FESTIVAL BLOG & NEWS

SERIES 5 OF ITV CRIME DRAMA THE BAY TO PREMIERE AT OUR FESTIVAL!

16 August 2024

“Morecambe is the home of The Bay so we’re delighted to be presenting the premiere of series 5 there,” said series showrunner Daragh Carville. We’re thrilled too to be a part of the festival, a celebration of this brilliant place and its vibrant artistic culture." 

Daragh said that when he started developing The Bay, part of his motivation was to highlight a place that he felt had been unfairly overlooked for too long. “I hoped to put Morecambe on the UK TV map,” he said. "Five series later, I think we can safely say we’ve managed to do that. Morecambe has played host to the filming of The Bay for five series now, and it’s been a joy to see how the community has taken us to heart, in spite of road closures and traffic delays, and all the hassles of a busy filming schedule. We literally couldn’t make this show anywhere else and we couldn’t do it without the support of the local community. So thanks so much for all your warmth and generosity in putting up with us.

Since The Bay began shooting in Morecambe, a host of other productions, including the high profile Harlan Coben adaptations for Netflix, have filmed in Morecambe and the wider Bay area. "Long may it last,” said Daragh. "The creative industries are among the UK’s most successful exports – The Bay has been sold to over 140 territories worldwide – and every corner of the UK deserves to benefit from this success. My hope is that in the future Morecambe will become the hub of a vibrant film and TV culture.”

Morecambe residents and guests will be able to see the first episode on series 5 in Reel Cinema on the 8th of November. The screening will be followed by Q&A with the creators. Subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to know when the tickets will go on sale.

TBIFF GOES ON TOUR AROUND THE BAY!

01 June 2024

Our festival will be travelling around the Bay, and the first stop is Ulverston! This wouldn't be possible without Ulverston Town Council funding, The Roxy Cinema Ulverston partnership, incredible support from The Roxy Collective and, of course, those amazing filmmakers who agreed to share their films with our new audiences!

Short film programme "Stories beyond Borders", curated by TBIFF, offers a compelling and diverse selection of award-winning shorts that traverse a range of human experiences and emotions. From the poignant and introspective magic-realism of "Demon Box" and the hauntingly surreal "Forbidden", to the stark and intense drama of "Our Males and Females", each film is a powerful exploration of personal and societal struggles. This collection of short films spanning various genres and countries, promises an evocative and thought-provoking cinematic journey that captures the essence of resilience, transformation, and the complexities of the human spirit. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with several filmmakers (including Ulverston's own Alice Slater with her award-winning animation), providing a unique opportunity for audiences to engage directly with the creative minds behind these exceptional stories. 

"FINAL DRAFT" AWARD WINNERS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

23 January 2024

In October 2023 writer/director Sean Wainsteim and writer Aurora de Peña won BEST STORYTELLING award at TBIFF for the screenplay for the film DEMON BOX which was screened as a part of our "UNEXPECTED JOURNEYS" programme. As an addition to the trophy, our festival partners - FINAL DRAFT - awarded Aurora with a copy of Final Draft's world-famous software, giving her access to the same tools that have helped craft some of the most iconic stories in the entertainment industry.

Final Draft is the industry-standard software for screenwriting and storytelling, used by top professionals in the film and television industry worldwide. It's the go-to tool for writers who want to bring their creative ideas to life on the big screen.

That's what Aurora and Sean said about their win:

We’re so grateful to receive the inaugural Final Draft "Best Storytelling Award" from The Bay International Film Festival for our film "Demon Box". We strived to express a very personal and internal journey through memory, trauma and pain in a non-linear and impressionistic way while also being dramatic (and, hopefully funny). We took a big, experimental swing and it feels so incredibly wonderful to be acknowledged and recognized for this award. Thank you for supporting and celebrating storytelling that doesn’t fit into existing moulds. 

"Demon Box" evolved over ten years. Over that entire time, Final Draft was essential in guiding our sprawling, unclassifiable film that encompasses four generations. Made of disparate narrative elements, time-jumps, archival materials, documentary voice-over and animation, a key concern was maintaining a clear, narrative through-line. Interfacing with writing software that is as malleable as our material gave us confidence to rearrange, re-examine and innovate while ensuring we still told an honest story in a uniquely compelling and comprehendible way. 

The director of the film added:

"Ever since I began writing screenplays, Final Draft has always been an integral part of my process. Slipping into Final Draft always feels intuitive. I live inside that creative flow to the point of never feeling the program. There’s really no higher compliment I can give to any software. I grow and experiment as a storyteller and the program grows and adapts around me. From initial ideas and more traditionally structured narratives to exploring atypical approaches that adapt through the post production process, Final Draft is an essential tool that always seems to grow and adapt with me on my journey."

We couldn't be more excited to partner with Final Draft for last year's awards. Their commitment to empowering storytellers aligns perfectly with our mission, and we believe this partnership will take our awards to new heights. We can't wait to see the incredible stories that will emerge from this collaboration. Thank you, Final Draft Company, for joining us on this creative journey!

AWARD WINNER IN THE SPOTLIGHT

14 December 2023

In October 2023 composer Ali Helnwein won BEST SOUNDSCAPE award at TBIFF for the soundtrack for the film HEDGEHOG which was screened as a part of our "Inspiring shorts" programme. As an addition to the trophy, our festival partners - SPITFIRE AUDIO - awarded Ali with a £250 gift card to use on their amazing website - www.spitfireaudio.com 

Here's what he said:

“I was very excited to receive the Spitfire Audio Award as part of winning best score at The Bay International Film Fest. Spitfire Audio has always been my favourite sample library company. When I first started composing I only had somewhat generic sounding sample libraries until I discovered Spitfire. My first purchase was Albion and my collection has grown ever since. Their creativity, approach to how they sample and the quality of the samples was a game changer!”

Ali Helnwein is a Los Angeles based composer who has worked on multiple Emmy and Grammy winning projects. Films he's scored have gone to festivals ranging from Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca and more, including projects for Netflix, HBO and other platforms. Check his website here - www.alihelnwein.com

We are looking forward to hear more about Ali's future projects and we are curious who will win our music award next year.