October 2024 sees the third year of Cynon Valley Film Festival. It takes place at Cynon Valley Museum 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. Cynon Valley Museum in Aberdare will be home of the Cynon Valley Film Festival from October 25-26. Submissions are now open for short & feature length films, documentaries and music videos. There will also be awards for best director, best music and a Festival Director's Award.
The 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
James Woodward - Dunnwood Photography
Bethan Jenkins - Development Assistant and Producer at Triongl production company Cardiff
Dan Le Brun - Photographer
Jack Hyatt - Film Student
Martin Weale - Allrounder
Karin Mear - Artist The Welsh Hat
Nigel Evans - Filmmaker
The 2023 Awards
Lowri Palfrey (Best Director - Heri )
Tom Howe (Best Animation - Milk First)
Sion Eifion (Best Welsh Film - The Theory Of Tomorrow)
Rachel Pedley/Avant Cymru (Best Local Film - The Witness)
Ellis Beynon and Tom Watkins (Best Narrative Short - Jack-O)
Mared Rees (Best Welsh Language Film - Our Home The Sea)
Luke Walters (Best Comedy - I Made War Of The Worlds)
Meyrick Tilley (Best Student Film - The Day After)
Matt Allen (Best Narrative Feature - Everything After)
Richard Beecher (Best Documentary - Twm Sion Cati, Polishing The Welsh Stone)
Ruth Jones (Best Experimental Film - Kith)
James Morris and Maria Tilt (Best Music - Ghosts)
Paul Birkett and Andrea Janovowska (Festival Director’s Award - Forgotten In Time)
The festival was sponsored by
Amanda Webber at Anrhegion Cymreig
Richard Jones at Accessible Wales
Gareth Jones at Penhill Jones
Jim Bradley at Bradleys Coffee
MS/AS Vikki Howells
MP Beth Winter
Thanks to Phil Jones for interviewing and Cecily Roberts for the ice cream.
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))
The 2023 Awards
Lowri Palfrey (Best Director - Heri )
Tom Howe (Best Animation - Milk First)
Sion Eifion (Best Welsh Film - The Theory Of Tomorrow)
Rachel Pedley/Avant Cymru (Best Local Film - The Witness)
Ellis Beynon and Tom Watkins (Best Narrative Short - Jack-O)
Mared Rees (Best Welsh Language Film - Our Home The Sea)
Luke Walters (Best Comedy - I Made War Of The Worlds)
Meyrick Tilley (Best Student Film - The Day After)
Matt Allen (Best Narrative Feature - Everything After)
Richard Beecher (Best Documentary - Twm Sion Cati, Polishing The Welsh Stone)
Ruth Jones (Best Experimental Film - Kith)
James Morris and Maria Tilt (Best Music - Ghosts)
Paul Birkett and Andrea Janovowska (Festival Director’s Award - Forgotten In Time)
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 Film
Best Welsh Film
Best Documentary
Best Music
Best Animation
Best Comedy
Best Welsh Language Film
Best Local Film
Best Director
Best Student Film
Festival Director's Award