Sci-Fi-London: The 11th Annual Festival of Science Fiction and Fantastic Film

OK, so here’s the blurb: SCI-FI-LONDON is the UK’s leading genre event and an internationally recognised launch pad for genre movies. At each festival they have at least a dozen UK premieres and in the last few years they had the first public screening (ahead of the USA!) of films like 28 Weeks Later and Bruce (Iron Maiden) Dickinson’s Chemical Wedding. 

Their next event is the 11th Annual Festival of Science Fiction and Fantastic Film, and it takes place next week, from the 1st to the 7th of May. 

Gorilla Film Magazine likes these guys, and we think you will too, so check out their website and if you’re available you’d be foolish to miss them next week.

Not only does the place have a great vibe, with screenings of a bunch of cool new films and huge costume parades (with prizes for the best) but they’re also responsible for an epic 48 Film Challenge, with many of the films going on to feature in other film festivals and even broadcast on Television. Hell, when Gareth Edwards won the competition in 2008, Vertigo Films were so impressed with his work they decided to develop a feature film with him. Something called Monsters, maybe you’ve heard of it?

Go check out the Sci-Fi-London website for more information about who they are, what they do, and what films are showing from the 1st to the 7th of May.

You can also follow them on Twitter and Facebook and all that stuff!

Teddy Boy

Teddy Boy is the first feature from Colorado based filmmaker, Sean J.S. Jourdan, one that they are currently trying to finance through the crowd-funding site, Kickstarter.

The story follows a married couple, Jakob and Helene, who’s marriage is under pressure following the death of their son, a pressure that is ratcheted up when the couple become involved with a young tennis player who comes to stay with them. This sets us up for a clash of egos as the two men vie for Helene’s attention, a battle which comes to a head when a sailing trip goes awry and the three of them have to struggle through the Colarado wildnerness to survive. Also, Mountain Lions and sex.

With a story reminiscent of Roman Polanski’s first feature, Knife In The Water, and some early success with the script at a number of film festivals, there’s precedence to suggest this ambitious team may have a little gem on their hands.

But potential’s not enough, this film needs cash! They’ve set a Kickstarter target of $33,333 to raise by April 16^th. So far, they’re doing pretty well, and as of 30^th March they were $20,000 to the good, a hefty chunk of scratch, but admittedly with some work to do to reach the $33k target.

In their favour is pretty slick pitch campaign, with a video featuring the director, his wife and their baby daughter, presenting this labour of love with the aid of some rather attractive watercolour paintings illustrating key moments from the film. Featuring the whole family in the pitch might turn off some people, but it emphasises how personal this project is. Aside from the inspiration coming from a moment the couple had to together, and aside from the fact that every film is personal to the maker, this couple are putting in $30k of their own savings to realise this passion project.

You can find more details of the film on their site, and view the Kickstarter campaign too. And if you like it, bung ‘em a few quid and support a truly independent filmmaker.

The 46-hour Film Jam

On the 24th of June SAE and Gorilla Film Magazine hosted a 46-hour film competition, hoping to encourage young filmmakers to get off their arses and make a movie. The team leaders put their hands into the mystery box and plucked out a scrap of paper with their theme written on it, they were also given a mug to use as a prop and a random line of dialogue to fit into their film. Each movie would be about three minutes in length and had to be delivered before the deadline on the 26^th, otherwise they wouldn’t be eligible to win a prize and their film wouldn’t be shown on a big, shiny screen. A couple of the teams were still rendering their films come the screening, and some of them didn’t even have time to submit, but nevertheless the films that were shown were a joy to watch and it was surprising to see how well these shorts had come together, despite the amount of time the filmmakers had to write, shoot and edit their babies.

Getting started

Out of the selection of shorts that were shown, three would go on to win prizes, and it was down to three judges to decide what films deserved the honour. After a half hour of energetic discussion, in which most of the conversation boiled down to how surprising the quality of the shorts were, the three judges shuffled awkwardly to the front of the screening room and announced the winners. Third place was ‘Ben’, the judges were impressed not only with the inventive camerawork and coherent story line, but also with how the filmmakers had taken the theme of ‘redemption’ and turned it on it’s head, showing how the idea of redemption can really mean something different depending on the individual.

The prizes are handed out

The second place went to ‘Ashes’, a beautifully shot film about lost love. The judges enjoyed the mood the film created, and appreciated the stylish, clever visuals and intriguing contrast of narratives.

First place went to Love Against the Odds, a heartfelt little film about the wonder of love. The film itself was a narrative of imagery, focusing more on objects, or landscapes rather than the couple who long to be with each other. We glimpse a quick shot of the protagonists, but the majority of the time we only see associations in the form of random items, which builds a feeling of nostalgia and a kind of understanding of what love is like in a long-term relationship. The tone of the film is light and breezy, and the expression of love bursts out of the semantics and gives you a hug. The imagery that is usually presented when dealing with the subject of love, such as kissing, is never shown, because it doesn’t need to be, the film is about love itself, no the presentation of it.

