Cardiff International Film Festival (CARDIFF)

Overview

The Cardiff International Film Festival is Wales' most important film festival. Founded in 2008 and held annually in November in Cardiff -- the Welsh capital, a compact and vibrant city with a medieval castle, an extraordinary Victorian shopping arcade, and one of Europe's youngest capital city populations -- the festival presents competitive international and Welsh cinema with a commitment to Celtic and minority language cinema.

Welsh cinema in the Welsh language (Cymraeg) is a distinct tradition with particular resonance in a nation that has fought for centuries to maintain its language. The Welsh language -- spoken by approximately 800,000 people, primarily in north and west Wales -- creates a minority language film culture that the festival celebrates alongside English-language Welsh production.

The festival's Celtic cinema focus connects Welsh film with Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Breton, and Cornish language cinema traditions, creating a network of minority European language film cultures.

Key Sections

• International Competition -- films competing for jury prizes
• Welsh Film Program -- new Welsh features and shorts, in both Welsh and English
• Celtic Cinema -- films in Celtic and minority European languages
• Documentary Program -- nonfiction features
• Short Film Competition -- competitive short programs

What Filmmakers Should Know

The festival accepts open submissions. For Welsh filmmakers, the festival provides the most important domestic platform. The Celtic cinema section creates specific context for minority language European filmmaking.

Major Awards

• Best Film -- jury prize
• Best Welsh Film
• Audience Award

Festival History

Cardiff International Film Festival was founded in 2008 and has operated as Wales' primary film cultural event.

See Also

For Celtic minority language cinema, see International Film Markets. For the Edinburgh Film Festival, see Edinburgh International Film Festival.