Borderlines Film Festival (Friday 26th February - Sunday 14th March) is the largest rural film festival in the UK. Based in the West Midlands, it spans 80 miles across Shropshire and Herefordshire.  

The festival is hosting more than 200 screenings of over 80 films in 40 venues, attracting nearly 12,000 people. Its films include locally-made gems: Shell Shock, an evocative portrait of a young war veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, while Young Farmers is a documentary following members of Herefordshire Young Farmers Clubs as they face the challenges of keeping farming alive in the county.  Shell Shock is an example of the high quality of films produced in the West Midlands, which has provided the backdrop to a raft of recent film productions. This growing industry has led to an expanding talent base in film production locally. Shell Shock’s premiere takes place at Borderlines on 4th March, when BAFTA-winning producer Natasha Carlish will also conduct a Q&A with its director, James Price. 

In addition, audiences can see a wide range of films including this year’s Oscar nominees (Up in the Air, An Education) and films from a themed ‘Mavericks’ strand, covering features such as Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll, classics (Fear Eats the Soul, Chinatown) and a collection of subversive documentaries including Burma VJ and The Yes Men Fix the World.  

Confirmed guests for Borderlines include Sleep Furiously producer Margaret Matheson, while Kevin Brownlow introduces Winstanley, his film about the Diggers during the English Civil War. In addition, Starsuckers director Chris Atkins comes to Hereford Cathedral for a screening of Taking Liberties in a series of BAFTA/Screen West Midlands flagged events.  

Expect lively debates about global and local issues at the Festival’s event ‘Here Comes Everyone :) Citizen Journalism in the Digital Age’ on 3rd March, which includes thought-provoking screenings, incisive discussion and a special hands-on workshop. 

For more information, please visit http://www.borderlinesfilmfestival.co.uk.