The official blog of The Cinema at Gloucester Guildhall and its Film Club. News, reviews and everything to do with the films showing at Gloucester Guildhall.

Thursday, 29 November 2012

PREVIEW: The Joy Of Six (15)

In a rare cinematic occasion, The Cinema at Gloucester Guildhall is proud to be one of a handful of cinemas in the UK to screen for ONE DAY ONLY the latest venture from New British Cinema Quarterly in the form of The Joy Of Six- a collection of (as the title suggests) half a dozen short films from the best up and coming British film-making talent. For those of you unfamiliar with their activities, NBCQ is Soda Picture's ongoing programme of brand new and distinctive films from British filmmakers, taking the most distinctive and original British feature-length and short films and filmmakers from the festival circuit, bringing them to the UK’s flagship independent cinemas where they deserve to be. It ultimately aims to showcase and celebrate Britain’s film craft thus providing an opportunity for audiences to discover new films. This particular repertoire is such an example having already made a big impact at both London at Edinburgh Film Festival last year.


Now it's perhaps fair (and understandable) to say that the talent behind the camera might not be recognisable by name. Yet the acting talent in front will be easily and immediately identifiable with the general cinema-going public including Peter Mullan (War Horse, Tyrannosaur, NEDS), Tom Hiddleston (Midnight In Paris, The Deep Blue Sea, Marvel Avengers Assemble) and Gloucester Guildhall favourite, Judi Dench (My Week With Marilyn, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Skyfall) in quite a surprising performance as someone trying her hand at online dating!

Each of the six films lengths range from 5 to 20 minutes in length exploring a wide array of subjects and themes from social media to gang violence but all with the same common objective: to showcase the innovative short film circuit that is alive and kicking in Britain today.

Details of the short films showing as part of The Joy Of Six are as follows:

Long Distance Information
Dir Douglas Hart/GB 2012/8 mins
Peter Mullan
Set one Christmas Day, between East Kilbride and London,Long Distance is a black comedy that explores the strained relationship between a father and his 20 year old son. Alex has lived away from home for several years now and he and his father are as distant emotionally as they are in miles. In the waning light of the afternoon Alex phones home. Featuring music by Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys.

Man in Fear
Dir Will Jewell/GB 2012/11 mins
Luke Treadaway, James Lance, Tim Healy
A bloodied man walks into a police station wanting to be locked up.  He tells the Policeman artists are trying to kill him. By accident… When the disbelieving Policeman sighs and asks him their motive, he cryptically replies “Art…”

A Gun for George 
Dir Matthew Holness/GB 2012/17 mins
Matthew Holness
Terry Finch – a man alone. Forgotten author of The Reprisalizer, Britain’s toughest pulp paperback vigilante, Finch pens tall tales of brute force and rough justice from his isolated caravan, treading a thin line between reality and fantasy in an attempt to exorcise painful memories of his brother’s death. When his ailing writing career grinds to a final halt, Terry’s compulsive and cathartic visions of violent retribution refuse to die with it, and a dark new chapter in the story of The Reprisalizer unfolds – where actions speak louder than words. Produced by Warp Films (This is England, Four Lions, and Berberian Sound Studio).

Scrubber
Dir Romola Garria/GB 2012/21 mins
Amanda Hale
Jenny is looking for escape. After being let down by a babysitter she decided to leave her daughter with a neighbour and walks into the surrounding countryside. Whilst waiting by the side of the road, she is picked up by a stranger and together they drive into woodland where she must choose between fantasy, escape and home.

The Ellington Kid
Dir Dan Sully/GB 2012/5 mins
Charlie G Hawkins, Hammad Animashaun, Durassie Kiangangu
In a typical South London kebab shop Nathan tells Beefy a story.  It’s a story he’s heard about the Ellington kid, who got stabbed and found refuge in the very kebab shop they are sitting in.  The gang who stabbed the kid ended up following the bleeding victim into the shop to finish him off, but they didn’t account for the kebab shop workers…

Friend Request Pending
Dir Chris Foggin/GB 2012/12 mins
Judi Dench, Penny Rider, Philip Jackson, Tom Hiddleston
Friend Request Pending is a short comedy drama about the mature generation dating in our modern social networking world. Mary and Linda spend an afternoon discussing the pleasures, pitfalls and problems with using social networking to try and woo the local choirmaster Trevor.


*These films are each well executed*
Eddie Harrison, The List

*Outstanding...a most encouraging selection*
Mike McCahill, The Guardian

The Joy of Six plays on Monday 3rd December only at 2pm & 7:45pm.

No comments:

Post a Comment