The Sub-Committee will elect a Chairman for the Meeting.

It was moved by Councillor Casey, seconded by Councillor A Cossens and:-

RESOLVED that Councillor Wiggins be elected as Chairman for the meeting.

The Committee is asked to note any apologies for absence and substitutions received from Members.

There were no apologies or substitutions on this occasion.

To confirm and sign as a correct record, the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee, held on Monday 27January 2025.

It was moved by Councillor A Cossens, seconded by Councillor Casey and:-

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Sub-Committee held on Monday, 27 January 2025, be approved as a correct record and be signed by the Chairman.

Councillors are invited to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests, Other Registerable Interests of Non-Registerable Interests, and the nature of it, in relation to any item on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest on this occasion.

To determine a request for the licence holder to show to the public a number of short films that have not been classified by the British Board of Film Classification.

The request to show the short films has been made by Essex International Film Festival. The films would be shown at Harwich Electric Palace between the 27^th and 30^th March 2025.

The Sub-Committee heard that the Essex International Film Festival would be the first county-wide event of its kind, celebrating the best of regional and international film talent. The festival would take place over one-weekend (27th to 30th March 2025) as the start of an annual initiative ‘jam-packed’ with screenings, masterclasses and networking events focused on bringing together professional like-minded individuals as well as providing a platform for emerging industry talent.

Taking place across venues throughout the county, the festival would aim to put Essex on the map as an industry leading hub for film, supporting local and professional emerging filmmakers and making world-class independent cinema accessible across the county. The festival would be co-directed by three acclaimed industry professionals including Lily Streames, Charles Sharman-Cox, and Iain B. McDonald. The organisers would also be founders of the Essex Film Collective; a community of talented, reliable creatives who worked across all areas of the film industry that were based in Essex.

Members were informed that as well as a programme of film, the festival would also feature a diverse programme of masterclasses and workshops led by leading industry professionals. Essex International Film Festival would be committed to breaking down barriers within the industry and providing accessible learning opportunities for all. The festival would provide a supportive environment to celebrate and elevate the craft of filmmaking.

The Essex International Film Festival would be supported by the Essex County Council Arts and Cultural Fund, a dedicated grants programme for arts and cultural projects across the Essex County Council administrative area.

By assisting the Essex International Film Festival in providing this classification service at a cost neutral fee, the Council through its Premises / Personal Sub-Committee would be helping to promote and support the town, the District, the local tourist, leisure industries, and the work of local independent filmmakers.

In addition, the Electric Palace Harwich was a special venue locally and provides for a diverse range of film and entertainment that was not always catered for by mainstream venues and which attracted and brought visitors into Harwich as a result. The theatre was therefore always an important destination and venue for Tendring’s tourist and leisure industry.

The Sub-Committee raised concerns over two of the films (‘Typical’ and ‘While You Were Sleeping’) in which the synopsis of the films did not reflect correctly what was viewed in the film. The representative from Essex County Council agreed to pass this on to the Film Festival representatives to be updated.

Andrew Ward from Essex County Council spoke in support of the Film Festival.

The Chairman (Councillor Wiggins) then adjourned the meeting at this time whilst the Sub-Committee retired to deliberate. The Litigation Lawyer (Sarah Opene) and Committee Services Officer (Katie Koppenaal) retired with the Sub-Committee for observatory reasons only.

After one-hour’s deliberation, the meeting resumed and the Chairman (Councillor Wiggins) read out a statement as follows:

“The Sub Committee has given careful consideration to this application for the Essex international film festival taking place between the 27th to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 46.