Welcome to a new monthly roundup of film happenings in the middle of the country. Regular Flatpack subscribers may recognise it as a descendant of the listings mailouts that we’ve been sending for years, with a bit of added colour and the occasional image. There are so many great screenings and events going on across the West Midlands, but it can be too easy to miss things. We hope that Filmwire will help you to discover amazing work and tap into useful opportunities. If there’s something you’d like to plug, please get in touch: info@filmwire.co.uk

OUT NOW

FILM OF THE MONTH: WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE

(dir: Hiromasa Yonebayashi)

The latest – and quite possibly the last – feature from Studio Ghibli, When Marnie Was There gives us an understated conclusion to thirty years of brilliance from the Tokyo animation house. Transplanting Joan G Robinson’s Norfolk-set ghost story to rural Hokkaido, it follows a classic Ghibli heroine (bookish, imaginative) as she discovers a spectral friend in the mansion across the water.

Limited release from 10 June, including the Electric from 17 June.

There’s also ample opportunity to catch a selection of Ghibli’s past glories over the next couple of months, at venues including the Electric, mac, Stratford Picturehouse (https://www.picturehouses.com/cinema/Stratford_Upon_Avon/film/princess-mononoke) and Stafford cinema.

ALSO SCREENING

LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP

Whit Stillman reunites with his Last Days of Disco stars in 18th century England.

4-17 June at the Red Carpet; (http://www.redcarpetcinema.co.uk/)

10-16 June at the Electric; (https://www.theelectric.co.uk/programme.php?film=1450)

17-23 June at mac (https://macbirmingham.co.uk/event/love-friendship).

WHERE TO INVADE NEXT

Michael Moore’s latest freewheeling polemic, launching on 10 June with a live satellite Q&A to follow.

See Dogwoof site for screenings (http://dogwoof.com/wheretoinvadenext/).

MUSTANG

Five Turkish sisters find their home becomes a ‘wife factory’ in Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s Oscar-nominated tale.

12-16 June at the Electric (https://www.theelectric.co.uk/programme.php?film=1461);

14 June at Everyman Mailbox (http://www.everymancinema.com/films/film-info?film=12595&cinemaid=195);

17-22 June at the Courtyard (https://www.courtyard.org.uk/events/mustang-15/).

TALE OF TALES

Matteo Garrone (Gomorrah) makes his English-language debut with this lurid trio of fairy-tales for grownups, featuring Salma Hayek and Toby Jones.

General release from 17 June.

THE MEASURE OF A MAN

Grim, touching drama about a laid-off factory worker who becomes a supermarket security guard.

21-23 June at Warwick Arts (http://www.warwickartscentre.co.uk/whats-on/2016/the-measure-of-a-man-/);

24-28 June at mac (https://macbirmingham.co.uk/event/the-measure-of-a-man).

VERSUS:

THE LIFE AND FILMS OF KEN LOACH

Documentary portrait of the British director, on the verge of 80 and fresh from winning a second Palme d’Or.

29-30 June at Warwick Arts (http://www.warwickartscentre.co.uk/whats-on/2016/versus-the-life-and-films-of-ken-loach-/).

EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT

Luminous monochrome trip into the Columbian jungle in search of a mythical plant.

“Enthralling, politically tinged, psychedelic” – Guardian

21-23 June at mac (https://macbirmingham.co.uk/event/embrace-of-the-serpent).

THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY

Biopic about maths wizard Srinivasa Ramanujan, played by Dev Patel.

24-30 June at Light House, Wolverhampton (http://light-house.co.uk/calendar/2016/03/the-man-who-knew-infinity/).

CEMETERY OF SPLENDOUR

The latest meditative, supernatural oddity from Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Uncle Boonmee).

28-30 June at mac (https://macbirmingham.co.uk/event/cemetery-of-splendour).

ONE-OFFS AND SPECIAL EVENTS

10-18 June at Stoke Film Theatre
Staffordshire Arts, Media & Design Show 2016 (http://www.stokefilmtheatre.org.uk/mainprogramme.php)
Monday 13 June, 8pm at Light House, Wolverhampton
Film & TV Quiz (http://light-house.co.uk/calendar/2010/03/film-tv-quiz/)
Thursday 16 June, 6:30pm at Impact Hub, Digbeth
Build Your Own Film Night (http://flatpackfestival.org.uk/event/byof1/)
Thursday 16 June, 7pm at the Drum, Newtown
3½ Minutes, Ten Bullets + Q&A (http://www.the-drum.org.uk/single-event/?id=THR)
Friday 17 June, 8:30pm at Warwick Arts Centre
Calamity Jane Sing-a-long with Barbara Nice (http://www.warwickartscentre.co.uk/whats-on/2016/calamity-jane-sing-a-long/)
17-19 June at the Bridges, Ratlinghope
Sin-Eater Festival (http://sin-eater.co.uk/index2.html)
Saturday 18 June, 3pm & 6pm at the Custard Factory, Digbeth
Flatpack at City of Colours (http://flatpackfestival.org.uk/event/flatpack-at-city-of-colours/)
Saturday 18 June, 7pm at the Electric, Birmingham
Anatomy of a Murder + Live Performance (https://www.theelectric.co.uk/programme.php?film=1452)
Saturday 18 June, 7pm at the Gunmakers Arms, Birmingham
Zombie Double-bill (http://www.meetup.com/birminghamfilmclub/events/229824136/)
Thursday 23 June, 7:30pm at Kinokulture, Oswestry
Where You’re Meant To Be + Q&A (http://www.kinokulture.org.uk/)
Saturday 25 June, 4pm at Light House, Wolverhampton
Bowie: Influences (http://light-house.co.uk/calendar/featured/2016/05/bowie-influences-2/)
21-25 June at The Rep, Birmingham
Be Festival (http://befestival.org/)

SPOTLIGHT

SCULPTING TIME: ANDREI TARKOVSKY

For some, Tarkovsky is the pinnacle of cinema. Over a stormy career which began in the Soviet Union and ended in international exile, he only managed to complete seven features. However, each one is astonishing in its own way, and this UK tour offers a rare chance to see them all on the big screen. If you forced us to pick a top three, it would go something like this…

IVAN’S CHILDHOOD (1962)

This portrait of war-ravaged youth was Tarkovsky’s debut, and it’s an excellent introduction to his work. Features a memorable ditch-straddling kiss.

23 June at Stoke Film Theatre (http://www.stokefilmtheatre.org.uk/mainprogramme.php)

MIRROR (1975)

The film that many hardcore Tarkovskyites hold dearest, Mirror is also the director’s most autobiographical film. Fun fact: a couple of helicopters out of shot were used to create the mysterious wind that whips across a corn field.

23 June at Warwick Arts Centre (http://www.warwickartscentre.co.uk/whats-on/2016/mirror-/)

STALKER (1979)

This haunting odyssey into ‘the Zone’ has been seen as Wizard of Oz remake, Soviet allegory and Chernobyl prophecy. It also boasts some of the best shots of stagnant water you’ll ever see.

14 June at mac Birmingham (https://macbirmingham.co.uk/event/tarkovsky-stalker)

The full season also runs at Kinokulture in Oswestry from 28 June (https://film.list.co.uk/listing/584354-sculpting-time-andrei-tarkovsky-season-ticket/).

For further details on the tour see www.tarkovsky.co.uk

SHORT OF THE MONTH

DIRECTED BY TWEEDIE (DIR: DUNCAN COWLES) (https://vimeo.com/96904262)

Made in 2014 but only recently made available online (on his grandad Tweedie’s 90th birthday, no less) Duncan Cowles’ brilliant documentary short turns filmmaking on its head when he encourages the slightly reluctant Tweedie to take over as director. A comment on the creative process and intergenerational tensions, with some extremely funny moments.

Read an interview between the director and Flatpack programmer Sam Groves here (http://flatpackfestival.org.uk/2015/07/radio-silence-dir-duncan-cowles-interview/).

OTHER BUSINESS

OPPORTUNITIES

MARKETING ASSISTANT at Live & Local, Warwick (http://www.liveandlocal.org.uk/recruitment/Information%20Pack%20_Marketing%20Assnt.pdf) (closing 13 June)

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CINEMA MANAGER at Vue Cinemas, Birmingham (https://fusion.webrecruitjobs.com/JobSeeker/JobDescription/zKo_HrprNC8b8f1cF8ddD4rufG-U3xRZmsZV_lTLudY!?mid=66) (closing 20 June)

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COMMUNICATIONS EXECUTIVE at Birmingham Hippodrome (https://jobs.theguardian.com/job/6330674/communications-executive/) (closing 24 June)

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FESTIVAL VOLUNTEER at Furious Folly, Birmingham Hippodrome (http://www.indeed.co.uk/viewjob?jk=91e6e6a88295805a&from=tellafriend&utm_source=jobseeker_emails&utm_medium=email&cd%20-=tell_a_friend)

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CULTURAL INTERN at Flatpack Film Festival (http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/culture/cultural-intern-scheme.aspx) (closing 24 July)

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FESTIVAL VOLUNTEER at Encounters Festival, Bristol (http://encounters-festival.org.uk/volunteer-for-encounters-2016/) (closing 18 August)

SUBMISSION DEADLINES

15 June

DISAPPEAR HERE Coventry | entry FREE

Call out for filmmakers, poets and writers to collaborate on poetry-films about Coventry ring road.

— http://www.disappear-here.org/submit

27 June

EDINBURGH SHORT FILM FESTIVAL Scotland | entry £15

— http://www.edinburghshortfilmfestival.com/call-for-entries/

Filmwire is produced by Flatpack Projects as part of the Flatpack: Assemble project. (http://flatpackfestival.org.uk/flatpack-assemble/)

Flatpack are working across the West Midlands as part of a new partnership with the BFI Film Audience Network to help build a more thriving, connected film community in the region. For more information visit our website (http://filmwire.co.uk).