The Carmarthen Bay Film Festival was an idea translated into reality in 2011 by Kelvin Guy, and is based in the town of Llanelli, in Wales. The town has produced many actors and television presenters including the Hollywood actor Gareth Hughes.
Hughes became a successful silent film actor when he moved to the United States in 1914. Kelvin recognises his family connection to Hughes (on his grandmother’s side) as part of his inspiration for the creation of the film festival. Kelvin also holds a BA in Film and Visual Culture, from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David.
The first festival in 2012 took place in the Stradey Park Hotel, with the hotel supporting this fledgling venture and 35 films being submitted after an appeal to various film groups on Facebook. The festival was launched that year with a screening of the film ‘Grand Slam’ (a sporting comedy by BBC Wales) at Parc y Scarlets rugby ground, with many famous past and present Welsh rugby players in attendance as well as some of the stars from the film. The event also raised funds for Macmillan Cancer Support, in memory of Kelvin’s brother-in-law.
Once contacts started to build, particularly through the assistance of influential people such as John Hefin (the Welsh television producer and director), more doors opened and film submissions for the following year doubled. Festival award winners back then were presented with hand-made framed certificates. Today the list of festival awards includes the John Hefin Lifetime Achievement Award, to recognise those in Wales who have made a significant contribution to filmmaking.
Year on year the festival has continued to grow, and in 2018 film submissions reached over 700, and the Welsh magazine programme ‘Heno’ began covering the film award ceremony.
Kelvin’s desire to screen the submitted films to their best possible standard led him to seek out a venue where this could be achieved, and in 2019 the festival moved to the Ffwrnes Theatre in the centre of Llanelli.
The CBFF continues to strengthen, and has now added other festivals to its portfolio including the Ffresh Festival, celebrating the work from student media talent throughout Wales and beyond, and the International Media Festival of Wales, a multimedia festival recognising all aspects connected to the process of filmmaking, content creation and production.
Thank you to all who have contributed to the success of the festival.
