The festival, one of the most anticipated events in the UK film calendar, will become the Bradford International Film Festival in partnership with Virgin Media following the agreement between the festival organisers, the NationalMedia Museum, and the leading multimedia provider which specialises in ultrafast broadband, television, mobile phone and home phone services.
The sponsorship covers the 18th edition of the Bradford International Film Festival, which runs from April 19 – 29, 2012, and continues until 2014. Since 1995 the festival has been a showcase for new and classic films from around the world and has welcomed guests such as John Hurt, Malcolm McDowell, Imelda Staunton, Ken Loach, Fernando Meirelles, Jack Cardiff, Chris Morris, Michael Palin and, most recently, Terry Gilliam.
Director of the National Media Museum, Colin Philpott said: “This fantastic partnership comes at a time when the Museum is looking forward to some very exciting projects which will extend the scope and reach of our programme and collections. With Virgin Media’s expertise in multimedia technology and our dedication to inspiring people to learn about and get involved in the world of media I think it is a perfect fit for the Museum’s ambitions.”
Jeff Dodds, Executive Director of Brand & Marketing Communications at Virgin Media said: “We’re incredibly excited about working with the National Media Museum and helping to support and raise the profile of the Bradford International Film Festival. We care passionately about the positive impact that media, whether it's watching films or using the internet, has on peoples' lives and this partnership perfectly embodies our ambitions. For the past four years, Virgin Media Shorts has fostered the talent of up and coming film makers from all across the UK and we are particularly pleased that Bradford will now become the northern home of our short film competition.”
Head of Development at the National Media Museum, Rob Shaw, said: “This is a match made in heaven. The National Media Museum’s and Virgin Media’s values are almost identical. We both believe in being challenging, being creative and bringing media to life. We are delighted to be partnering with them and look forward to bringing our combined passion for film, television and the internet to the next three Bradford International Film Festivals and a number of other projects.”
In addition to the film festivals, the three-year deal will see Virgin Media involved in a number of other high profile new developments at the National Media Museum in Bradford, which is dedicated to inspiring people to learn about, engage with, and create media.
The company is also a corporate supporter of Life Online, the world’s first gallery to explore the technological, social and cultural impact of the internet and the worldwide web, which is due to open at the Museum in March 2012.
In October, the National Media Museum will screen shortlisted films from the Virgin Media Shorts competition, and details of further events and involvement will follow in the coming months.
The 2012 Bradford International Film Festival in partnership with Virgin Media is now open for submissions from film makers who would like their films to be considered for this major UK festival.
Visit www.nationalmediamuseum.org.
