Film festival chairman looks forward to this year’s big event

The idea of Chagford hosting a film festival was born during a pub conversation amongst friends - seven years on, little did landlady Mary French realise what a huge success the annual event was set to be!

As chairman of Chagford Film Festival, Mary said she loved organising the event and was blessed with a wonderful committee of volunteers who have a joint ‘can do’ attitude - and never believe that anything is impossible!

Mary said: ‘I always loved all the old films and I used to collect all the posters. The idea behind the event initially was to have a bit of fun and boost the economy in Chagford, not only for that week but with the idea that once people had been here and seen how lovely it is, they would come back - but the festival has become a monster and it can’t stop growing!

‘Over the years we have had some amazing people come and some incredible visits - we had the batmobile one year, that caused a bit of an uproar coming into town, we had a mechanical elephant that had performed in front of the Queen and this year we have this World War I plane.’

Mary said it was wonderful to feel the buzz that the event created throughout the town during film festival week and that people were already getting excited about this year’s programme.

‘We have a link with the University of Exeter this year with 50 language and film students attending and we are involving the school children - they will all be coming to see the plane.

‘Most of the businesses are getting involved, they are showing films in their shops, they are dressing their windows, they are taking part in as many ways as they can.

‘I hope we will attract people in from further afield this year, it really is worth a trip to such a beautiful town, right in the heart of Dartmoor, to see a film, or take part in a workshop, have a special meal or even meet an Oscar winner!’