42 SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL AT THE END OF EVERY FESTIVAL A FILMMAKER IS GIVEN THE CHANCE TO DIRECT THE FOLLOWING YEAR’S RAINDANCE TRAILER. CHRIS PRESSWELL LOOKS AT THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THE CURRENT ONE ‘FILMS TO DIE FOR’
NE OF THE key elements of the Raindance Film Festival every year is the trailer. Each year, the closing night ceremony awards one filmmaker, the winner of the Film Of The Festival Award, the opportunity, and a modest budget of £1000 to make the next year’s trailer with the support of a grant from the Independent Film Trust. To date we’ve seen an eclectic blend of ideas from around the world, from Ostylishly shot Japanese body-popping in Daughter by Kosai Sekine– which saw him win the Grand Prix and Best Non-EU Commercial at Cannes – to Lone Rider, by Australian based Edwin McGill and Kasimir Burgess, winners of the 2007 short Booth. Then last year, Tom Tagholm, after winning
Raindance trailers 2006, 2007, 208 Raindance trailers 2006, 2007, for his short A Bout De Truffe, went on to direct Zombie Love featuring a quirky blossoming romance between a man and a zombie. And so, that’s where Agenda Collective found themselves this time last year having been awarded the prize for Red Sands, a gripping documentary on bullfighting and Spanish tradition. Given complete creative control over the project, they were told they could be as ambitious and audacious
Opposite, from top as they liked.
SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 43 Dexter trailer Fletcher in the Raindance 2009
In search of a lead actor and with the shoot fast approaching, the role of casting was granted to Raindance’s Rory O’Donnell. For the most part, this took nearly as long as the pre-production, after weeks of phone calls, nearly 40 rejections, and only two days before the shoot he secured Dexter Fletcher, well known for his staunch support of independent film. Then, only weeks prior the festival, the Cinema Advertising Agency banned the trailer, describing it as having brought ‘advertising into disrepute’, that ‘the phrase “to die for” as an expression of praise and approbation is a verbal metaphor, but it has never been taken to convey the literal meaning: “something worth committing suicide over”’ and that the use of shocking (suicide) images were ‘merely to attract attention… reminiscent of the apocryphal snuff movie’. This came as a blow to all those who had offered numerous favours for the project. It’s the first time Raindance have had to deal with this kind of problem – despite having had the boundaries pushed in previous efforts. Tom Tagholm’s trailer included a shot of the love interest’s head falling off and squirting blood. There were no complaints. But everybody involved appears to have taken the ruling in his or her stride. ‘In the long run, they’ll [the crew] all get more exposure from it being banned.’ And just how far did that £1,000 prize money go? ‘It didn’t even cover the insurance,’ says the director David Procter. ‘If this project had been realised commercially, the budget would have been at least £100,00,’ he adds, before divulging that the day before the shoot, the crew still hadn’t confirmed a location, ‘It was like our own Lost in La Mancha, but with a happy ending.’
44 SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL C
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FIRST: COMING SOON... THE BESTSELLING THE BESTSELLING AUTOBIOGRAPHY AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL MOVIE
An ordinary man is completely incapacitated in a car crash. He has many injuries and even looses his speech. He is stigmatized and labelled a drunk, but refuses to accept the cruel hand he has been dealt - he fights back against a prejudiced society, and rebuilds his shattered life and, with amazing success, becomes a successful author and indie filmmaker.
It is an inspiring account of a man’s refusal to be destroyed by an accident which shattered his body, distorted his sight, blanked his memory and all but obliterated his capacity for speech... It is also the story of a man’s self-belief and persistence in the face of constant misunderstanding, humiliation and even insult... David Evans University of Liverpool
He has the strength and determination of ten men An incredible story Emma Thompson Esther Rantzen
Buy or order the book at Buy the movie at... Borders Books stores Give me a chance to make it! It’s in pre-production!
IN 1984, CULT SINGER-SONGWRITER AND FORMER SOFT BOYS FRONTMAN ROBYN HITCHCOCK RELEASED HIS SEMINAL ALBUM, I OFTEN DREAM OF TRAINS. CHRIS PRESSWELL CATCHES UP WITH HIM 25 YEARS LATER AS HE CELEBRATES THE ALBUM ON THE ROAD, DOCUMENTING THE PROCESS WITH A NEW CONCERT FILM
How did the idea to revisit I Often Dream of Trains first emerge? It was my wife’s idea, actually. A lot of people do their old records, like Roger Waters did Dark Side of the Moon and Lou Reed does Berlin. If The Beatles were still around, they’d be doing Sgt Pepper. So Michelle said, ‘why don’t you do I Often Dream of Trains? That’s your…’ Well, not exactly concept album, but every so often people do a mood album. Things like Avalon by Roxy Music, maybe The Plastic Ono Band by John Lennon; they’re more than a collection of songs, they’re a state of mind – and my contribution to that is probably the Trains record. That seems to be the one that people pick up on, and it had just been re-released so I thought, ‘Why not? Let’s have a go.’
And how did the film come about? I met John Edginton when he did his Syd Barrett documentary. The Barrett story is told in many different ways – sometimes it sounds funny, but his version just seemed overwhelmingly sad. And then he made Sex, Food, Death and Insects about me – which he did a very simpatico job on – and we thought, ‘let’s film the Trains show.’ He’s always wanted to film me live and acoustic, so he was the natural choice.
SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 49 You chose to alter the album’s track listing when performing it live. What inspired those changes, and how did the audience accept it? There were some songs that I didn’t really connect with anymore, but it also made sense to have my piano playing at the beginning. There’s not a lot of that virtuoso swapping stuff – we made it as simple as possible. But that’s an interesting point. If you have a huge audience, you mess with these things at your peril. But my audience are much more boutique. They tend to be quite forgiving about the way I mutate.
The album favours nostalgia over the psychedelic and surrealist imagery that you’re known for. Why do you think that it’s resonated with people? It’s not that different. I was probably a bit too brutal when I was in the Soft Boys to produce anything with very much tenderness or introspection. It caught up with me when I was approaching 30, so I went straight into a kind of early menopause. All my leaves turned gold and began to fall off, and I think it was my kind of adolescence. I got it back to front.
Recently you’ve been playing acoustic versions of some of the Soft Boys and Egyptians material, more in line with the sound on Trains. How do you choose what to revisit? Some of those songs were actually written in that period. Goodnight I Say was originally part of the Trains collection, but wasn’t recorded until The Egyptians got going with that very different approach. But I wrote it the same week I wrote Cathedral. In concept it’s part of that cycle.
You recently appeared in Rachel Getting Married, which is perhaps what you’re most known for at the moment Jonathan [Demme, director] thinks a lot about how to incorporate music into soundtracks, and got me involved because he wanted all the music to be live. He got me to sing America after the wedding – again, a really different arrangement. I’m really pleased with that. That was all one take; I don’t think we even had a run through.
Does your emotional wellbeing have an impact on the quality of your material? I think a certain amount of trauma is stimulating, but sometimes you might be going back to something from twenty years ago. It doesn’t have to be something that’s happened that day all around you; you can just go back to when it hurt, perhaps if you didn’t acknowledge it at the time. You don’t have to have a divorce every time you make a good record.
