The English Riviera Film Festival | adventurous double figures

The only thing missing was pink blancmange in the shape of a rabbit. There was excitement, adventure and intrigue on show as The English Riviera Film Festival hit double figures with what was a coming-of-age event: top-notch South West films, mind-popping cinema from around the world, and even an MP in attendance. Plus wonderful prizes to share the moment.

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Engish Riviera Film Festival director John Tomkins welcomes the filmmakers and audience to the English Riviera Film Festival awards

The 10th Anniversary English Riviera Film Festival consisted – or consists – of three events: an awards day; a South West-focused screening; and coming up, a May event in Torquay Museum.

“It’s always enjoy film festivals which have a mix of filmmakers and non filmmakers – film fans,” said Ben Kernow, who directed the Cornish language comedy Art, winner of the Best South West film. “I’m always interested to hear what non filmmakers think of my films. It adds a bit of validation.”

Short films from around the Devon, Cornwall, the South West and the world were screened at the grand old Lyceum Theatre in Torquay. The venue is steeped in cinema history. Not least, it was the place that Claire Bueno, producer of the Ghost Busters docs Cleanin’ Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters and Too Hot to Handle: Remembering Ghostbusters II plus writer of Cleanin’ Up the Town book first saw the film. Now she’s a respected producer, red-carpet interviewer and writer. How’s that for inspiring future generations?

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The day was split into screening events, with gaps to catch up with the filmmakers, mingle and share thoughts, ideas and contact details, before the main prize-giving event at the end of an intense-day of creative trips into filmmakers’ imaginations, expertise and skill.

Novelist Philip Reeve, presented the Best Animation Award and shared and a big screen trailer preview of his new film Prairie Rascals, with Dartmoor doubling as the wild, wild west.

Novelist Philip Reeve with the animation award certificate and the ERFF audience

Best director and scriptwriter, Christofer Nilsson, who picked up the gongs for his film The Ballad, acknowledged the difficulty of filmmaking, while bigging up his team. Jude Kriwald, best doc and audience award winner, for Alone Across Gola reminded the audience to follow on their dream.

Other attendees included Quinn and Skya Theobald, writer and director of Becca Comes To Visit (best ensemble cast), who flew in from the USA, and Shivam Pota, Michael J Dewsnap, Samuel Sherpa-Moore, writer director, producer and actor of The Limits of Light and Sound. At the receptions at Torquay’s Artizan Gallery, Shivam spoke to Steve Darling about the need to nurture the creative sector.

From Left to right: English Riviera Film Festival director John Tomkins; Torbay MP Steve Darling, adventurer and filmmaker Jude Kriwald

Torbay MP Steve Darling had presented the award for best film, and gave a personal and passionate account of the power of film to share experiences and stories, while bringing issues to the fore and people together.

South West filmmakers at the English Riviera Film Festival South West focus at the Projection Room in Paignton

The Saturday awards event in Torquay was followed by a South West focused screening at The Projection Room in Paignton, opposite the iconic Paignton Picture House, which is being renovated to become a focal point for the area’s filmmakers.

The afternoon and evening of a variety of tones and textures from shorts made by filmmakers in the South West. Art and imagination was front and centre for the first slew of films. With another fizz of story, structure and style for the evening showcase.

See the South West films that were screened at the Projection Room.

To round off events there is an English Riviera Film Festival – 10th Anniversary Screening at Torquay Museum’s Pengelly Hall on Saturday 10 May 2025 – 11am to 4.30pm. The morning with feature documentaries filmed across the world, including Jude Kriwald’s doc and audience award-winning Alone Across the Gola. And the afternoon will be made up of UK and international short films.

English Riviera Film Festival – 10th Anniversary award winners

Best Actress: Laura Sepul – Sagah
Audience Award for Best Film: Jude Kriwald – Alone Across Gola
Best South West Film: Ben Kernow and Izzy Wilkinson – Art
Best Film: Matthew Turner, Maximilian Sitwell and Alvaro Rios Barco – Amuse-Bouche
Best Documentary: Jude Kriwald – Alone Across Gola
Best Animated Film: Kaem Kehinde Balogun – A Monstrous Cure
Festival Director’s Choice: Etham Porter – Loud
Festival Director’s Choice: Oisin Tymon and Neil Edson – Block
Festival Director’s Choice: Best Ensemble Cast: Ethan Josh Lee, Junah Jang, Morgan Gwilym Tso, David Mazouz – Becca Comes To Visit
Best Actor: Gabriel Thomson – Hungry Like the Wolf
Best Director: Christofer Nilsson – The Ballad
Best Screenplay: Christofer Nilsson – The Ballad