Winchester hits the big screen with new festivals film
A new film which celebrates the festival season in Winchester has just been released. The film, which is called Visit Winchester: festivals, premiered at the Winchester Film Festival on Thursday night to an enthusiastic reception.In a bid to spread the word about Winchester’s attractions, hotels, and shops, Winchester City Council has commissioned four films designed to promote Winchester to new audiences. Visit Winchester: festivals is the first of the films; concentrating on conference venues, the city’s Christmas retail offering, and visitor attractions right across the district.
The festivals film is the result of collaboration between the City Council and several local directors including Sian Thomas of Hat Fair,
The Council commissioned Constellation Media to shoot footage across the whole of the Winchester District for an entire year, with the focus for the summer on shooting footage of the five festivals.
Cllr George Beckett , Leader of Winchester City Council and Portfolio Holder for Economy and Tourism, said: “The main aim of the filming initiative is to attract more visitors to our beautiful City and district, with the hope that they will spend money at local shops, eateries, hotels and attractions in what is continuing to prove a challenging economic climate.”
He added: “We’re trying new ways to get the message across that Winchester is a truly unmissable destination. The initial reaction to the film has been excellent, and we’re hopeful that this is an important step in the right direction.”
The four films are each carefully targeted to appeal to different markets: the festivals film is aimed at families, young adults and ‘culture vultures’.
The film features the catchy song ‘In the City’ from rock band Iglu & Hartly. The band is delighted with the film and has recorded a goodwill dedication that is playing on YouTube alongside the main film.
See www.youtube.com/VisitWinchester to view the film or purchase a copy on DVD from Winchester Tourist Information Centre for £3. The film is also set to be showcased on the new look tourism site www.visitwincheser.co.uk
The tourist information centre is open from to Monday to Saturday. Contact the team on tel 01962 840 500, e-mail tourism@winchester.gov.uk or via the website at www.visitwinchester.co.uk