THIS year Port Eliot Festival will unveil a completely new area in the beautiful Orangery Garden dedicated to celebrating women in film.

Produced by Women Under the Influence and The Violet Book, with support from Hermes, the Cinematheque is a timely and dynamic

addition to the festival, after a remarkable year of #timesup and tribulations in the ?lm industry.

In its inaugural year, the Cinematheque will have a rebellious spirit, celebrating the pioneers who have paved the way, as well as the fresh young voices rede?ning storytelling.

Filmmakers, journalists, cinephiles, activists and producers will delve into the fascinating world of ?lm through the female lens. Designed to inspire all ages and interests, the Cinematheque will present screenings, panel discussions, family workshops, illustrated talks and other playful events that are faithful to Under the Influence’s own motto, ‘Made by Women, for Everybody’.

Among the many highlights already planned, Activism, Action!, examines how ?lm can be used for social change, featuring actress Lily Cole screening her short ?lm about the refugee crisis in Greece, alongside the wonderfully inspiring Nimco Ali, who has dedicated her time to ending the practice of FGM.

Oscar-nominated actress Samantha Morton will be in conversation, opening up about her work, the industry and how it felt to step into the director’s chair.

Sherrie Silver, the choreographer behind the music video This Is America, uses dance to educate people about the African continent. At Port Eliot she will talk to us about her work, before hosting a dance workshop, teaching us the This Is America moves while explaining their origins.

Directors Hope Dickson Leach (The Levelling) and Mania Akbari (One Two One) will explore the idea of ‘Another Gaze’ in an event hosted by the film journal of the same name.

There will also be a special children’s screening of Wonder Woman, featuring a DIY tiara and cuffs workshop. Revolt, She Said! will journey into the revolutionary side of women’s ?lm making and Lorna Tucker will discuss the experience of directing the Vivienne Westwood documentary Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist.

Iranian director, producer, screenwriter and actress, Desiree Akhavan will be in discussion with i_D journalist Hanna Hanra and Guardian columnist, Sophie Heawood, will chat to Alison Owen, one of the UK’s leading ?lm and television producers.

Saturday night will be an invitation to Pull up to my Bumper! Trashy glamour will reign supreme in a mid-’80s disco mash-up celebrating Grace Jones, the great 1991 documentary Paris is Burning and the underground women of No-Wave.

It Felt Like Love will look at how women have expressed their desire through the lens, with shorts curated by ?lmmaker Ruth Novaczek and author Sophie Mackintosh in conversation.

The Vital New Voices event will see Lily Ashley delivering culturally-savvy poetry before Eloise King, ex- commissioner at Vice, founder of Women on Docs and a talented ?lm maker in her own right, helms the conversation with a group of young ?lm makers, who will convey the excitement and possibility of short-form content online.

The dance workshop for the over 50s, Vogue-Chi (featured in Vital New Voice short ?lms), closes the age gap, combining Vogueing and Tai-Chi to wonderful effect and will be some kind of riot.

Tabitha Denholm, founder of Women Under the Influence, said, “This area at Port Eliot has been an ambition, two years in the making. My mission is to celebrate female-directed cinema in places where people aren’t necessarily expecting it, so the films and artists can inspire and broaden horizons. I can’t think of a better festival than Port Eliot to be the first home of the Cinematheque because, as we know, it is the festival of ideas. I am so excited to present this programme that feels relevant, forward looking, politically aware and, of course, fun.”

Running from July 26-29, Port Eliot Festival takes place on the Port Eliot estate at St Germans. Among the line-up highlights so far: Baxter Dury, Brett Anderson, Gaz Coombes, Gwenno, Hollie McNish, Viv Albertine, Daphne Guinness, Ora Kiely, Reni Eddo-Lodge, Teri Hatcher, Lucy Mangan, Billy Bragg, Garth Jennings, Shappi Khorsandi, Danny Goffey, Boy Azooga, Teleman, Chris Difford, Brian Patten.

Buy tickets at porteliotfestival.com/buy-tickets

Port Eliot is crafted with families in mind, so deep in a secret part of the woods, our younger visitors will be staging the festival of their lives. Wildlings Wood will be a pocket Port Eliot, where children take part, take to the stage and take over.

Workshops will take place from early morning ‘til end of day, offering late-night astronomy walks and talks, wild swimming, axe-throwing and archery, fermental health, a circus school, a bee trail and breathtaking aerial trapeze lessons cast against the backdrop of the ancient House.

This year, the festival will throw open the doors of the Fashion Foundation, a completely new home for fashion and art. Some of the most influential figures in fashion and art, including Daphne Guinness, Orla Kiely, Preen and Rockins, will gather to celebrate the greats of style history and to consider a sustainable

fashion future.

Port Eliot takes its food seriously. From the outset, the festival made beautiful food a big part of the line up, not just a side dish; this year, chefs including Anna Jones, Jack Stein and Russell Norman will make the House’s Georgian Big Kitchen their own and set trends, share techniques and reveal the workings of some of the country’s great kitchens.

The Ace of Clubs will explode with blues, soul, rock & roll, and, this year, flamenco shows, classical music and theatre. Next door, the Park hosts music and comedy, including Arthur Smith, Shappi Khorsandi, Kernow King, Tom Wrigglesworth and Tony Law; and, down by the viaduct, swagger into The Black Cow Saloon for foot stompin’, honky tonkin’, good time music.

Another reason to relish Port Eliot is the opportunity to explore south east Cornwall, an area of the county often ignored by people heading further south west. It’s easy to come and go from Port Eliot, so the beautiful beaches at Whitsand Bay and Downderry and the Rame Head Heritage Coast are all within easy reach.

FESTIVAL INFORMATION

Dates: 26-29 July 2018. Tickets and more information: porteliotfestival.com

Venue: Port Eliot Estate, St Germans, Saltash, Cornwall, PL12 5ND