PLEASE NOTE: WE ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF SELECTING FILMS FOR THE FESTIVAL. WE AIM TO INFORM EVERYONE BY THURS 06 FEB. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE!

We are a multi arts Festival showcasing a diverse range of internationally acclaimed film, music, theatre, dance, spoken word, literature and family events over two weeks in the market town of Salisbury.

Our film programme includes UK Premieres, previews, little seen archive films, installations and artists film. Most events are accompanied by introductions and Q&A’s.

Inspiration & Themes for 2020:

The 2020 Salisbury International Arts Festival will celebrate the beauty, the courage and the joy of human movement. We will draw inspiration from extraordinary journeys both large and small and from journeys that succeeded against all odds. Our programme will explore how movement has been represented in different art forms and will seek to capture the boundless potential of the human body. Our Festival will also inspire people to become more active, to dance and to play in the streets and spaces of our beautiful city.

The Festival will, of course, play out against the wider context of the octo-centenary of the founding of Salisbury. 800 years ago a new Bishop was installed in the fortified town of Sarum. Discovering a cramped settlement buffeted by wind and rain, lacking a decent supply of fresh water and presided over by an unruly garrison, Bishop Poore embarked upon an extraordinary project. Having successfully petitioned the Pope, he set about the task of moving his cathedral three miles south of Sarum on the flood plain of the river Avon. In 1220, a foundation ceremony was held at the new cathedral and from this beginning, the modern city of Salisbury grew.

Festival of ideas
Our Festival of Ideas will consider the challenge of creating sustainable, healthy and smarter cities in the future. 800 years ago, there was an opportunity to build a city from scratch. If such an opportunity was presented again, what choices would we make? What are the challenges facing cities of the future and what role can culture play in shaping that future?

Japan:
Films from Japan will be considered as part of the BFI's spring blockbuster season, especial if they meet the criteria of our other themes.

Fest West:
Wiltshire Creative’s annual celebration of contemporary Arts made in the South West of the UK, in partnership with Pound Arts and Town Hall Arts. Films made in by film makers in the region will be considered for a Fest West film night.

Please read event description carefully to ensure that your films meets out Inspiration & Themes for 2020.

Please add a note to explain how your film fits with these themes.