Vinyl To Open St Albans Film Festival

St Albans Film Festival has announced that the feature film Vinyl will open the festival on March 8th, a week ahead of its UK release.
Vinyl is directed by Sara Sugarman, and stars Phil Daniels, Keith Allen, Perry Benson and up and coming young actor Jamie Blackley.
The closing film of the festival will be Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures, directed by Jan Harlan, Kubrick's brother-in-law, and one of Kubrick's producers, who will also be giving a talk about filmmaking at the festival. Legendary director Kubrick created some of his most famous work in the local area, where he also eventually settled until his death in 1999. Kubrick's manor was used as a nerve centre for his film productions: the Shining was finished there, and Full Metal Jacket and Eyes Wide Shut were started and completed there.
"I am thrilled that Vinyl will open our festival," says Film Festival Director Leoni Kibbey. "Sara Sugarman is a great director and it is fitting that our opening feature film is directed by a woman as it will be screened on March 8th, which is International Woman's Day. I am also delighted that Kubrick's A Life in Pictures will be our closing feature: Kubrick is such a key part of St Alban's filmmaking history and the involvement of Kubrick's family in this festival, such as the director of this film Jan Harlan, and Christiane Kubrick (Kubrick's widow) is very important to us."
St Albans rich filmmaking heritage goes back further than Kubrick though. Arthur Melbourne-Cooper - the pioneer of moving pictures - was born in the City, so it is a fitting location for a film festival.
The short film competition has attracted over 300 entries, made by filmmakers from 30 countries, making the festival, to be held 8th -10th March, 2013, a truly international event. These short films, from as far as Australia, Singapore, Greece & the USA, are now being whittled down to those to be screened over the weekend, at a number of quirky and unique venues across the City.
Leoni has been overwhelmed not only by the sheer number of films she has received, but also by the quality. "It's amazing to get over 300 entries in the first year of any festival," says Leoni. "And the quality has been so high. There are 6 categories of film in the short film competition element of the festival and we have received some really great films in every category. "There is a lot of talent out there and we may even discover a new Kubrick amongst them."
St Albans is also a stone's throw from some of the most prestigious film studios in the world and the organisers of the festival are optimistic that this annual event will put St Albans firmly on the movie map.
www.stalbansfilmfestival.com