Please find enclosed another jam-packed roundup of moving image activity in the middle of the country, from new releases and special events to job ads and submission deadlines. Fresh from our Black Country adventures Flatpack are gearing up for a month-long season of Birmingham on Film, while hoping we can make it to other people’s stuff too. As ever September is full of cult cinema across the UK thanks to Scalarama, and live one-offs to look out for include Mogwai, Nino Rota and Asha Bhosle. On a smaller scale, this back-garden screening of Critters looks worth a trip to the Malverns.
OUT NOW
FILM OF THE MONTH
HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE
Troubled, haiku-writing teenager Ricky (Julian Dennison) runs off into the woods, eventually teaming up with grizzled survivalist foster-dad Hec (Sam Neill) against the forces of authority. Taika Waititi’s odd-couple comedy is a joyous follow-up to vampire spoof What We Do in the Shadows, and as is obligatory for Kiwi movies it features an excellent cameo from Conchord manager Rhys Darby.
General release from 16th September, and from 30 Sept – 6 Oct at mac Birmingham, Lighthouse, Wolverhampton and The Electric.
ALSO SCREENING
BROTHERHOOD
The conclusion to Noel Clarke’s crime trilogy finds him in middle-class comfort, but not for long.
General release from 29 August.
CAFÉ SOCIETY
Jesse Eisenberg serves as Woody Allen’s latest surrogate, wooing Kristen Stewart in 1930’s Hollywood.
2-8 September at The Electric, Birmingham
23-29 September at The Old Market Hall, Shrewsbury
30 Sept-4 Oct at Number 8, Pershore
30 Sept-6 Oct at Artrix, Bromsgrove
JULIETA
Sublime stuff from Mr Almodóvar, splicing together three Alice Munro short stories.
2-9 September at Lighthouse; 3-6 Oct at Courtyard
ONE MORE TIME WITH FEELING
Nick Cave teams up with Andrew Dominik for an intimate insight into loss and the creative process. Screening as a one-off cinema event across the country before the release of new album ‘Skeleton Tree’.
8 September at 9pm at Artrix, Warwick Arts Centre, Stratford Picturehouse & Kinokulture
8 & 10 September at The Electric, Birmingham
SING STREET
Feelgood New Romantic musical from the streets of 80s Dublin.
8 Sept at SpArC Bishops Castle; 13 & 14 September, 7.30 pm at Artrix, Bromsgrove; 30 Sept at Talbot Theatre, Whitchurch
WEINER-DOG
Todd Solondz’s latest is a dachshund odyssey with unloveable owners including Greta Gerwig and Danny DeVito.
3-5 September at Warwick Arts; 16-17 September at Kinokulture
NOTES ON BLINDNESS
A poetic story of loss, rebirth and transformation, documenting theologian John Hull’s journey into “a world beyond sight”.
17 & 19 September at Artrix, Bromsgrove
THINGS TO COME
French drama depicting one individual’s search for new avenues in life, and questioning to what extent philosophy can be applied to our everyday life.
19-22 September at mac Birmingham; 27 & 29 Sept at Warwick Arts
RAMS
Feuding brothers, chilly vistas and sickly sheep provide the perfect setting for this offbeat Icelandic comedy.
21 September at Escleyside Hall, Michaelchurch Escley
23 September at The Hive, Shrewsbury
THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS
For some reason Birmingham is a magnet for dystopian film-shoots at the moment. This Glenn Close / Gemma Arterton zombie thriller was a year ahead of Spielberg, and now we get to see the results.
General release on 23rd September. Late September at The Electric, Birmingham and there’s a screenwriter Q&A on 8 October at The Mockingbird, Digbeth.
ONE OFFS AND SPECIAL EVENTS
Friday 2 September, 8:15-10pm at The Woodman in Digbeth
Digbeth First Friday: Pecha Kucha
Pecha Kucha presenters choose 20 slides and have just 20 seconds per slide to get their point across. This edition includes talks on experiences of refugee camps, confessions of a banker, Chinese DIY quick fixes and Afrofuturism. See also: Short Circuit at Stryx.
Friday 2 September, 9pm in West Malvern
Couple with a quarry in their back garden decide to host outdoor screening of 80s sci-fi comedy.
2 & 3 September in Foundry Woods, Leamington Spa
To complement the town’s Camouflage Festival (yep), Leamington Underground return to the woods for two fittingly covert films.
Sat 3 September, 5:30pm at the Bordesley Centre in Sparkbrook
Free evening of documentaries, presented by journalist Iona Craig.
Monday 5 September, 2pm at mac Birmingham
INGRID BERGMAN IN HER OWN WORDS (dir: Stig Björkman)
Tuesday 6 September, 8:15pm at The Electric, Birmingham
GARY NUMAN: ANDROID IN LA LA LAND + Director Q&A
Friday 9 September, 7:30pm at Knighton Community Centre
BLACK MOUNTAIN POETS (dir: Jamie Adams)
Fresh improv comedy with Sightseers’ Alice Lowe on the run in a poetry camp in wildest Wales. Part of Flicks in the Sticks’ WORLD cinema programme.
