Editor

Hi Film Festivals readers

I was wondering if you might be interested in having a read of a small film festival I've put together for this weekend in London? 

My name is Mariah Mathew and I’ve organized Little Wing Film Festival in London that's screening films by first-time filmmakers, including students, recent grads, and filmmakers from non-academic routes. The idea was that I wanted to be able to reward these new creatives in more ways than "exposure" as they're beginning their careers, and so I've gathered a heap of sponsored prizes to award the winners in a way that will help facilitate their next project. The idea was that I wanted to combat the expectation of unpaid work when you're trying to get your foot in the door. 

The festival runs from September 1^st to 3^rd at The Hen and Chickens Theatre in Islington, and we’re screening a mix of shorts and features, all by very talented up-and-coming filmmakers. Tickets are £6 for each screening, and there will be a 4-hour workshop with Nicola Peluso, one of the brains behind wearefilmclub, for £15, that focuses on filmmaking on a microbudget. I wanted to keep it affordable and accessible to anyone with an interest in supporting independent filmmakers and actioning against unpaid work. It's small and super grass roots, with free popcorn to boot. 

There’s an option to leave constructive comments and compliments that will be delivered to each filmmaker, if the audience feels moved to write something. This stems from the idea that it can be arduous, with exhausting setbacks, when trying to get your work recognized in the beginning of your creative career, and a kind word, particularly from a stranger, can be immensely appreciated. I want to create a space that is approachable and easy-going, where young creatives can feel supported and share opportunities, and we can work towards changing attitudes around the acceptability of unpaid work. 

I, myself, am a recent graduate and I started this with £200 saved from bartending. It’s come along really well, and I see so much potential in it to grow, because the call for this kind of support from young creatives is loud, as i'm sure you're aware.

I believe this is something that not only is sharing great films with the public for an entertaining weekend, but it’s a way of consuming films sustainably. I want to encourage the community to support events that pay their artists, in the same way you’d try to sustainably shop for clothes or food. I want this to be an example to larger companies and events that, if a small festival like this can give back to their artists, than they certainly can. 

I was hoping this might be something you'd be interested in sharing online? Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you'd like to review this lil' festival with a big heart, or for some free tickets for your audience. 

If there's more information I can give you, please let me know and i'll help however I can. 

Thank you for your time, I really appreciate it.

Mariah

Mariah Mathew

Festival Director

Little Wing Film Festival

September 1-3​ 2017

www.littlewingevents.com

2017 Festival Line-Up

Twitter: @LittleWingFF

Facebook: @littlewingevents