Tuesday 17th until Saturday 21st November 2009 @ Watershed, Bristol

Britain’s biggest competitive international short film festival, Encounters, celebrates its 15th birthday this week and returns to Watershed with another glorious panoramic roundup of the best of the world’s cinematic shorts. The five day festival will present a bonanza slice of international short films, screening over 300 new films from 31 countries including over 50 premieres, with education and training from respected industry professionals, and an array of special guests, parties and hotly contested awards.

The line up of special guests this year has yet to be completely finalised, but guests so far confirmed include: 69 year old Russian animation master Andrei Khrzhanovsky presenting a selection of work which was banned in his home country for over 20 years; Oscar winning shorts director Andrea Arnold, New York experimental filmmaker Jem Cohen, and documentary and Portishead music video director John Minton.

www.encounters-festival.org.uk