Though it’s a bit embarassing to be promoting this (honestly), you can if you choose blow an hour of your Wednesday evening this week hearing Ian Francis of 7 Inch Cinema talk about his favourite things at the Ikon gallery. I was pathetically chuffed to be invited to do this, being an inveterate list-maker and a big Desert Island Discs fan (especially now they’ve got rid of Sue Lawley). But once confronted with the long-awaited opportunity to bang on about stuff you like, it’s actually a bit of a headache whittling it down. I’ve gone for the slightly flippant/ random approach; and as always the David Shrigley postcard above my desk is a useful confidence-booster when preparing for public speaking…

Today the UK Film Council announced the recipients of their national Festival Fund award, and it gives us great pleasure to confirm (rustle of envelope) that Flatpack Festival is one of them. The fund was set up last year to support and enhance two UK film festivals of international significance (ie, Edinburgh, and probably London) and up to eight festivals of national (or potentially national) significance. They picked seven in the end, including Sheffield DocFest, Cinemagic in Belfast and Nottingham’s Silent Cinema Festival, and Flatpack has been awarded £70,000 over the next three years to build on the promise of the first two editions. (There’s more background on the festival in the projects section, or last year’s programme is at flatpackfestival.org)

So what does this mean for us, the producers of Flatpack? Well, the money will obviously come in handy, although there is still plenty of work to be done on the fundraising front. But it’s also a fantastic stamp of approval, a big frilly rosette from the national body responsible for film. To build something like this up on a really tight budget, to show that there’s an audience for this kind of programming, and then to secure the support which allows you to plan ahead and think a bit bigger; it’s a mighty good feeling. And without going all Oscar-night about it, it wouldn’t have been possible without all the filmmakers, volunteers, artists, promoters, technicians, funders, venues and enthusiastic punters who have chipped in to help us get this far. So thanks a lot, and here’s to Flatpack III in February 2009 and beyond…

(And congratulations to DeafFest at Wolverhampton Light House, who were also on the list)

As the snow started falling last weekend, I ran out into the garden with some old cinema letters to leave a pawprint. Here is the slightly melted result, to mark the official opening of our new virtual home. Welcome! Feel free to have a poke around. Truffles and flowers to Dave Gaskarth (design) and Jacob Masters (site building).