Questionmark over city film festival

Glimmer, the Hull International Short Film Festival, wasn’t held last year, and trustees say it could prove “quite challenging” to put on this year.

In the past the event has attracted thousands of film fans to see hundreds of short films from round the world.

Interim director of Hull arts organisation Artlink Adrian Friedli, who joined the board of Hull Film Ltd last summer, said the event was currently on hold.

He said: “What I and fellow board members found when I joined was there were quite straitened financial circumstances.

“We found there were administrative challenges which meant having to move it to a different structure. We are having very positive discussions with Creative England, with Arts Council England and with the city council.

“We are confident that there is a constructive conversation to be had because clearly there is a gap in cultural films provision and we are committed to finding something that will address that.”

The only member of staff was made redundant at the beginning of the year.

One of the problems, Mr Friedli said, had been the transition from Screen Yorkshire to Creative England, adding: “One of the major sources of funding changed priorities and timetables and that impacted quite severely on the Hull International Film festival as it had tight margins in the first place.”

It was announced last week that Hull was vying with the likes of Chester and Plymouth to be City of Culture 2017.

It is the only city in Yorkshire and the most northern in England competing. Mr Friedli said: “Clearly a cultural film offer would be an important facet of that and we would hope to see that available as soon as possible, hence the converstaions that have started with Creative England, the Arts Council and the city council.”