News

By Karol Steele

An 'Oscar' is up for grabs for the winner of the 2010 Dover Film Festival's Best Short Film competition.

Entries in the Best Documentary Short Film and Best Fictional Short Film will be vying a replica Academy Award as voted by the public and a panel of judges.

The two films in the fictional section are: 'Playground', a controversial short film made by Christchurch college student, Tom Shepherd and starring former Miss Dover Saskia Wadsworth-Smith and experienced young actor Ben Steele.

The film, shot in Faversham last February, caused a stir when the police were called to the shoot location in Faversham Recreation Ground, when a concerned passer-by thought the climatic scenes of a policeman being clubbed to death were actually real.

'Uninvited by Astor college student Helen Vidler, starring Blackfish Academy member Michael Bones as Tyler Clarke and local professional actress Karol Steele as his mother, tells the story of a young man struggling to come to terms with the death of his girlfriend, and his mother's attempts to help him.

Other fictional shorts are Panic to a Ridiculous Death by Rubin Stein and A Quiet Night In by Roger Barker.

The two entries in the Documentary section are Bleriot Celebration Flight by Eric Montagu and The Hollingsbee Collection by Kathleen Hollingsbee.

Entry detail can be viewed at http://www.dover-film.com/2010ShortFilmsentries.html .

The entries will be posted on YouTube for the duration of the Festival for the public to view and vote for their favourite, as well as being screened in the Stone Hall on both days of the Festival, where people are invited to place their votes into the judging box.

The Dover Film Festival will take place on 22 and 23 February in the Dover Town Hall, with screenings of the 2009 and 1959 Dover Films taking place at 3pm and 7.30pm on both days.

Tickets cost £3.50 for Adults, £3 for Senior Citizens and £2 for Children and are available on the door, or in advance from the Dover Visitor Information Centre or from 4 Harold Street in Dover.

DVDs of the 2009 Dover Film will be available to buy at the Festival for £10.