You’re in the process of re-issuing your back catalogue. What’s next in the pipeline? The only thing we’ve got left to release is the Soft Boys box set, and that’s supposed to be happening sometime next year. It’s just a matter of corralling the tapes, and baking them in a kind of pizza oven. I’m also putting out another album with the Venus 3 called Propeller Time. As documented in John’s documentary, in fact. But I’m thinking it might be my last compact disc. I’d like to try having everything downloadable. Perhaps a single every few months, and occasionally put out vinyl anthologies. But I want to see who goes first, me or the CD [laughs].
Is there anything else you’d like to achieve with your career that you haven’t already? Equilibrium, levitation, time-travel. Just the small stuff, really. I’d be thrilled.
Robyn Hitchcock – I Often Dream of Trains screens at 2pm on Saturday 3 October at the Apollo Cinema
50 SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
FESTIVAL LAUNCH PARTY WEDNESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER AT 9PM Following our opening night film Humpday at the Apollo Cinema, all ticket-holders are invited along to our exclusive after-party. Come and have a few complimentary drinks and party with fellow enthusiasts. Tickets are £25. Pass-holders get free admission if they have confirmed and collected their tickets in advance.
BREAKING ROCKS SCREENING + GIG THURSDAY 1 OCTOBER AT 6:30PM / PROUD GALLERIES CAMDEN This inspiring documentary tells the story of Jail Guitar Doors, Billy Bragg’s independent initiative which aims to provide instruments to prison inmates using music to achieve rehabillitation. The screening is followed by a gig featuring Billy Bragg, Get Cape Wear Cape Fly, Mick Jones (The Clash), Wayne Kramer (MC5), Chris Shiflett (Foo Fighters) and the JGD Graduates. Tickets are £15 only from www.seetickets.com
BILLY CHILDISH – LIVE! FRIDAY 2 OCTOBER AT 7PM / RAINDANCE FILM CAFÉ In 2005 Raindance screened the acclaimed documentary Billy Childish is Dead. This year, Billy Childish is a festival juror and will be launching the Raindance Film Café, performing live with his band The Musicians of the British Empire. A cult figure in America, Europe and Japan, Billy Childish is by far the most prolific painter, poet, and songwriter of his generation. In a twenty-year period he has published over 40 collections of his poetry, recorded over 100 full-length independent LP’s and produced over 2000 paintings. Tickets are £8 or free to festival passholders.
FILMMAKERS NETWORKING DRINKS FRIDAY 2 OCTOBER AT 10PM / RAINDANCE FILM CAFÉ Join us for late evening drinks, music and visuals. Free admission.
BILL MARTELL: GUERILLA MARKETING YOUR SCRIPT SATURDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 1PM / RAINDANCE FILM CAFÉ No agent? No problem! How to make your own connections, find producers interested in your script, get readings and studio meetings, and how to sell without an agent or manager. Should you make your own posters? Your own trailers? Post your scripts online? Sleep your way to the top? To the middle? Instructor Bill Martell has sold over 30 scripts (most to studios) without an agent, 19 were filmed. You don’t need an agent to sell, just a great script. Free admission.
52 SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL DIGITAL DEMOCRACY SEMINAR – MAKING CROSS PLATFORM PROJECTS WORK SATURDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 12:30PM / APOLLO CINEMA Quark Films are a leading independent cross platform production company with digitally driven films such as The People vs George Lucas, and are currently pushing the boundaries of how film and TV can harness digital technologies to tell more powerful stories. Panel chair, Quark Co-founder Anna Higgs was part of the winning team in Sheffield Doc/Fest’s first Crossover Pitch prize in 2007, and has since gone on to develop several innovative projects. The panel will discuss ways to use social media and other digital platforms to develop, make and distribute creative content that engages audiences on multiple levels. Also on the panel: Gavin Humphries (Quark Films), Tim Morgan (CEO, Mint Digital), Utku Can Akyuz (product manager, Mint Digital)
LOW BUDGET MAKEUP WORKSHOP SATURDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 3PM / RAINDANCE FILM CAFÉ Marc Price (director), Michelle Webb (head of make-up) and Justin Hayles (producer / assistant make-up) talk about the techniques and secrets used on Colin. Free admission
THE MAKING OF COLIN SATURDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 5PM / RAINDANCE FILM CAFÉ Marc Price – writer, director, producer, cameraman, sound designer, editor, grader, and zombie extra; Leigh Crocombe – practical special fx and various zombies and humans; Alastair Kirton, lead actor; and Helen Grace who has spearheaded the international sales and distribution of the film discuss the behind the scenes A-Z of this micro-budget success. Free admission
CHINESE NIGHT – NEW PANTS LIVE! & DJ ZOE BAXTER SATURDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 7PM / RAINDANCE FILM CAFÉ To celebrate the Chinese films screening at Raindance, we are proud to present, direct from China, an evening with New Pants, the new wave group fronted by Panda Candy’s director Peng Lei. New Pants are among the brightest, most original and adventurous artists performing in China today. Formed in 1997 in Beijing, New Pants are distinguished by their eclectic Retro taste and have been on the forefront of new music in China since their formation. The performance will be preceded by a DJ set by Zoe Baxter. Tickets are £8 or free to festival passholders.
FILMMAKERS NETWORKING DRINKS SATURDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 10PM / RAINDANCE FILM CAFÉ Join us for late evening drinks, music and visuals. Free admission.
SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 53 COLIN AFTER-PARTY SATURDAY 3 OCTOBER AT MIDNIGHT / APOLLO CINEMA Join us for an after-party at the Apollo Cinema following the screening of Colin. Free admission.
BILL MARTELL: YOUR IDEA MACHINE SUNDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 12PM / APOLLO CINEMA How to find and develop ideas that Hollywood is looking for. Is this idea something you are passionate about? A great script with a dull idea is a dull script. Learn tools like Magnification, Flipping, Substitution, Cousins, Word Association, why High Concept is your concept, finding your personal themes in high concept ideas.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF MY Y-FRONTS + HUGH METCALFE & PENNY RIMBAUD – LIVE! SUNDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 4PM / APOLLO CINEMA Hugh Metcalfe (I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here), Penny Rimbaud (Strictly Come Dancing) and Tony Barber (X Factor) extemporise live over the super-8mm projection of Hugh’s new film. Also screening are new music videos by A-Soma (Draps Bruts) and Earth Culture (Follow the Truth) as well as Mick Duffields’s recently refound 8mm footage of performance pieces by Exit, dating from the early ’70s and featuring Penny Rimbaud and Gee Vaucher.
ATTILA THE STOCKBROKER & SCRAPPY HOOD FROM MILK KAN – LIVE! SUNDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 7:30PM / APOLLO CINEMA To celebrate the world premiere of All the Years of Trying – a doc about thecult ‘punk poet’ and acoustic artist Patrik Fitzgerald, Raindance welcomes two of the acoustic stars who feature in the film for a pre-screening performance in the Apollo bar. Attila the Stockbroker is know for his sharp-tongued, high energy, social surrealist rebel poetry and song writing. He is topical, hard-hitting and politically unashamedly radical and Attila will make you roar with laughter as well as seethe with anger. Scrappy Hood is the lead singer of blaggers, chancers, punks and urban poets Milk Kan who began as a two piece band back at the end of 2003, as Scrappy Hood and Jimmy Blade picked up their mothers’ guitars and busked to the capitol’s trains, tubes and very late night buses.
