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Cambridge Super 8 Group

22, 23 & 30 April and 1 May 2010

In 2009, the third Cambridge International Super 8 Film Festival was hailed a resounding success with more than 88 short films shown in four days! More than 20 filmmakers from all around the world joined the festival for great days of networking and film.

This year's screenings, run in partnership with Murray Edwards College and Anglia Ruskin University, and will take place from 22 April 2010 to 1 May 2010.

The 2010 festival will be showcasing a mix of animation, comedies, dramas and experimental film. With two weeks of film screenings and workshops, this year's event is set to be even bigger and even better and for the first time, all the screenings will be free of charge.

With plenty of International, European and UK Premieres, the Competition and Panorama programmes show the best films originated on the brilliant Super 8 format. Each programme contains between ten and fifteen short films from all around the world.

For those who don't know, Super 8 is a 8mm cartridge-based film system, introduced by Kodak in 1965. The cartridges load straight into the camera, making it an easy-to-use ‘home movie' format. Although technology has advanced greatly since the introduction of Super 8, many filmmakers still like to use the medium today for the over saturated colours that make it famous.

UK Director Edgar Wright, of Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead and Spaced fame is known to be a big fan of Super 8. Making many shorts in his teenage years, he often still uses the medium. It would seem Super 8 has helped boost budding directors to stardom, with one of Tim Burton's first film escapades being shot on super 8 when he was just 13 years old. Other well known directors have also dabbled in the medium, enjoying its vignettes and old-fashioned feel. Oliver Stone often uses Super 8 to give a different look to his films, notably in The Doors, Natural Born Killers and JFK.

There are many opportunities to network with our visiting film directors. This year, British filmmaker, Ian Helliwell, will introduce 19 of his short experimental films on Saturday 24 April. He will present a range of techniques for making experimental Super 8 movies. No previous experience needed! This is an exclusive opportunity to learn from the best in a two-day filming workshop. With limited places, the workshop will take place during the day on Thursday 22 and Friday 23 April. Email workshop@cambridge-super8.org for more information and to book your place.

This year's film festival is proud to host the screening of the feature documentary I for India. The film directed by Sandhya Suri is a chronicle of immigration in sixties Britain and beyond, seen through the eyes of one Asian family and their movie camera. Her film, which received numerous awards for best documentary, will be screened on Saturday 1 May as part of the Memory Programme.

As well as the annual festival, the Cambridge Super 8 Group has been active in programming a multitude of screenings, director talks and educational events in the city of Cambridge and in East Anglia.

Cambridge Super 8 is also committed to promoting new work and developing critical discussion as well as developing collaboration with other festivals.

For further details about the Group, please see their website.

Programme at Murray Edwards College

All screenings will be held in Buckingham House Lecture Theatre.