more than two minutes and less than 45 minutes including credits, if any. The entry fee per submission is only £15. Entrants will need to submit their film to the festival, which is to be held in Llanelli in May 2014.  The festival website is at - http://www.carmarthenbayfilmfestival.co.uk/   The deadline is March 14. Festival founder and chief executive Kelvin Guy said: "The aim of this new award is to actively encourage the submission of Welsh language short films amongst up and coming filmmakers and to give them a platform to screen their work to a wider audience. "We’d also lik...

The countdown is well and truly on to the Carmarthen Bay Film Festival. There's just over 83 days to go to the start of the third annual festival on Tuesday, May 6. "Excitement is building and the foundation blocks laid by the first two festivals are paying great dividends, " said festival founder and chief executive Kelvin Guy. "We always knew that we would start small as a festival, but it is hugely encouraging to see the event growing year by year and attracting more interest nationally and internationally." The festival aims to encourage independent film and cinema in Wales and beyond. Mr Guy said his interest in film stemmed from his ancestors — including Gareth Hughes, the first Welsh silent film star in Hollywood, who was his grandmother's cousin. "I made a documentary about him and met and interviewed some of his friends and family in the USA," said Mr Guy. "So I suppose it is his fault that I had the idea to start a festiva...

The details for the Carmarthen Bay Film festival have just been released. The festival launches tonight with a special screening of the classic Grand Slam at Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli. The festival proper starts next week. Festival programme for Tuesday May 8th. • 1400 Welcome to the festival • 1415 Luminary/Audio visual short fantasy. • 1430 The Future/short dry witted comedy. • 1445 Luella and Me/comedy drama • 1500 BREAK • 1515 Flanagan's Wake/documentary. Q and A with Peter Bach • 1645 BREAK • 1715 Fit Boy Feature film over 18s ONLY • 1900 END OF FIRST DAY • 1930 Film makers reception Festival programme for Wednesday May 9th. • 1100 Foreign film showcase • 1300 LUNCH BREAK • 1400 The Dinorwic Slate Quarry/documentary • 1445 Wonder/documentary • 1500 Reality/Dramatised documentary • 1515 A Season in the Rain/Experimental drama • 1615 BREAK • 1630 Bonfire/drama • 1700 Life Camera Action feature film • 1830 END OF SECOND DAY Festival programme for Thursday May 10th. • 13...

This is South Wales | Excitement grows as film festival gets off the ground Community groups, music bands and bilingual film-makers are encouraged to enter Llanelli's first ever film festival, which is set to take place next May. Plans for the Carmarthen Bay Film Festival, headed up by Kelvin Guy, are well under way, with a focus on the Welsh language and community involvement. Mr Guy said: "This is the first film festival in the town, and already we have got a lot of well-known people on board who are excited to be involved. "We will have films, photography, seminars and exhibitions, so there will be quite a mix of things going on. "This is one of the first bilingual festivals in West Wales, and we are hoping to attract as many people as possible to enter."