SPLIT SCREEN FILM FESTIVAL
13 - 16 Oct 2005

Split Screen, Bristol's first combined Black & Asian Film Festival, kicks off on Thursday 13 October 2005. The festival is a collaborative city wide effort between Arnolfini, BBC Bristol, British Empire & Commonwealth Museum, Kuumba, South West Screen and Watershed which aims to give greater prominence to black and Asian filmmaking in the South West and inspire local talent. The film festival, forming part of Black History month, will take place at various Bristol venues including Arnolfini, Watershed and Timbuktu Club.

Arnolfini will feature the latest and best films from Asia's most recent wave of filmmaking talent. Michael Smith and Vishal Rawlley's Asian Vibes Bombay and Asian Vibes London (India/France) explore the new musical sounds of India in unique documentaries that combine underground video aesthetics, archival Bollywood clips and an exploratory documentary approach. The festival will screen The Rising, the latest film from acclaimed director Ketan Mehta which charts the epic tale of Mangel Padney and India's historic 1857 military uprising against Imperial rule, with Bollywood star Aamir Khan in the role of the fearless leader of the Indian rebellion.

The objectives of the Split Screen Festival is to raise the profile of the Black & Asian films within the South West:

• To bring a range of Black & Asian films and filmmakers to the South West
• To offer the opportunity for these filmmakers to become familiar with each other's work and if appropriate, begin a networking process for future partnership or collaboration
• To offer the opportunity for promoters, producers, educationalists and policy makers to reflect on the benefits of greater cultural diverse filmmaking in their areas of influence through discussion, case studies and performance
• To develop a sustainable leading partnership between a range of organisations to ensure the ongoing development of culturally diverse film programming

There'll also be a chance to attend free hands-on film workshops, masterclasses, seminars, and meet the movers and shakers in the business. To register your interest in receiving future info on the Split Screen festival, email info@swscreen.co.uk.