Berwick upon Tweed Film & Media Arts Festival c r o s s i n g b o r d e r s 16 – 25 September 2005 Contents Introduction 1 Special Screenings 4 ISBN 978-0-9551203-0-5 New Features 7 Design and typesetting by www.simprimstudio.com Documentary Features 14 Printed and bound in Great Britain by Martins the Printers Limited, Berwick-upon-Tweed GNER Retrospect 16 www.martins-the-printers.com Artist Film / Animation 20 Published by Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival JJ Films / Archive 22 56-58 Castlegate Berwick-upon-Tweed Artist Short 25 Northumberland TD15 1JT United Kingdom Longer Shorts 26 UK Shorts 28 www.berwickfilm-artsfest.com International Shorts 29 Published in an edition of 1000 as part of the BFMAF 16 – 25 September 2005 Artist Film & Video 33 The Berwick Film and Media Arts Festival is hosted by the The Big M 48 Berwick-upon-Tweed Community Development Trust. Charity No. 1109088 Company No. 5290088 a-n Symposium 52 © Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival 2005 Kids Club 52 The authors assert their moral right to be identified as the authors of this work. Education & Outreach 52 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, Venues 54 or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or Programme Overview 58 otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers. Index 60 Map inside back cover The Berwick Film and Media Arts Festival started life as a chance pub conversation some two years ago, and over the intervening period has slowly evolved into this inaugural event. It was born out of a passion and enthusiasm for cinema and art, incorporated with the desire to use the extraordinary location of Berwick-upon-Tweed, with its rich historical and architectural heritage, as its setting. When we met with potential funders and supporters in the early days we spoke Funders about Berwick itself being transformed into a moving image installation – a visual and cultural spectacle – we hope that the essence of this vision is reflected in this programme. The theme of this year’s Festival, Crossing Borders was an obvious choice. The town's position on the border between Scotland and England and the resulting violent history that came with this, has filtered through to the core of what Berwick has become. It is a proud and in some respects isolated town, that has a very real sense of itself beyond what it tells you in the guidebooks. It is a place that falls between countries but has the autonomy and self-regard of a separate state. Berwick wants to celebrate itself and this Festival is partly to do with that. But as a place it also offers something quite unique, a contemporary culture wanting to redefine its relationship to Berwick Borough Local Strategic Partnership its historical legacy. We wanted to create an event that came from the Town and permeated Culture & Heritage Sector Board the core of it and not only helped people to discover the hidden Berwick, but also helped new audiences discover contemporary film and video. The Festival is adding to an already rich and long standing association with film, which is continuing as more and more filmmakers are seeing its potential as a location. However, our interpretation of Crossing Borders has not just been limited to the local context. Berwick Film and Media Arts Festival These themes are wide-ranging and ever present, impacting on the work of many international Key Sponsors filmmakers and artists, both from a political and transnational perspective. They also more loosely Crossing Borders encompass issues concerning gender, life and death, economic difference and even aesthetic language – all of which have been incorporated into the themes of the Festival. The ambition for the Festival has always been to stage a world-class event. With this in mind, we have brought together the work of filmmakers and artists from almost twenty countries over a ten-day period, some of which is being screened in the UK for the first time. In total over eighty films will be shown, as part of thirty programmes, in ten different locations. This includes moving Sponsors image work produced by internationally renowned directors and artists, as well as that of others who are just emerging in their fields. It crosses genres; from contemporary independent cinema and retrospectives of classic films, through to artists’ film and video and rare archival screenings. It includes work screened in unique settings; prison cells, icehouses and Elizabethan walls, as well as some more conventional cinematic locations. However, our aim was always to programme Robertson’s (Berwick) engaging, thought provoking and challenging work, which would nevertheless be accessible and capture the viewer’s imagination. Berwick Chamber of Trade The realisation of the festival could not have been possible without the help, commitment, enthusiasm and sheer determination of a large number of individuals, all