October 2023 sees the second year of Cynon Valley Film Festival. It takes place at The Mezzanine, St Elvan’s Church in Aberdare, Cynon Valley, South Wales UK.
It's a festival run by a filmmaker with the emphasis on great visuals, great soundtracks and great storytelling. St Elvans in Aberdare will be home of the Cynon Valley Film Festival from October 13-14. Submissions are now open for short & feature length films, documentaries and music videos. There will also be awards for best director, best soundtrack and an audience choice award.
Our goal is to promote the work of independent film makers and embrace cutting edge digital techniques. Traditional film making is most welcome, of course but so are films made on smartphones.
This year, there will also be an award for the best screenplay or script.
Judges
Madoc Roberts - Director, producer,
Mike Kennedy - Welsh Connections
Candice Black - Candy Black Art
Colm Fitzpatrick - Fitzaudio
Phil Jones - Long Way Home Productions
Karin Mear - The Welsh Hat
Hywel Evans - Twf Media
The 2022 Awards
These are the winners from last year.
Best Welsh Film – Frank (dir. Jesse Briton & Buddug Jones) Wales
Best Cynon Valley Film – Dad: When A Man Loves A Woman (dir. Geraint Benney) Wales
Best International Narrative Short – Heavy Petting (dir. Brendan Prost) Canada
Best Experimental Film – Transmission (dir. Paul Williams) Wales
Best Director – Luke Walters (Wheels) Wales
Best Soundtrack – The Lights Of Dawn (dir. Sadie Duarte, composer Daniel Angelus) Spain
Best Documentary – Don’t Fence Me In (dir. Mary Elaine Evans) USA
Best Student Film – Midas (dir. Ben Meyer, Mav Vitale, Lisa Qingyi Liu) USA
Best Narrative Feature – What’s The Craic? (dir Lauren Hakulinen) France
Best Screenplay – Mersey Boys: A Letter From Al Moran (Dir. Paddy Murphy & Steven Gerard Farrell) Ireland
Festival Director’s Award – thoughtpolice 4891 (dir. Glenn Ibbitson & Melanie Davies)
Best Music Video – Elusive Dreams (dir. Rhys Davies (Furball Films))
In 2022 awards went to:
Best Welsh Film – Frank (dir. Jesse Briton & Buddug Jones) Wales
Best Cynon Valley Film – Dad: When A Man Loves A Woman (dir. Geraint Benney) Wales
Best International Narrative Short – Heavy Petting (dir. Brendan Prost) Canada
Best Experimental Film – Transmission (dir. Paul Williams) Wales
Best Director – Luke Walters (Wheels) Wales
Best Soundtrack – The Lights Of Dawn (dir. Sadie Duarte, composer Daniel Angelus) Spain
Best Documentary – Don’t Fence Me In (dir. Mary Elaine Evans) USA
Best Student Film – Midas (dir. Ben Meyer, Mav Vitale, Lisa Qingyi Liu) USA
Best Narrative Feature – What’s The Craic? (dir Lauren Hakulinen) France
Best Screenplay – Mersey Boys: A Letter From Al Moran (Dir. Paddy Murphy & Steven Gerard Farrell) Ireland
Festival Director’s Award – thoughtpolice 4891 (dir. Glenn Ibbitson & Melanie Davies)
Best Music Video – Elusive Dreams (dir. Rhys Davies (Furball Films))
Best Narrative Feature
Best Narrative Short
Best Experimental Short
Best Documentary Short
Best Music Video
Best Drone Film
Young Animator Award
Best Local Film
Best Director
Best Actor
Best Music Soundtrack
Audience Award
Best Student Film