PLUG & PLAY MONDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 3PM / RAINDANCE FILM CAFÉ Your chance to screen your work. Play anything from short films, video art, short docs, live vj session etc. Free admission.
54 SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL LIVE! AMMUNITION! MONDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 6:30PM / RAINDANCE FILM CAFÉ Raindance’s pitching event is your chance to pitch your film idea directly to a panel of top film executives, the people who buy scripts and who decide what gets made. Past panellists include: Ewan McGregor, Sally Caplan (Film Council Premiere Fund), Matthew Vaughan (Stardust, Layer Cake), Sarah Radclyffe (Founder Working Title) and Tracey Schoffield (BBC Films). The 51st State and Meet the Parents are among the films to have begun with a pitch at Live Ammo. Tickets are £8 or free to festival passholders and members of Raindance.
LIVE! AMMUNITION! AFTER PARTY MONDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 8:30PM / RAINDANCE FILM CAFÉ Some say the most important tool in the film industry is not a camera, but a corkscrew. Live! Ammunition! helped the people behind The 51st State and Meet The Parents launch their film careers, when their film idea was picked up by executives on the panel or in the audience when they pitched their concept. They met at the bar afterwards. Free admission.
FILMMAKERS NETWORKING DRINKS MONDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 10PM / RAINDANCE FILM CAFÉ Join us for late evening drinks, music and visuals. Free admission.
BILL MARTELL: MORE SEX AND VIOLENCE TUESDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 1PM / RAINDANCE FILM CAFÉ Discover how to design an exciting action sequence, integrate action and character, create a high concept villain’s plan, write hot love scenes without resorting to porn. Learn to use diversion and anticipation to make your script unpredictable, and create great heroes and villains. William C Martell, a much-produced screenwriter, asks the tough questions: How much violence is too much? How much is not enough? How to write the hot sex scene that has readers stand up and cover their laps. Free admission.
PLUG & PLAY TUESDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 3PM / RAINDANCE FILM CAFÉ Your chance to screen your work. Play anything from short films, video art, short docs, live vj session etc. Free admission.
JAPANESE PARTY TUESDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 7PM / RAINDANCE FILM CAFÉ Q&A with Momoko Ando, festival juror and director of A Piece Of Our Life – Kakera. Followed by an evening with special guest performances. Tickets are £8 or free to festival passholders
SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 55 ALEXANDER MACKENDRICK MEMORIAL LECTURE TUESDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 8PM / APOLLO CINEMA In memory of the great British film director, the Alexander Mackendrick Memorial Lecture returns to Raindance. This year, acclaimed director Terence Davies, whose films include The Long Day Closes, The Neon Bible and The House of Mirth, discusses his directing career, his cinematic influences, and his thoughts on the craft of directing. The Alexander Mackendrick Memorial Lecture was created by Raindance in 2000 as a cinematic masterclass, in reflection of Mackendrick’s career both as a director and subsequently as the Dean of the Film School at the California Institute of the Arts, where his methods revolutionised filmmaking education. Previous participants include Stephen Frears, Kevin Macdonald, Shekhar Kapur, Nicolas Roeg, Venessa Redgrave and Terry Jones. The Lecture will be followed by a screening of Terence Davies’ BIFA and BAFTA nominated Of Time and the City.
FILMMAKERS NETWORKING DRINKS TUESDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 10PM / RAINDANCE FILM CAFÉ Join us for late evening drinks, music and visuals. Free admission.
BILL MARTELL: MAKING A SCENE WEDNESDAY 7 OCTOBER AT 1PM / RAINDANCE FILM CAFÉ Martell will demonstrate how to create unusual, unpredictable, and original scenes. This technique-based class shows you how to create great scenes. See how using conflict and suspense creates dramatic situations. Learn a dozen ways to create new scenes. Discover how transitions get you from scene to scene and identify a scene’s DNA. Free admission.
CTRL.ALT.SHIFT PARTY WEDNESDAY 7 OCTOBER AT 7PM / RAINDANCE FILM CAFÉ Ctrl.Alt.Shift hosts a special event showcasing 5 short films, followed by a filmmaker Q&A and panel discussion with Fern Berresford (Man Made), Ben Newman (War School), Andy Noble (Warp Films), Heydon Prowse (Don’t Panic) and Chantelle Fiddy (Ctrl.Alt.Shift). The panel will be followed by a party with a DJ Set by Matchstick (Warner Music) and a Live Acoustic Performance by MPHO. Ctrl.Alt.Shift is an experimental youth initiative politicising a new generation of activists for social justice. Using the creative mediums of photography, film, stories, illustrations and music, it highlights issues of global development to bring about change, please see www.ctrlaltshift.co.uk for more information. Tickets are £5 or free to festival passholders.
56 SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL RAINDANCE RETROSPECTIVE – BLAIR WITCH PROJECT SUNDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 10PM / APOLLO CINEMA The Blair Witch Project had its UK premiere at Raindance ten years ago and became one of the biggest indie hits of the last decade, proof that it doesn’t take a blockbuster budget to make a truly terrifying horror film. As brilliantly constructed as it was innovative, it continues to inspire filmmakers to this day, so it’s with great pride it returns as this year’s Retrospective Screening.
UNTIL THE LIGHT TAKES US – AFTERPARTY WEDS 7 OCT AT 8:30PM / THE INTREPID FOX, 15 ST GILES HIGH STREET, WC2 The UK Premiere of black metal documentary Until The Light Takes Us will be followed by an after party sponsored by Terrorizer, featuring DJs Rockwell, Skill Wizard and other special guests. Free admission.
FILMMAKERS NETWORKING DRINKS WEDNESDAY 7 OCTOBER AT 10PM / RAINDANCE FILM CAFÉ Join us for late evening drinks, music and visuals. Free admission.
THEY CALL IT ACID – AFTERPARTY WEDNESDAY 7 OCTOBER AT 11PM / CENTRO, 18 WEST CENTRAL ST, WC1 They Call It Acid documents the music which captivated a whole generation. Its world premiere will be followed by an afterparty sponsored by Centro and featuring DJs Evil Eddie Richards, Trevor Fung, Jazzy M, Noel Watson, MC E-Mix. Free admission to festival passholders or They Call It Acid cinema ticket holders.
BILL MARTELL: STRUCTURAL FREAKS THURSDAY 8 OCTOBER AT 1PM / RAINDANCE FILM CAFÉ William Goldman says ‘structure is everything’. Do you understand structure? Is your script running out of steam halfway through? Exploring different methods of structuring your screenplay – alternatives to the three-act structure like the Navajo Story Circle, Tag Teams, Strange Chronologies, and more. Free admission
MEET THE SALES AGENTS – PANEL DISCUSSION THURSDAY 8 OCTOBER AT 6PM / RAINDANCE FILM CAFÉ Learn from some of the UK’s leading Sales Agents what it takes to get your film picked up by an agent, how to package and how to deliver your film. The panel will be hosted by Elliot Grove. Free admission.
