In the aftermath of the London Short Film Festival (LSFF) this January, I sat down with one of its founders, Philip Ilson to speak about what they have achieved. Now coming up to its 20th anniversary festival next year, Ilson has been able to take a look back at what they have achieved over the festival’s lifetime, and consider how this will inform their plans for the future.
Read MoreTISWAS would probably be pulled off the schedule within one episode nowadays. Ahead of Bristol Ideas and Slapstick Festival’s much anticipated TISWAS: The Reunion, at St Georges Bristol on Saturday 16th April, Slapstick Festival and Bristol Ideas director Andrew Kelly shares his memories of TISWAS, and how it sparked a love of comedy that would last a lifetime.
Read MoreBristol Bad Film Club has been ongoing since 2013. Set up by film lover, Ti Singh, each month the club showcases a notoriously bad film (the badder, the better) at Bristol Improv Theatre. With all proceeds going to charity, the film club offers a unique experience - the audience paying a fiver to watch a film about killer bees, a lion mauling Kathy Griffiths or watching Sylvester Stallone’s bodyguard act.
Read MoreFrom skipping school to ride horses to making his acting debut in Clio Barnard’s The Selfish Giant, Shaun Thomas has made name for himself on both the big and small screen. His most recent release is Ali & Ava, a beautiful portrayal of a working-class, modern day love story. His second film with Barnard, Thomas plays Callum, a son to Claire Rushbrooks’ Ava and a young dad himself.
Read MoreAhead of the release of his biopic Rebel Dread, we speak to acclaimed videographer, film-maker and DJ Don Letts. Growing up with the ever-present threat of racism, police harassment and violence in London during the 60s and 70s, Letts found himself at the epicentre of the emerging punk movement in the late 1970s. Don Letts was central to the crossover between the rasta and punk scenes, which created something completely new and exciting which has influenced the sound of UK alternative music ever since.
Read MoreBeginning a career in law, Turkish born Yasmine has many talents. Five years into her law career, she was then scouted for TV and began work as a news reporter before transitioning to acting and now writing. We caught up with her to discuss her new film, Anxious, which is currently making waves on the awards circuit and why putting mental health at the forefront of the film was important to her.
Read MoreSlapstick Festival is Bristol’s very own silent film and visual comedy festival. A cultural, not-for-profit company, Slapstick festival has been held across different venues in Bristol since it’s inception in 2005. The festival has grown and grown with many different events including famous guests and live music accompaniments for each screening.
Read MoreSalome created a platform for up and coming actors to create their own work without any resources and, while at the time of writing, she has recently announced that she will be included in HBO Max Gossip Girl reboot.
Read More“I have so many interesting ideas that I want to pursue after “Behind Closed Doors”. I have so many projects in mind and very eager to put them all to screen! I won’t divulge these new productions just yet! You will have to wait and see...”
Read MoreJennifer James is definitely one to watch. After moving to England for university, she has directed, produced and starred in several short films with her directorial debut (not including the short she did at university) completing post-production in January this year. She’s honest and open about her struggles with mental health and eating disorders and how that has impacted her new film, Physique.
Read MoreJamie Robson is an award-winning European actor whose films have premiered at the likes of TIFF and BFI whilst garnering nominations at festivals including Raindance and Sundance. Not only an actor, Jamie has writing and producing credits under his belt and is seen as one of the pioneers of the British Weird Wave, a new genre of film that many believe is a reaction to Brexit.
Read MoreOwen and George are the writers and creators behind Square, a new Bristol-based drama which follows four young people and deals with themes of mental health, university, sexuality and left-wing activism in the city. We spoke with Owen and George about what their influences are, why they chose to depict left-wing activism in television and why their drama will never be preachy!
Read MoreFrom music videos to documentaries, from short films to spoken-word pieces, Michael Jenkins knows a lot about the film industry. The owner of two production companies in Bristol, one of which he co-owns with Somina Fombo, he works hard to promote untold stories and give a step up to those breaking into the film industry from underrepresented backgrounds.
Read MoreElla is an incredible filmmaker hailing from London. At the age of 19, she has received national praise for her short film, Faulty Roots, which was released this year. A strong mental health advocate, Ella deals with prevalent, but often forgotten about, themes in the majority of her work. We catch up with her to discuss her production company, her other films that are in the pipeline and her film that has just been picked up for a feature!
Read MoreThere is a light at the end of the tunnel in the form of FilmBath, the week-long film festival returns from the 11th - 16th December, showcasing some of the newest, cultural releases.
Read MorePierre Niyongira is already making waves in the film industry; a film graduate from UWE, Pierre is now a freelance filmmaker, creating films around the world. His works shine a light on current affairs as well as the past, intertwining them in order to create important discussions.
Read MoreDuring this time, he was creating the 12x12 project in which he created 12 short films in 12 months…We’ve caught up with him again, three years later, to take a look at the creative process, to see what’s been going on with him and to understand why short films are so important.
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