Friday, 30 September 2022
Film fans in Nottingham are being given a rare opportunity to see a film that’s yet to be completed and speak to its Director.
‘Santi’ is short film that will be developed into a full-length feature next year. It explores themes of cultural identity, immigration and cultural integration through the story of a young Colombian man who receives a voice message from home while grappling with cultural differences at a London dinner party. The film will be screened at a free event, hosted by the University of Nottingham, on 11th October. After the showing, there’ll be an in-person opportunity for visitors to speak to Director Harry Richards and Executive Producer David Sierra Márquez.
Speaking ahead of the screening, Harry Richards said:
I’m delighted to be showing SANTI at the University of Nottingham. It’s very important for us to engage with a diverse range of students and local audiences around the country, whom we hope will connect with Santi’s story and follow our journey from short to feature film over the coming years.
He continued: "The Q&A session will be a fantastic opportunity for film fans to hear insights from our filmmaking process, and the challenges we overcame during pre-production, production and beyond. As a 40-person cast and crew of passionate young filmmakers — mostly recent graduates and students — it makes natural sense for Team Santi to now return to universities to share our experience.”
Santi is the only film of its kind to channel the direct voices of Colombian immigrants living in the UK. It aims to expand the on-screen presence of Latin Americans in the UK and 7.5 percent of its initial budget was donated to Latin Elephant, a UK charity that promotes the inclusion of migrant and ethnic groups in urban regeneration.
The short film was the fastest ever to be funded on the crowdfunding platform Greenlit, and it has already received international attention, having been shortlisted from over one thousand entries for screening at the BFI Future Film Festival in February this year.
Dr Eduardo Guevara, Assistant Professor of Modern Languages, has organised the screening:
“As promoters of the study of modern foreign languages and cultures, we are delighted to host this event. The film will offer an insight into the idiosyncrasies of Latin America, its cultural identity and social values. The interview with Harry Richards afterwards will provide, we hope, an inspiration for any aspiring filmmakers or students who travel abroad as part of their degree programme.
The screening will take place in the University’s Keighton Auditorium on Tuesday 11th October at 6:30pm. Tickets are free but visitors are encouraged to register a place via Eventbrite.
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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