FILMMAKERS NETWORKING DRINKS THURSDAY 8 OCTOBER AT 10PM / RAINDANCE FILM CAFÉ Join us for late evening drinks, music and visuals. Free admission.
SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 57 CLOSING NIGHT AT THE RAINDANCE FILM CAFE £8 – ONE TICKET ALL ACTS [FREE TO PASSHOLDERS]
1/ Stephen Duffy and the Lilac Time – Live! FRIDAY 9 OCTOBER AT 5PM Stephen Duffy is a British singer-songwriter and multi- instrumentalist and was a founding member and vocalist-bassist with Duran Duran. He has had an impressive solo recording career under several different names and e has co-written with Robbie Williams and Stephen Page of Barenaked Ladies. 2/ The Ralfe Band – Live! FRIDAY 9 OCTOBER AT 6PM The Ralfe Band was started by songwriter, actor, director Oly Ralfe (Journey of the Childmen – The Mighty Boosh On Tour) and drummer Andrew Mitchell. Their debut album Swords was released in the UK in 2005 by Skint Records.
FILMMAKERS NETWORKING DRINKS FRIDAY 9 OCTOBER AT 10PM / RAINDANCE FILM CAFÉ Join us for late evening drinks, music and visuals. Free admission.
MUSIC AND FILM PANEL SATURDAY 10 OCTOBER AT 12PM / APOLLO CINEMA Leading composers and filmmakers will be discussing the importance of a score to a film, how this is tailored, the steps it takes to produce it and the all important collaboration between the filmmaker, composer and musician.
RADAR MUSIC VIDEO PANEL SATURDAY 10 OCTOBER AT 2PM / APOLLO CINEMA RadarMusicVideos.com is a community of artists, labels and music video directors. With over 2000 registered members, DIY artists, indie and major labels worldwide use the site to commission hugely popular and successful music videos. . Chaired by Caroline Bottomley, founder and director of Radar, the panel will discuss how directors came up with ideas and presented their treatments and the practical aspects of prepping, shooting and post on very low budget.
CLOSING NIGHT PARTY SUNDAY 11 OCTOBER AT 9PM Following our closing night film The Girlfirend Experience all ticket-holders are invited along to our afterparty. Come and have a few complimentary drinks and party with fellow enthusiasts. Tickets are £25. Pass-holders get free admission if they have confirmed and collected their tickets in advance.
58 SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 39 AT THE FOOT OF A TREE MONDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 5:30PM
Debut filmmaker Ricky Shane Reid, was born and raised in Colchester where he had always wondered why this historic town had never been used as a movie setting. Now employed as a schoolteacher in The Bronx, Ricky Shane conceived At the Foot of a Tree with producer partner Kelly Jo Reid. The film was shot in a hectic two weeks with a four-man crew. The superb director of photography Richard J Wood has crafted a film of outstanding visual beauty that belies the shoestring budget. The sound recording by Grant Bridgeman is also notable for its clarity and subtlety. The story takes on elements of clan warfare form the historic era when Colchester was founded. Alfie is an 11-year-old boy who exacts his bloody revenge on his own relatives for badly beating his father. When Alfie’s family discover the bloody truth, they hatch a plan to conceal him – a plan that Alfie disregards as he comes to face the consequences of his horrible deed. The film is a complex and emotive character study of a family in meltdown, in particular of Alfie – played brilliantly by the director’s own brother, Reece Reid. Another highlight of this unique debut is the music, and NYC-based Doro Tachler of My Favourite contribute an outstanding score. EG
Country UK Running Time 84 mins Format Mini DV Director/Screenplay Ricky Shane Reid Producers Kelly Jo Reid, Ricky Shane Reid DoP Richard J Wood Cast Anna Blades, Kelly Jo Reid, Reece Reid Print Source Ricky Shane Reid Email [email protected] Website www.atfoat.com
60 SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL BOMBER THURSDAY 1 OCTOBER AT 7:15PM + FRIDAY 2 OCTOBER AT 1:15PM
Ross (Shane Taylor) is desperately trying to regain the trust of his girlfriend, Leslie, when he finds himself on an unexpected road trip through Europe with his aging parents. Furious when circumstances force him to drive them abroad, he imposes strict rules for the trip – Dad (Benjamin Whitrow, Quadrophenia) is abruptly consigned to the back seat and Ross warns that they will only stay for a maximum of ten waking hours. But all that goes out the window when Leslie dumps him over the phone and Ross finds himself temporarily plunged back to a childlike state. Part coming of (old) age, part family drama, this is a funny and bittersweet road movie. Featured are stand out performances from veteran actors Benjamin Withrow to Eileen Nicholas (Trainspotting) who are never less than perfect as Ross’ parents. Director, Paul Cotter also managed to pull Shane Taylor out of an early acting retirement for this delicate comedy. Shot on a shoestring budget with just three professional actors, one of the directors’ main expenses was the rental of two houses during the shoot. Here, Cotter demonstrates a real flair for directing comedy. One of the additional highlights of the film is an exceptional original soundtrack by hip indie rocker, Stephen Coates, frontman for British band, The Real Tuesday Weld. SB
Country UK Running Time 84 mins Format HD Director/Screenplay Paul Cotter Producers Maureen Ryan, Paul Cotter DoP Rick Siegel Cast Shane Taylor, Benjamin Whitrow, Eileen Nicholas Print Source Maureen Ryan Email [email protected] Website www.bomberthemovie.com
SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 61 BORGES AND I SUNDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 6:30PM
Tim is an out-of-work actor, paying the bills with a surveillance job for an insurance company and investigating false claimants. In an attempt to decipher the reasons for his failing acting career, he begins secretly filming his life and conversations in an experiment to see if he can control what other people think of him through analyzing the footage and he becomes addicted to the sensation of filming others without their knowledge. But in the build up to a major audition that could kick-start his career, Tim begins alienating the people around him, and before long he is faced with a major dilemma – either continue being a spectator of his own life, or start being an active participant in it. Shot entirely with a concealed buttonhole camera, Borges and I successfully blurs the borders of reality, making it difficult to distinguish between what’s real and what isn’t. Tim may be providing an insightful look into his slightly deranged mind, or could be an elaborate character designed to make the audience feel uncomfortable as he follows his idea through. It’s a truly original concept that will leave you second-guessing your way to the end, taking you on an intriguing and genuinely unique journey. CP
Country UK Running Time 74 mins Format 35mm Directors/Producers Emily Harris, Yoni Bentovim S’play Chris McColl DoPs Tim Harris, Yoni Bentovim Cast Tim Harris, Angus Lindsay, Sally Scott P/S Indivision Films E [email protected] Website www.indivisionfilms.com
62 SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL COLIN SATURDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 9:45PM + SUNDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 12:15PM
Young Londoner Colin is bitten by a zombie, and transforms into one. As he is followed around London searching to feed on the living, London has become a post-apocalyptic city, and though the slow zombies seem to have taken over, there seems to be some resistance. In the meanwhile Colin’s sister and friends try tracking him down, in the hope they may be able to revive him. Shot for only £45, Colin is unique to the zombie horror sub- genre, because the central character is himself a zombie. We still empathise with him, in part because we have seen his transformation. Director Marc Price has a flair for the original, and while he gives clues about what happened to cause the situation, the audience is engrossed in piecing things together. Price has also included little dialogue, keeping viewers involved with the action, which ranges from graphic through suspenseful to sullen. There is a surprising level of realism for a zombie film, in large part due to the camera style, but owes a lot to the actors’ work. Alastair Kirton, as Colin, always rings true, and the supporting cast play the horror with deadly accuracy. The film has a chilling atmosphere, backed up by the original music of Jack Elphick and Dan Weekes. Picked up in Cannes, Colin has become an international sensation. JG
