Falstaff International Film Festival

Falstaff International Film Festival (FIFF) was a film festival that took place in Stratford-upon-Avon in 2009. During its inaugural year it was the largest film festival for rising talent and new cinema in the Midlands region of England. The festival supported commercial films, independent films, short films, as well as feature films. The director of the festival was Rowan M. Ashe.
Purpose.
The festival was launched to reinvigorate the local filmmaking community following the short success of two previous international film festivals in the town. The festival also recognised the importance of William Shakespeare's influence on film and in entertainment, with Stratford-upon-Avon being his birthplace.
Festival 2009.
The first festival took place from November 14 to 20 of 2009 with entries from all over the world. The festival also relaunched the Midlands Short Filmmaking Competition that celebrated achievements from regional filmmakers. An awards ceremony concluded the festival.
Although film festivals in Stratford-upon-Avon have taken place consistently every two years no announcement has been made for a 2011 festival. The town is home to many types of festivals due to the popularity of the town and its tourist attractions. A suggestion has been made that the Stratford-upon-Avon Fringe Festival that was launched in 2010 may adopt the visual arts as part of its mandate.