9-11 Sept in Coventry
Group exhibition and mini-festival exploring interactive and generative art.
Saturday 10 September at Worcester Golf Range
One more al fresco Swayze experience before the autumn closes in.
Tuesday 13 September, 7pm at St Mary’s Church Hall, Ross on Wye
HE NAMED ME MALALA (dir: Davis Guggenheim)
Weds 14 September, 7:30pm at Coventry Cathedral
Scots post-rockers perform their score to Mark Cousins’ nuclear film essay.
Wednesday 14 September, 7:30pm at Kinokulture, Owestry
ARABIAN NIGHTS VOLUME 3 – THE ENCHANTED ONE (dir: Miguel Gomes)
The final part of the acclaimed Arabian Nights trilogy which delivers a vivid portrait of Portugal in the wake of economic crisis.
Wednesday 14 September, 7:30pm at The Hive, Shrewsbury
I WISH (dir: Hirokazu Koreeda)
Two young brothers live at opposite ends of the bullet train line as a result of their parents’ separation. They plot a reunion.
15-18 September at mac birmingham, BCU, The Electric and The Mockingbird
Screening Rights Film Festival 2016
Birmingham’s international festival of social justice cinema. Special event-packed 4 days of critically acclaimed films from award winning and new British, Chinese, Nicaraguan, North American, Belgian, Chinese and Palestinian directors.
Friday 16 September, 7pm at Birmingham Symphony Hall
THE GODFATHER (dir: Francis Ford Coppola)
With Nino Rota’s sweeping score played live by Manchester Camerata Orchestra.
16 & 17 September at Birmingham Rep
Cold Calling: The Arctic Project
World premiere of a new collaboration between the Rep and CBSO, combining music, performance and visuals.
16 September – 15 October at various venues in Birmingham
Flatpack: Assemble present a month-long season of archive screenings and events exploring the changing face of the city of Birmingham. Expect everything from outdoor screenings, vampire motorcycles and Brumburgers to live music and rare archive TV.
Sat 17 September at NEC Genting Arena
The Last Empress of Music: Asha Bhosle
Probably your final chance to catch this evergreen playback legend in concert.
Friday 23 September, 8pm at The Market Theatre, Ledbury
Golden Fire: The Story of Herefordshire Cider since 1945
Cider-themed archive screening featuring a chance to taste locally produced ciders.
Saturday 24 September, 11:15am at Stratford-on-Avon Picturehouse
LIAF animated shorts – Kids’ Club Special
Matinee programme of international shorts for all ages.
Saturday 24 September, 7pm at Wem Town Hall
An Indulgent Evening of Chocolate
Artisan chocolate tasting followed by a screening of the Depp/Binoche film.
Saturday 24 September, 8pm at Centrala, Digbeth
SPEED SISTERS (dir: Amber Fares)
Centrala is getting into the Scalarama spirit with this high-octane film about an all-woman racing team in the Middle East. The screening is followed by a cinema party.
Sunday 25 September, 3pm at ORT Cafe, Balsall Heath
Close Encounters of the Short Kind: Sci-Fi Shorts
Stickleback Cinema presents a selection of the best Sci-Fi shorts selected for Encounters Festival Bristol 2016.
27-30 September at Ludlow Assembly Rooms
SWEET BEAN (dir: Naomi Kawase)
Unassuming but affecting Japanese drama about cooking and sharing life stories.
Wednesday 28 September, 7:30pm at ORT Cafe, Balsall Heath
Local and international shorts on a feminist tip, put together by Balsall Heath WI for Scalarama.
Weds 28 September, 8pm at Birmingham Town Hall
PRIVILEGE (dir: Peter Watkins)
One of the highlights of the Birmingham on Film season, a chance to see this oddball vision of music-as-mind-control in the venue where it was filmed fifty years ago.
SPOTLIGHT
Every month Feckenham Village Hall in north Worcestershire gets transformed into the Feckenodeon, a community cinema that outdoes many boutique venues in opulence. They’ve recently unveiled the programme for their 16th season, with attractions ranging from Jimmy Stewart in Harvey to Bollywood comedy Finding Fanny. We chatted to Feckenham’s Oscar Deutsch, Mr Ian Bellion.
What sparked the idea in the first place, and how has it changed over the years?
The nearest cinema to Feckenham closed in the late 1990s and the closest alternative was 20 miles away. We borrowed a couple of 16mm projectors and put on a “one off” showing of Some Like it Hot for a packed house… and we’ve never looked back. In the early days the type of film available to film societies was limited – mainly to battered copies of old warhorses. Now, with fantastic advances in digital projection technology, we’re able to show anything from the latest releases through arthouse to beautifully restored classics.
When you say village hall cinema people might assume rickety screen and plastic chairs, but it’s fair to say that Feckenodeon is a proper audience experience. Can you tell us a bit about the process you go through to transform the hall?