Country UK Running Time 97 mins Format Mini DV Director/Screenplay/DoP Marc Price Producers Marc Price, Justin Hayles Principal Cast Alastair Kirton, Daisy Aitkens, Leanne Pammen Print Source Kaleidoscope Entertainment E [email protected] W www.colinmovie.com
SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 63 THE CRY OF THE OWL FRIDAY 9 OCTOBER AT 6:30PM + SATURDAY 10 OCTOBER AT 2:45PM
Robert Forrester (Paddy Considine) has just moved from the city to small town suburbia to escape the pain of a bitter impending divorce from his tempestuous wife, Nickie Grace. He keeps a low profile in his new job, but somehow he can’t fight a strong compulsion to drive out to an isolated house in the woods and lurk outside and spy on the young woman inside, Jenny Thierolf (Julia Stiles) as she makes dinner and washes up. But one night she catches sight of him and comes out of the house to confront him. While she is initially fearful, his utter vulnerability draws her closer and in a surprise move, the tables are turned and Jenny begins stalking him. Based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith, director Jamie Thraves skilfully draws all the elements together in this tightly focused character study of one man’s struggle to stay sane. Paddy Considine turns in a riveting and totally believable performance as he inhabits the character of Robert Forrester in a way that perfectly captures the characters struggle to overcome his darkest nature and engage in a so-called normal life. Stiles is quirky and charismatic as the beautiful but flawed Jenny who believes that Robert has entered her life for a specific reason.SB
Country UK/Canada/Germany Running Time 99 mins Format 35mm Director Jamie Thraves Producers Antoine De Clermont-Tonnerre, Jennifer Kawaja Screenplay Jamie Thraves, Patricia Highsmith DoP Luc Montpellier Cast Julia Stiles, Paddy Considine Print Source Jacqui Barr Email [email protected]
64 SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL CRYING WITH LAUGHTER MONDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 7:45PM + TUESDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 3PM
Justin Molotnikov’s debut feature, a frenetic thriller based in Edinburgh, is about a cocaine snorting stand-up comic on the verge of his first big break, who tangles with an ex-classmate. McCole plays Joey Frisk, a boozy, pill popping Edinburgh stand-up comedian with an angry ex-wife and six-year-old daughter. He despises his landlord, and Frisk’s life veers out of control, a situation not helped by the fact he rips apart any AN ODE TO MODERN DEMOCRACY friends when he is onstage. AND THE HAIRDRESSER He bumps into old schoolfriend, Frank (Shields), who reminds UK 6mins Super 16mm Director Matt Frisk that he ended up in borstal (a UK cross between prison a Strachan Producer Gemma Mitchell Screenplay Daniel Hesford DoP Toby nd school) for a schoolboy prank. A series of blunders later, Frisk Gorman Cast Holly Horner, Gerard wakes up in bed in a threesome. His day goes from bad to worse McDermott Print Source Gemma when he gets kicked out of his flat. Homeless, with nowhere Mitchell Email [email protected] W www.theroom.org.uk/hairdresser to turn, Frisk ends up at Frank’s expensive inherited house, where the game begins. Sociopath Frank blackmails and manipulates A hairdresser’s mind wanders as she trims Downing Street fringe and imagines Frisk, holding Frisk’s daughter and wife in a powerful ending the consequences of an assassination involving brutal and violent torture. attempt using only hair salon essentials. Made with an assurance that belies the film’s limited budget, the cast, director and crew will have a terrific calling card, with McCole in particular certain to draw rave reviews for his stunning performance as Frisk. EG
Country UK Running Time 93 mins Format 35mm Director/Screenplay Justin Molotnikov Producer Alastair Clark, Claire Mundell, Rachel Robey DoP Martin Radich Cast Stephen McCole, Andrew Neil, Malcolm Shields Print Source Alastair Clark Email [email protected] www.cryingwithlaughter.co.uk
SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 65 DESIRE THURSDAY 8 OCTOBER AT 7PM
Agoraphobic writer Ralph (Oscar Pearce) is struggling to finish his screenplay. Trapped indoors, deserted of inspiration and feeling emasculated by the success of his fiesty actress wife Pheobe (Daisy Smith), his reputation and his family slowly crumbles around him. As his screenplay deadline looms near, he hires Néné (Tella Kpomahou), a young student from Paris, to look after the distracting children. LUCKY QUID
Beautiful and mysterious, Néné’s presence opens a Pandora’s UK 6 mins DigiBeta Director/ Box of frustrations and unfulfilled sexual desires for both Ralph Producer/Screenplay Andy Jenkins and Phoebe. But this ménage à trois of self-exploration, desire DoP Simon Temple Cast Chris Fairbank, Julian Lamoral-Roberts, Keo Saunders and passion comes at a cost. The boundaries start to blur and Print Source Andy Jenkins Email it is uncertain whether this is life imitating art or who Néné really [email protected] wants, the husband or the wife. A dirty young homeless boy searches Desire is the latest feature from award-winning writer and endlessly for food on London streets. director Gareth Jones, (Brass, Shalom Salaam) based on his He is pushed around and beaten down by society until one day he finds a shiny highly personal screenplay. This steamy and sexual psychodrama gold coin that fulfills his hearts desires is an exploration of the relationship between sexual desire and forever. creativity, how one can ignite and drive the other. Shot entirely in the confines of a London home with a theatre-trained cast, the film captures the intensity of emotions and erotic desires in the unravelling of a seemingly stable married couple. SD
Country UK Running Time 91 mins Format HD Red Director/Screenplay Gareth Jones Producer Fiona Howe DoP Alex Ryle Cast Adam Slynn, Daisy Smith, Oscar Pearce Print Source Fiona Howe Email [email protected]
66 SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL DOWN TERRACE FRIDAY 2 OCTOBER AT 9:15PM + WEDNESDAY 7 OCTOBER AT 1:45PM
Bill and Karl are fresh out of jail for an unspecified crime but they’re no less obsessed with figuring out who snitched on them in the first place. Meanwhile Karl’s partner seems like your average housewife but there’s something about her that suggests she may have had a hand in it. It soon becomes evident that this ordinary terraced house is packed to the rafters with gangsters. Amongst others, we meet despised family ‘friend’ Garvey (Tony MAMA
Way) alongside Pringle (Michael Smiley), a hit man who takes Spain 4 mins 35mm Director Andy his toddler along on jobs, in addition to Karl’s pregnant girlfriend Muschietti Producer Bárbara Muschietti (Kali Peacock) and a nasty piece of work named Eric (David Screenplay Andy Muschietti DoP Sebastian Sarraute Cast Berta Ros, Schaal). Paranoia reigns supreme in this house, where everyone Irma Monroig, Victoria Harris Email is suspicious of everyone else. [email protected] Down Terrace marks the directorial debut of Ben Wheatley One morning Victoria is waken up by who started out as a short filmmaker and animator and who her desperate sister Lily who urges her is best known here as a TV comedy writer. to leave the house. Somebody is back and is waiting for them in a dark corner In Down Terrace he expertly juggles a cast comprised of both of the house. professionals and non actors alike to achieve a naturalistic slice of life that has more than a hint of Ken Loach flavour. Combine that with the crime shenanigans of the household which suggest a British Sopranos and you have a uniquely hilarious romp through gangland crime. SB
Country UK Running Time 89 mins Format HD Red Director Ben Wheatley Producers Andy Starke, Ben Wheatley, Robin Hill Screenplay Ben Wheatley, Robin Hill DoP Laurie Rose Cast Robin Hill, Julia Deakin, David Schaal Print Source Andrew Starke Email [email protected] W www.downterrace.blogspot.com
SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 67 EXAM SATURDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 7:15PM + SATURDAY 10 OCTOBER AT MIDDAY
Updating a classic Lord of the Flies scenario to the modern world, Exam places eight job applicants inside an examination room with only an armed guard and a clear set of rules for company. They turn their examination sheets over only to find a blank piece of paper, and for eighty real-time minutes we watch eight desperate egos fighting for an unknown answer to an unknown question. Discovering that they are allowed to communicate with each SWIPE other, the group discuss whether to work together or alone. UK 3mins 35mm Director/Screenplay Eventually giving up on searching for the question, they turn on Max Blustin Producers Max Blustin, each other, resorting to torture, bondage and deceit and each David Campbell-Bell DoP Peter Robertson Cast Lauren Shein, Daniel fight desperately to get the others disqualified. Mendoza Print Source Max Blustin This is an impressive debut. As a chamber piece, the direction Email [email protected] is necessarily theatrical. However, splashy cinematography and A lazy young man asks his girlfriend intelligent production design maintain a cinematic aesthetic with if he can borrow some money. When the dynamic camerawork places each of us inside the room. she refuses, he resorts to other means. The script is smartly self aware as it explores themes of group psychology and racial prejudice. But Hazeldine uses the wider context of unemployment, global pandemic and constant surveillance to resonate further with his audience. Couple this with a dangerous awareness of pace and dramatic tension, and we have an auteur worth watching out for. MS
Country UK RT 96 mins Format 35mm Director/S’play Stuart Hazeldine Producer Stuart Hazeldine, Gareth Unwin DoP Tim Wooster Cast Jimi Mistry, Luke Mably, Colin Salmon P/S Sarah Townsend E [email protected]
68 SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL MILES AWAY FRIDAY 9 OCTOBER AT 9:15PM
It’s 1987, BSE spreads across the country, a mystical ‘Harmonic Convergence’ is predicted and two bagmen travel to the country to bury their loot and lay low for a while. What transpires blurs every line of reality, character and narrative. Brendan McNamee’s first feature looks like its going to be another ‘brit-gangster’ movie as two men in suits dig a hole for their ill-gotten gains; but soon McNamee takes the surreal bull by the horns and sends Gill and Rokit on a seemingly unstoppable journey to their ultimate destinies. Drums, bulls, Greek theatre, a Star wars quilt, a smoking rabbit and milk, lots and lots of milk. Maybe if David Lynch had remade The Wicker Man it would have looked something like this. McNamee makes experimental and stylistic choices with sound and camera throughout, sometimes music takes precedence over dialogue; sometimes the timeframe of the film is disjointed by stylistic edits and panning camera shots. This is a gripping debut that is bound to keep you guessing what happens next. AStJ
Country UK Running Time 82 mins Format HD, Super 16mm Director/Producer/ Screenplay Brendan McNamee DoP Michael O’Halloran Cast Bryan Larkin, Zoe Thorne Print Source Brendan McNamee Email [email protected]
SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 69 RESURRECTING THE STREET WALKER WEDNESDAY 7 OCTOBER AT 6:15PM +THURSDAY 8 OCTOBER AT 2:30PM
James is a twenty-something wannabe filmmaker whose just started work at a Soho production office as a runner. He’s eager to impress the top man, Mike Lowrie while struggling to please his superior, Dorothy whose incessant demands for food and habit of referring to him as ‘Shitface’ are beginning to take their toll. While doing his best to make himself indispensable, he starts clearing out the office basement where he comes across reels THE LAST SUPPER of an unfinished film, The Street Walker. Fascinated, he watches UK 5 mins HDV Director/Screenplay the film which turns out to be the story of a man who lures Rupert Bryan Producer John Joakim women home on the promise of a film audition before torturing DoP Fabio Calascibetta Cast Gary Stretch, Sadie Frost Print Source Chris them and eventually disposing of their bodies with acid. Darvell Email [email protected] When James stumbles across a scene in the film where the A long suffering wife takes revenge director,’s reflection is revealed in a shop window, he becomes upon an obnoxious husband during increasingly obsessed with him and even more so when the a last supper. sound runs on after a scene and he’s sure he hears someone say the words – ‘she’s dead’. Meanwhile James becomes determined to finish the film himself while best friend, Marcus starts making a documentary on his friend’s downward spiral. This is a smart, scary and sometimes hilarious insiders guide which perfectly captures the manic obsession needed to see a film project through to completion. SB
Country UK Running Time 80 mins Format 35mm Director/Screenplay Ozgur Uyanik Producers Ian Prior, Ozgur Uyanik Executive Producers Nik Powell, Stephen May DoP Paul Englefield Cast James Powell, Tom Shaw, Lorna Beckett Email [email protected] Website www.2ndfloorproductions.co.uk
70 SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 39 ALL THE YEARS OF TRYING SUNDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 7:30PM
As punk rock snowballed in 1977, a few performers didn’t subscribe to the block-chord, tougher-than-tough template. Inevitably, those individualists now stand apart. In 1978, at age 18, Dom Shaw was making the music verité film Rough Cut and Ready Dubbed. Catching the maverick as well as the stars, Rough Cut memorably featured Patrick Fitzgerald’s desolate Island of Lost Souls, a counterpoint to the hostility of the era. Now, thirty years later, comes Shaw’s Patrick Fitzgerald chronicle. Patrik Fitzgerald stood apart. Taking the stage solo with the tool of the folkie – an acoustic guitar – he became a target. Bottles were chucked and he was spat at. With lyrics addressing the day-to-day, personal politics, estrangement and anomie he wasn’t sloganeering. Yet this wasn’t folk. The music press decided he was the punk poet. Benjamin Zephaniah and Attila the Stockbroker pay tribute to their inspiration. Boff Whalley of Chumbawumba – who covered Fitzgerald’s seminal Safety Pin Stuck In My Heart – reminisces about his first Fitzgerald show. He was shocked that a performer this impactful was playing to a London audience of 25. Fitzgerald himself is eloquent, humble even. After all the years, Dom Shaw has demonstrated it’s time the world caught up. KT
Country UK Running Time 95 mins Format HDV Director Dom Shaw Producer Dom Shaw, Daniel Carboni Featuring Patrik Fitzgerald, Benjamin Zephaniah, Boff Whalley, Attila the Stockbroker, Everett True Print Source Anonymous Films Website www.anonymousfilms.co.uk
72 SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL BREAKING ROCKS THURSDAY 1 OCTOBER AT 6:30PM [PROUD GALLERIES] + TUESDAY 6 OCTOBER AT 4PM
Originally named after a Clash B-side, Breaking Rocks charts the story of Billy Bragg’s initiative to provide instruments, specifically guitars, to prisoners as a means of rehabilitation. Bragg originally approached director Alan Miles with a request to shoot footage of a visit he was making to Guys Marsh prison in Dorset. The songwriter was delivering a batch of acoustic guitars to Malcolm Dudley, a prison music teacher, so his class of inmates could practice with instruments. The film features interviews with prisoners whose lives have been transformed by the experience in addition to footage of Jail Guitar Door graduates Leon Walker and Jonny Neesom. In Billy’s own words ‘Prison has to be about much more than just locking people up – we want people to move on from their situation and reconnect with the outside world, and my hunch was that playing an instrument – particularly a guitar – could help that.’ The film also includes interviews with The Clash’s Mick Jones and Topper Headon. Miles’s impressive filmography includes The Last Night London Burned where Mick Jones and Joe Strummer are filmed performing together for the first time after a break of nineteen years and just weeks before Strummers death.
