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New date for the Southend-on-Sea Film Festival 2021

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Due to the Covid 19 Pandemic we are moving the Southend-on-Sea Film Festival 2021 from May to September in the hope that the Coronavirus restrictions will have been lifted or made easier by then.

 

The new date for next years SOSFF will be Thursday 16th to Monday 20th September 2021.

 

The SOSFF will again take place at the Park Inn By Radisson Palace Hotel in Southend-on-Sea. Our intention is to include a lot of the films and events that we was unable to screen at this years cancelled film festival.

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23rd-27th may 2019

FESTIVAL FRINGE 11TH MAY-3RD JUNE

I am absolutely delighted to welcome you to the eleventh annual Southend-on-Sea Film Festival. From its humble beginnings, back in 2009, this has grown to be the largest in Essex. I am immensely proud of what has been achieved.


As usual, we will be aiming to entice all members of the film-going public, from the youngest to the more mature. For the former, we are introducing Family Friendly Cinema, where Under 14s go free, when accompanied by a ticket-purchasing adult. So look out for these shows and give the kids a treat! At the other end of the spectrum, our more mature patrons are well catered for on Friday, in particular, when the likes of Fred Astaire, Margaret Rutherford and Gordon Harker will bring back the glory days of the 30s and 50s.


I am also delighted to showcase our local filmmakers. You will find their work dotted throughout the programme, including our Opening Gala, Under the Radar , a wonderful documentary about one of Southend’s favourite ‘sons’, Mike Edmonds, and our Closing Gala presentation of short films which have taken our town as their starting point. We also have the usual World Cinema presentations and a raft of fascinating documentaries and heritage events.      

 
Of course, none of this would be possible without the support that you, and our sponsors, provide, and I thank you all most sincerely.
The Festival Team and I look forward to welcoming you to the Southend-on-Sea Film Festival.


Paul Cotgrove : Festival Director
 

festival guests

In addition to the celebrities and guests who will be joining us for the Opening Gala we will also be welcoming the following very special guests to this year’s festival: 

RAY WINSTONE

Southend-on-Sea Film Festival Patron

VICKI MICHELLE

Southend-on-Sea Film Festival Patron

KAREN ANSTEE

director, Approval Needed

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STEWART ALEXANDER

co-director, The Bicycle Thief 

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BRADLEY BARTON

co-director, A Walking Shadow 

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MARC BLAKE

director, Axman 

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HOWY BRATHERTON

actor, The Job

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MOLLY BROWN

director, Meanwhile, in Southend

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SAM BROWN

railway enthusiast, Chasing Trains

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TONY BURKE

director, Bottle Boy

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CARTER CLARKE

director, The Bandit

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LLIAM COKER

writer, Life After 

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BOB DALGARNO

historian, Old Leigh Through the Ages & The EKCO Story

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PEDRO DEL BATTENBERG

director, The Job 

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MARIE-ANN DEL BATTENBERG

producer, The Job 

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DARYL EASLEA

writer, DJ and music consultant, RUDEBOY: The Story of Trojan Records and Kojey Radical

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JAMIE EVANS

director, It Starts with a Girl

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RORY JOSCELYNE

director, Human Cargo

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JENNIFER FARFORT

Child of the Sun Films, Circle of Support

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PETER FINLAY

director, Not Yet the Hero

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KRISTIAN FITSALL

director, Wallace Gets the News

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DAVID JACKSON

director, Winterlong

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MARK JOSEPH

film collector,

Gerry and Sylvia Anderson - on Film! 

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MAHENDRA KANNANGARA

curator, The Forsaken Land

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DARREN KENT

actor, In Two Minds

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TOM KING

journalist, The Battle of the Sexes

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ATTILA KIRALY

director, Life After 'Operation Whirlwind' 

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BEN LETTIERI

director, Life After and Lonewolf: The Awakening

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CAROLE MULRONEY

historian, Old Leigh Through the Ages 

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MICHELLE PASSFIELD

WellbeingMatters, Circle of Support

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ROGER ROBINSON

author, The Laurel & Hardy Laughter Show 

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PAUL RODRIGUEZ

director, Perfect Baby 

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ALICE RYAN

co-director, A Walking Shadow

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CAROLINE SPENCE

writer/producer,

Do Something, Jake

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KERRY SKINNER

co-director, The Bicycle Thief

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JAMES SMITH

director, Do Something, Jake

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DAVID STREAMES

director, In Two Minds

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SAMUEL TURNER

director, I’m Coming Home 

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JOHN WEST

associate producer, Simon Marsden: A Life in Pictures

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JAMES WILSHER

director, Pest

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NEIL WILSON

director, Lonewolf: The Awakening 

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MICHAEL J. WOOD-WILSON

director, Sophie and the Danegeld

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ADAM RAMET

Lounge music

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latest news

Film has always helped bring many genres together for wide and varying audiences. Southend-on-Sea also has many audiences within its visitor, resident and business communities. Just like the skilful film director, your Council has to provide the right balance and conditions to succeed.


Over the last year we have been asking what your priorities are in the lead up to 2050. We, with you and other organisations, are now delivering on those short and long-term aims and ambitions. The cultural offer is clearly important in the mix of these priorities that you have told us about.


As well as getting the basics right on our infrastructure and daily matters of public health, education, cleansing and highways, the desire to make Southend a truly brilliant place to live work and visit is right at the heart of what we will all be delivering on.


There are some fantastic films and associated events during this festival so I hope you enjoy this festival as you continue to enjoy the wider Southend cultural offer.


Ali Griffin : Chief Executive, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council

principal sponsors

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This event made possible by BFI's Film Audience Network, with support of The National Lottery

supporting sponsors

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festival hotline:  07981 824283   

email: info@southendfilmfestival.com

The White Bus Ltd, The Old Waterworks, North Road,

Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 7AB

© 2019 by James Holmes

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