of whom we are totally indebted to. We are also reliant on the funding, goodwill and in-kind support of a whole range of public, private and cultural organisations and again our formal thanks go out to them. However, no festival is possible without its audience and our final thanks go to you - we hope that you will be as exhilarated as we are by the work represented in the programme. We also hope that your support will make the Festival a sustainable event – celebrating the best of cinema Supporters of The Festival The Sponsors Club and artists’ film in Berwick for many years to come. ENGLISH HERITAGE for Arts & Business Marcus Coates & Huw Davies Co-Artistic Directors Berwick Film and Media Arts Festival Festival Host Marcus Coates is an artist filmmaker who has Huw Davies is an independent filmmaker based exhibited internationally, he lives and works in in Berwick-upon-Tweed. He has taught at various Berwick-upon-Tweed. His work will be represented universities and colleges in the UK and USA and is in the British Arts Show 6 and a solo show at currently Head of the School of Design and Media the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in 2006. Arts and Communication Arts at Napier University in Edinburgh. • INTRODUCTION • BERWICK FILM & MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL 2005 Feature Films The Berwick upon Tweed Community Development Trust is proud to present our first International Film The Arts Council North East is proud to be supporting the Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival. The and Media Arts Festival. The Trust is a community owned and led force for regeneration in the historic inaugural festival has a strong and impressive line-up of artists and films, proving that it is possible to areas of Berwick, East Ord, Scremerston, Spittal and Tweedmouth. We decided to host this exciting bring a world-class event like this to Berwick, and sparking the hope that this will become an annual festival to showcase the town and the many opportunities it offers, to local people, artists, businesses, event, attracting national and international talent to Berwick-upon-Tweed. tourists and more. For those who are coming to Berwick for the first time because of the Festival: welcome, and let us know what you think. For everyone else: welcome back! James Bustard, Acting Director of Arts & Development, Arts Council England, North East. Arts Council England, North East Chris Anderson, on behalf of the board of the Berwick-upon-Tweed Community Development Trust You can find out more about us at www.berwicktrust.org.uk Growing up in the North, I spent a huge part of my childhood amongst the awesome scenery of the Borders and Berwick in particular, dreaming of raiders (Scots, Vikings, Aliens etc) and battle. It has The Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival is a key part of the wider Regional Visual Arts programme been a long cherished dream of mine to return to the area and shoot a movie - making some of those designed to make our region a great place to visit, live learn and work. The quality of this innovative childhood fantasies come true. In the meantime, I believe the Berwick Film Festival is an excellent programme and the idea of using the fabric of Berwick as a backdrop for film and video installations and long-overdue idea, which could open up a truly breathtaking part of the country - one that has will ensure that this Festival lives long in the memory. been sadly overlooked and underused by filmmakers. It has always been my pleasure to introduce my friends to the area - Vadim Jean for example - and I hope the Festival helps to make this part of Carol Bell, Head of Programme Development for Culture10 for NewcastleGateshead Initiative. the country the magnet for filmmakers that it truly deserves to be. Berwick is an undiscovered gem. Together we can help make it shine. The Northumberland Cultural Strategy aims to facilitate the development of new cultural activity and Paul W.S.Anderson, Director (Aliens Vs Predators, Resident Evil ) new cultural experiences for communities in County. We are very pleased to support the Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival in its first year as part of the Regional Visual Arts programme, alongside the British Arts Show, demonstrating that Northumberland’s unique physical and built environment can act The Film Festival is an exciting venture for Berwick, with a wide selection of films and other events in as an equal setting for cultural events. an intriguing selection of places. There is something for everyone, and I hope that the Festival will be a huge success. Zoë Bottrell, Northumberland Culture10 Coordinator for Northumberland Strategic Partnership Rt. Hon. Alan Beith, MP The moving image is the most exciting and diverse art form in the world, yet for most of us, the cinema experience can be narrow, limited to the latest Hollywood offering.