Country UK Running Time 75 mins Format HDV Director/DoP Alan Miles Producer Mad Inertia 2009 Website web.me.com/madinertia/breakingrocks
SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 73 EKV – AS IT ONCE WAS [EKV KAO DA JE BILO NEKAD] THURSDAY 8 OCTOBER AT 6:45PM
EKV, acronym for ‘Catherine The Great’ (Ekatarina Velika), were one of the most influential post-punk electro bands of ex-Yugoslavia scene of the ’80s. When their front man died from heroin abuse in 1994, the band all but fell apart, and the remaining three members died within the decade from drug abuse or related health issues. What seems striking to this day is that the band, although largely unknown outside its original territory, remains one of the most celebrated and loved by old and new generations. This is a fascinating documentary, examining the reasons for the band’s downfall, and retracing the fundamental questions as to what caused their unanimous early deaths. Director Dusan Vesic examines the power and success of EKV, recollecting the zenith of their successes, the sold-out concerts, the secret all night jam sessions, as well as recounting their implosion through their periphery, their roadies, techies and friends. During their time, the band represented a new face of hope in the Yugoslavian republic. Their songs coincided with political change, new artists and a new regime of social and civil unrest. Vesic’s insight into the band ultimately tells another story, one you can’t help but compare to the state of the country. AK
Country Serbia Running Time 85 mins Director Dusan Vesic Featuring Dragisa Uskokovic, Ivan Fece Cima, Ivan Rankovic Firchie Print Source Dusan Vesic Email [email protected]
74 SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL GOGOL BORDELLO – NON-STOP THURSDAY 8 OCTOBER AT 10PM
Credited with creating the genre of Gypsy Punk, Gogol Bordello stormed their way to widespread success with the irresistible insanity of their single Start Wearing Purple. This documentary charts their growth between 2001 and 2006, interspersing interviews giving historical and political background with suitably jerky clips portraying their manic energy on stage. Eugene Hutz (who starred in Everything is Illuminated alongside Elijah Wood) is the ringleader of this marvellously motley musical crew. The film gives a sense that Hutz, who is surprising languid off stage, has found his bandmates through a series of happy accidents, each drawn to the flame of his probable genius and passion for performance. It seems even Madonna was not immune; after singing a duet with the Ukranian, she cast him in Filth and Wisdom, her directorial debut. Margarita Jimeno directed, produced and edited Gogol Bordello Non-Stop and echoing the band’s frenetic beats, the fast pace of the piece ensures the audience’s attention is held, although clearly existing fans will relish this movie most. AS
Country USA Running Time 87 mins Format DVCam Director/DoP Margarita Jimeno Producers Margarita Jimeno, Daya Zhuk, Munir Maluf Raad Featuring Eugene Hutz, Oren Kaplan, Sergey Ryabtsev Print Source Margarita Jimeno Email [email protected] Website www.guespa.com/gogol-bordello-non-stop.html
SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 75 THE HAND OF FATIMA MONDAY 5 OCTOBER AT 4PM
Robert Palmer was a music critic for Rolling Stone magazine and a clarinet player obsessed with the musicians of the Morrocan village of Jajouka. In 1971, he had visited the place and enjoyed transcendent experiences that had left him a changed man. Jajouka held a power over him that was more powerful than the female relationships in his life. And, sadly, this applied to his daughter who had been estranged from him for the first 12 years. So, after the birth of her own daughter, Augusta Palmer felt it was the right time to find out about her late father and make a pilgrimage to Jajouka. Palmer’s documentary is involving on various levels. It’s a poetic mediation on trying to understand and make sense of someone who is no longer around; but also exciting as a cultural excursion into a mesmeric cove that enticed William Burroughs, Brion Gysin and Ornette Coleman, amongst others. We learn that what goes on there, musically and spiritually (including tales of Dionysian frenzies), and why it might have deeply affected Robert Palmer. Augusta Palmer’s film is a pleasure to watch, and its visual playfulness and inventive animations compliment her father’s imaginative accounts of the cryptic Moroccan village. GB
Country USA Running Time 75 mins Format HDV, Super 8mm Director Augusta Palmer Producer Chris Arnold DoP Juan Carlos Borrero Featuring Bachir Attar, Bill Laswell, Donovan Leitch Print Source Chris Arnold Email [email protected] Website www.thehandoffatima.com
76 SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL I NEED THAT RECORD! SATURDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 4.30PM
Independent record stores are attracting attention. A recent book has celebrated these character-filled shops with reminiscences shaped by a world beyond the bland megastores. Inevitably, there was a sadness that fewer and fewer independent shops survived. Another laid it out cold: 540 have closed in the last four years. Brendan Toller’s documentary I Need That Record! is a sobering reminder that America is suffering too. The last decade has seen 3000 independent record stores close. ‘For some the independent record store was just another place, but to many it was more… a home away from home. The independent record store was a community space,’ are the poignant opening words. With a pile of albums on his lap, Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore says ‘all through the ’80s and ’90s touring was about two things, playing and going to record stores.’ While landlords favour the corporate, high-paying, signature over that of the indie retailer, major label releases end up in the Wal-Marts after hefty discounts that no indie could hope to secure. Noam Chomsky outlines the mercantile context. Insiders detail how the music industry missed the opportunities of the new downloading world, wasting money trying to stamp it out and killing off part of their market. A thought provoking doc. KT
Country USA Running Time 77 mins Format Mini DV Director/Producer Brendan Toller Featuring BP Hellum, Bob Gruen, Chris Frantz Print Source Brendan Toller Email [email protected] Website ineedthatrecord.blogspot.com
SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 77 JOURNEY OF THE CHILDMEN – THE MIGHTY BOOSH ON TOUR SUNDAY 4 OCTOBER AT 6:30PM