The idea of the wobbly screen and a projector propped up on beer crates is an image we constantly battle against. Our 20ft CinemaScope screen descends from the roof, we rig stage drapes and masking, and the motorised waterfall curtain is lit by colour changing spotlights. The village hall notice-boards and Women’s Institute paraphernalia disappear under red plush drapes, we roll out more red plush in the form of comfortable tip-up seats and set up our well stocked bar. We add our ticket desk in the foyer, poster boards and banners are hung outside… before the crew change into their “uniforms” in time for the show.
The programme has a real mixture of new releases and classics, Hollywood and world cinema. What goes down particularly well with your members? And have you got any particular recommendations in this year’s lineup?
Fifteen years ago the members’ choice would have been conservative and unchallenging. Things have moved on and now, although we still get good houses for older films, they’re up for almost anything. Horror and sci-fi don’t go down well but practically every other genre brings them in. This summer we’ve had full houses for films ranging from an Australian pot-boiler (The Dressmaker) to Icelandic tragi-comedy (Rams). My tip for this season would be the marvellously restored High Noon, which has to be seen in a cinema setting where the concentration of the audience double-concentrates the tension.
Does the name ever cause offence with the hard of hearing?
Pardon? Some folk seem intent on reading it as “Feckenham Odeon” which would, of course, be an infringement of copyright. FeckenOdeon is quite a different thing…
The last few years have seen a real boom in community cinemas. Why do you think this is? And have you got any tips for someone thinking of setting up their own?
There is a demand for local things for local people where you can enjoy and celebrate your local community – which is the positive view… The slightly more negative one is that people hate the impersonal, soulless experience of the modern multiplex. Community cinema is about a “night out at the pictures” rather than just going to watch a larger version of the telly. If you’re thinking of starting up, the key is to offer something special. Anybody can have a giant screen and stentorian sound in their own home – what you need to create is something that’s really worth going out for…
Feckenodeon resumes on 24th September with Hail Caesar! plus supporting shorts. See www.feckenodeon.co.uk for details.
SHORT OF THE MONTH
(dir: Spike Jonze) USA, 2016 – 3 mins
Ok, admittedly, it is an advert, but as adverts go, it’s pretty darn good. Reminiscent of Sia’s Chandelier promo (unsurprising to discover it’s the same choreographer Ryan Heffington), Margaret Qualley flexes her dance moves in gravity- and expectation-defying fashion.
OTHER BUSINESS
OPPORTUNITIES
DIRECTOR OF FILM PROGRAMMING at Sheffield Doc Fest (closing 2 September)
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RELATIONSHIP MANAGER at Arts Council England, Birmingham (closing 4 September)
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PROGRAMME SUPPORT OFFICER at Into Film, Birmingham (closing 6 September)
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HEAD OF BRAND AND PARTNERSHIPS at The Space, Birmingham (closing 7 September)
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FESTIVAL VOLUNTEER at Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival (closing 8 September)
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HOSPITALITY STAFF & KITCHEN TEAM at Everyman Cinema, Birmingham (closing 9 September)
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OPERATIONS & FRONT OF HOUSE MANAGER at Ludlow Assembly Rooms (closing 9 September)
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VOLUNTEER & DEVELOPMENT MANAGER at Ludlow Assembly Rooms (closing 9 September)
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ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR at Warwick Arts Centre (closing 9 September)
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CURATOR (SOCIAL HISTORY) at Warwick District Council – Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum (closes 11 Sept)
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COMMUNICATIONS PRODUCER at Hereford College of Arts (closing 14 September)
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DIGITAL MEDIA APPRENTICE at Beatfreeks, Birmingham (closing 19 September)
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FREELANCE FILM/MEDIA PRACTITIONER at NCS The Challenge, West Midlands (closing 26 September)
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PRODUCER’S PERSONAL ASSISTANT (INTERNSHIP) at Vicarious Productions, Birmingham (closing asap)
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BFI FILM ACADEMY at MediaActive, North Shropshire (closing asap)
Short film course for 16-19 year olds which covers film history, idea and script development, practical animation and filmmaking techniques, editing, sound design, music and special effects. More info here or apply here.
SUBMISSION DEADLINES
13th September
Bucharest Short Film Festival, Romania
Short film categories include Narrative, Animation, Student, Experimental, Documentary, Fashion, Music Video, Stop Motion, Human Rights, Trailer and Webisode.
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7th (last call), 18th September (final)
Online film festival championing films which raise awareness of global issues.
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15th September
Horror-on-Sea Film Festival, Essex
Horror film festival in Southend-on-Sea, opening night coincides with the annual Essex Zombie Walk.
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16th September
MONO NO AWARE, Brooklyn, New York, USA
International exhibition of contemporary art/film accepting only analogue media (Super 8mm, 16mm, 35mm or altered light projections).
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21st September
Hellfire International Film Festival, Folkestone, Kent
Inaugural short film festival accepting comedy films under 25 mins.
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22nd September
Applications open for filmmakers with a completed feature length film, documentary, animation or a fully developed script/documentary treatment who are looking for financial/distribution/development support for their project. Fill in an application form for a chance to attend the industry event on Thursday 27 October.
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30th September (late)
Leamington Underground Film Festival, Leamington Spa
Prizes of up to £1000 available for non-mainstream short films.