Cheltenham becomes a star as Film Festival goes viral Key landmarks in Cheltenham will set the scene for some new movie blockbusters over the coming months as the town plans to host its first Film Festival. The façade of the Queens Hotel provides the backdrop as Cheltenham voiceover artist, Andy Turvey, gets to utter the famous line 'life is like a box of chocolates' in a short viral video created to publicise the new festival. The clip, called 'Morris Crump', is a re-enactment of a scene from the movie Forrest Gump and is the brainchild of the Target Group in Cheltenham which is sponsoring the Film Festival by handling its marketing communications. The creative theme highlights 'a passion for film', demonstrating the impact our favourite films have on all of us. The campaign aims to build awareness of the Film Festival and help spread the word to potential sponsors and visitors to the event. Target's creative team joined forces with P4 Films at Cheltenham Film Studios to reproduce two famous film clips. "We wanted to devise a creative theme that struck a chord with our target audiences and is flexible enough to work across a variety of communication channels – 'a passion for film' certainly does that", says Managing Director of Target Creativity Zak McKinven. "Morris Crump is the first clip to be released, with another two executions coming soon. They were great fun to make and I'm really grateful we've been able to call upon local people and businesses to help". The Film Festival, from October 1-3, will feature a wide range of cinema, from art house to mainstream and British classics. It includes an educational programme with seminars, lectures and workshops. Venues include the Town Hall, Cheltenham Ladies' College, and free outdoor screenings in Montpellier Gardens. It's being run by Martin Pilkington and Adam Clarke, and has secured the support of local businesses including the Gloucestershire Echo, First Great Western, Cineworld and UCAS. Gloucestershire College and the University of Gloucestershire have added their backing. The Target Group, based in Painswick Road, Cheltenham, was formed in 1977 and is a fully-integrated marketing communications agency incorporating public relations, advertising, design, media, digital and direct marketing services. To see the film clips, check out www.cheltenhamfilmfestival.com

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