The Mighty Boosh is one of Britain’s most notable comedy troupes featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding, who developed three stage shows in the late 1990s from which a BBC radio show was commissioned. They parlayed this into twenty BBC TV comedy shows, two tours of the UK as well as two American shows in the USA, which netted them several high profile late night chat shows. This documentary follows The Mighty Boosh on their recent 110-show tour of the UK. Oliver Ralfe follows the troupe backstage as they wait for the half hour call, back curtain as they wait for their introduction, and after the show being mobbed by screaming teenagers. Ralfe’s documentary is an incredibly insightful and honest portrait, showing the backstage elements to a tour, the heavy workload involved, but also the hilarious chemistry and charisma between Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Ralfe spares no detail with his intimate camerawork. He is no stranger to Raindance – his 2006 film The Ballad of AJ Weberman won the Raindance Award at the British Independent Film Awards that year. EG
Country UK Running Time 86 mins Format HDV Director/Producer/DoP Oliver Ralfe Featuring Noel Fielding, Julian Barratt, Rich Fulcher Print Source Oliver Ralfe Email [email protected] www.journeyofthechildmen.co.uk
78 SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL LLIK YOUR IDOLS SATURDAY 10 OCTOBER AT 5PM
The image of a scowling Lung Leg on the cover Sonic Youth’s epochal 1986 album Evol was a still from Richard Kern’s NYC underground film Submit To Me. This vision inspired Angélique Bosio to dig down, find the source and document the scene which produced such intensity. Along with Nick Zedd, Kern was part of what was dubbed The Cinema of Transgression, the subject of Llik Your Idols – a reference to SY’s song Kill Your Idols. Lydia Lunch, Henry Rollins, Jim Thirwell, members of Sonic Youth and The Swans appeared in these Z-grade documents of (fake) blood, drug use, filth, sex and violence. Even with 20 or more years distance from these films, the graphic images and degraded behaviour collected in the clips here still shock. That offence is sought is a given. Kern says his shift to photography ‘is a total voyeuristic thing.’ Zedd is combative, confrontational, still living the negative dream. The more measured Bruce LaBruce appears, as does LA artist Joe Coleman, who is subjected to a detailed profile. A lengthy detour into No Wave gives the parallel musical context. Richard Hell, The Swans’ Jarboe, Lunch and Moore distance themselves from the era’s parade of grime. ‘I always felt separate from these people,’ says Moore. KT
Country France Running Time 69 mins Format DVCam Director/Producer Angélique Bosio DoP Sébastien Hauteville Featuring Richard Kern, Nick Zedd, Lydia Lunch Print Source Angélique Boslo Email [email protected] Website www.myspace.com/llikyouridols
SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 79 MEMORY AND DESIRE – STEPHEN DUFFY AND THE LILAC TIME FRIDAY 9 OCTOBER AT 7PM
This is the story of Stephen Duffy – or ‘Tin Tin’ Duffy, as you might remember him from the ’80s, with his infuriatingly catchy hit Kiss Me. Also, further back than that, Duffy was the original lead singer of Duran Duran. But there is much more to him. Duffy, living now in Herefordshire, has painstakingly distanced himself from those frothy times to mine a more folky and serious seam. This is someone authentically driven by the need to produce music of worth and quality. So does he? Peter Paphides and Caitlin Moran certainly think so and they produce some good arguments for his group The Lilac Time to be embraced by all and sundry. We encounter Duffy’s life, and memories – courtesy of notebooks and lyrics, and follow him around as he contemplates his uncommercial existence, and prepares to play the Green Man Festival. While he turns his thoughts inwards, we are treated to a selection of his well-crafted, smooth and pastoral songs. Hats off to the director Douglas Arrowsmith who has crafted a very affectionate, loyal view of someone who rightfully merits more attention in himself and his abundant back catalogue. GB
Country Canada/UK Running Time 88 mins Format Mini DV, 8mm Director/DoP Douglas Arrowsmith Producer Bogus Frontage, FeltFilm Featuring Stephen Duffy, The Lilac Time Print Source Douglas Arrowsmith Email [email protected] Website www.memoryanddesirefilm.com
80 SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL ROBYN HITCHCOCK – I OFTEN DREAM OF TRAINS SATURDAY 3 OCTOBER AT 2PM
Cult singer songwriter and former Soft Boys front man Robyn Hitchcock performs tracks from his seminal and acclaimed 1984 studio album, I Often Dream of Trains. Most recently seen performing in Rachel Getting Married, the master of folk rock is known for his Syd Barrett influenced doses of psychedelic tunes and surrealist imagery. But I Often Dream of Trains was a stripped down acoustic effort recorded at a time where his future in music looked uncertain. The album conveys an air of nostalgia whilst retaining the witty and dark lyrics fans had come to expect, particularly on Ye Sleeping Knights of Jesus and Sounds Great When You’re Dead. Recorded in New York in November 2008, Hitchcock resists following the Don’t Look Back formula of playing the album in its entirety choosing instead to perform a ‘director’s cut,’ adjusting the song order and including material that has since emerged as bonus tracks, such as Winter Love and My Favourite Buildings. Director John Edginton captures the true essence of Robyn in concert, and retains his crazy and slightly inane banter between songs – which can sometimes prove to be even more surreal than the lyrics themselves, and help make this a veritable joy to behold. CP
Country UK Running Time 90 mins Format HDCam Director/Producer John Edginton DoP Bestor Cram Featuring Robyn Hitchcock, Tim Keegan, Terry Edwards Print Source John Edginton Email [email protected]
SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 81 THEY CALL IT ACID WEDNESDAY 7 OCTOBER AT 8:45PM
If you don’t remember the late ’80s or weren’t there, Gordon Mason’s They Call It Acid is bound to fill in the gaps. This is the time of Paul Oakenfold’s Spectrum, Clink Street, smiley faces, dungarees, Balearic beats and ex-soul boys dancing to The Woodentops and a time when a football hooligan was more likely to kiss a bloke than boot him in the face. But this is much more than just a BBC4 analysis that might tick certain boxes. This is an insider job, with very reliable witnesses – those who were there right from the beginning. So, pretty quick, this becomes an informative, fascinating look at a revolutionary electronic sound that goes further than you might expect. We get to hear about the more obscure places, the lesser-known people – and like any record lover, Mason digs deep. But the real ‘acid test’ of how essential this is – just like the clubs, back in the day – are the names involved. Mason casts his net wide and speaks to the big fish in Detroit, Chicago, Ibiza, London and Manchester, and gives us a dream bill of Evil Eddie Richards, Larry Heard, Danny Rampling, Terry Farley, Marshall Jefferson, Oakenfold, Kid Batchelor, Noel Watson, Carl Cox, A Guy Called Gerald, Alfredo, Nancy Noise – everyone pretty much. The legendary Robert Owens narrates. GB
Country UK Running Time 100 mins Director/Producer Gordon Mason DoP Sege Teulon, Ron Orders Featuring Paul Oakenfold, Carl Fox, Robert Owens Print Source Gordon Mason Email [email protected] Website www.theycallitacid.com
82 SEVENTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL