Young, vibrant and different (International Film festival, Kingston upon Thames, 24-26.6. 2022)

Kingston upon Thames hosted its very first International Film Festival over the last weekend with great dignity and dedication. The festivals' Preview, which took place at the Rose Theatre in October 2021, was already promising a very high standard and the actual event didn't disappoint. On the contrary, it showed that good quality Films, Short Films, Documentaries and Features are not exclusively reserved for the big, commercial or well-known venues, but they do exist and are created in many places around the world with equal quality and passion, even with very limited resources.

During the three festival days, Kingston upon Thames became a meeting point for many young, new or (until-now) unknown filmmakers and independent-film/cinema lowers, who could enjoy the multiple screenings, debates and workshops held in Odeon Cinema, Rose Theatre or the Kingston Guildhall. The festival created much need space for all those, who would otherwise have never had the opportunity of presenting their work. Whether they were students or more experienced filmmakers, they all presented very interesting and captivating stories.

From the huge array of Documentaries, Short films or Features, that we saw, I'd like to mention The First Film - a documentary that inaugurated the festival and a fascinating story about the first ever filmmaker in the history! The documentary's writer and director David Nicholas Wilkinson presented his work of passion and 30-years-long research about the French-born Louis A. Le Prince, who pioneered his self-made camera and shot the first couple-of-seconds lasting films in Leeds (before Lumières brothers or Edison). Louis Le Prince, very much forgotten after his mysterious disappearance, was "a man of his time": technically educated and culturally motivated, with a vision of bringing a progress into capturing and projecting movements and developing the technical tools which would enable such work. The film also brought us to the very beginnings of the film industry, which emerged simultaneously in various countries (USA, France, Germany), the designs of the first film cameras, the competitive spirit and the desire to hold the first place amongst these inventions.

The festival ended with very entertaining award-winning ceremony, where several well-known industry leaders presented the much deserved trophies.