A LAMPETER man has won at Carmarthen Bay Film Festival with his short film dedicated to the people of Capel Celyn.

Callum Williams from Lampeter has been awarded the prize for the best film in the “No Budget” category at this year’s Carmarthen Bay Film Festival.

The film Sometimes They Remember follows the story of a local MP who is reminded of some of his immoral political decisions and the reality of their effect on people.

“At the time, and even still with the political climate we are in, I felt as though politicians were not taking responsibility for their actions.” Callum told the Cambrian News.

“It all started when a Nigel Farage flyer was posted through my door and it got me thinking,” he added.

To qualify for the ‘no budget’ category a filmmaker is required to produce a film for as little money as possible, Callum said:

“The aim is to make something with as little to no budget as possible, which means being creative with what you have.

“At the time I was working on Hinterland series three and some of the actors were happy to help me on the film for free which was fantastic.

“Overall the total cost of the film was zero pounds, everything we used was what I had to hand.”

The film is dedicated to and centres on the drowning of Capel Celyn. Callum said:

“I live in Lampeter and often I drive to Aberystwyth, which means I see the iconic ‘Cofiwch Drywryn’ wall a lot, which gave me a lot of inspiration.”

In 1965, the village of Capel Celyn in the Tryweryn valley was flooded by order of UK parliament.

The area the village inhabited was of interest to Liverpool City Council, the city at the time was one of the thirstiest in the UK, requiring 65 million gallons of water each day. To meet these demands, the council ordered the creation of a new reservoir in Tryweryn valley, in nearby North Wales.

This plan meant Capel Celyn was on the chopping block. The small village with a population of only 67 was one of the last Welsh-only speaking communities.

Outside of Liverpool’s control, the council would require planning permission from local planning commitees, something they were unlikely to have approved.

To get around this, the council acquired a bill sponsored by the UK parliament, meaning permission was not required. Despite 35 out of 36 Welsh MP’s voting against the bill, plans moved forward.

The drowning of Capel Celyn saw the village flooded, forcing all 67 of the village’s residents to move out of their homes and the local chapel, school, post office and farms were all submerged.

The film, which is dedicated to the village explores the subject through its dark story of a local MP. Callum believes that Welsh stories and cinema should be broadcast in more than just Wales.

“I think there is a vast talent pool in Wales and it’s not really utilised. My intention is to make a film based in Wales for a global audience because Wales deserves to be seen.”