The judges and the winners of the competition 

This is the first time either SAE or Gorilla Film Magazine have hosted a 46-hour film competition, but I’m sure it won’t be the last. Check out the winner of the competition below.

OTTfilms: Sign up to be a Part of a Community of Filmmakers

OTTfilms was set up in 2005 to help UK filmmakers get their projects off the ground, at a time when it was extremely difficult to do so without huge funding and resources. Times may have changed but many of the hurdles facing UK Independent filmmakers remain. OTTfilms founder John Condon talks about his community of filmmakers. 

John Condon: I set up OTTfilms in 2005 to enable me to get a short film project off the ground. The problem was, any filmmakers that I knew were so busy trying to get their own projects made that they didn’t have time to help me make mine. It was a Mexican stand off, if you like. So, I decided that the best thing to do was convince them all that rather than none of us getting our films made we should instead band together and get 5 films made. The idea worked and that sense of collaboration and endeavour inspired me to start OTT, based upon that same ethos of give and take.

The name OTT came from that original camaraderie. I likened it to a group of WW1 soldiers leaving the trenches and going out into the no-mans-land of independent filmmaking with only the support of the filmmakers either side of them. So, going OVER THE TOP became OTT and we have never looked back. We now have over 2000 filmmakers, from writers to editors and everything between, making over 20 films a year together. OTT is open to anyone who wants to be involved in any aspect of filmmaking, whether you are a working professional or a keen amateur with no previous experience. All are welcome, as long as you are intending to make films and are willing to help others do the same.

We have a very active writers section and anyone looking to develop a script will find lots of willing help from our existing writers. If you are a director looking for something to direct, then we have a section of scripts that are being offered up by our writers for you to take on. If you are a director with your own script then we can help you crew and cast for every available role. If you are crew or actors then there are dozens of ongoing projects and hundreds waiting to begin. Just show your interest and help make them happen.

Once a film is completed we will host it on our site, on our Vimeo page and we will promote it via our social network. We will also screen every film made by our members to our members and the most successful films are screened at a West End cinema.

On top of that, we provide monthly events where members can gather together and directly discuss new and ongoing productions. We will soon be providing workshops and other incentives for our members. Our website will soon be updated to provide even more tools for our members to help them make their film dreams a reality.

OTT are filmmakers and film lovers, who are willing to help you make films. If you are willing to help other members make their films in return, then sign up today and get involved instantly. Membership is currently free. You can check out the OTT website by clicking on this link. We also recommend you sign up on the forum. And, of course, you can find them on Twitter and Facebook.

The Student Film Festival Speakeasy Event!

On Thursday the 18th of August, the SFF is reliving Prohibition at Platform in London Fields. If you dream of being a gangster or a femme fatale, sneak in for a night of prohibited fun.

This is not your regular film night. SFF London is taking you out of your comfort zone for a taste of danger. Expect games, film, music and of course, drinking that illegal goodness!

Gorilla Film Magazine will be there, making fools of ourselves as usual, with games Monkey Roulette and Risk it for a Biscuit.

Drink to the special mash-up of forbidden rushes and Cigarette Burns’ exclusive teaser for this autumn’s Pinky Violence series at the Rio Cinema. http://cigaretteburnscinem?a.blogspot.com/

Call the Tune! With all you hotshots in the room, SFF feared a blood bath so they have decided to let YOU choose the music. Post your favourite 5 swinging Prohibition tunes on their wall and they’ll play them on the night: http://www.facebook.com/St?udentFilmFestival

For this exceptional event, SFF will announce the winners of SFFLondon’s and ISFO’s unique film Pitch Competition! http://www.futureinfilm.co?m/blog/isfo-launch-party

So join us on the 18th of August at Platform, Netil House for trench coats, strangers, mysterious looks and barrels of whisky.

Doors open at 7pm. Entry is free!

Check out the SFF Facebook page by clicking on this link.

Mark Bowsher, director of Brenda, talks about making films on the cheap

The 2 Days Laughter Short Film Competiton was co-founded by Mick Etherton, Chris Cordwell and Jo Samuel of Beeping Bush Productions in partnership with Jean Lynch of Close-Up Film. Today, the competition is still run by Mick , Chris and Jo who have developed relationships with local filmmakers, film festivals and cinema audiences whilst establishing connections with local media and KCC Film Unit who actively promote both the 2 Days Laughter and the 2 Days Later Competitions on a national scale.

Brenda is a short, mock-documentary, that emulates the staggeringly popular ‘fly on the wall’ programs that fill up the schedule on channel 4. It tells the story of a care-worker who attempts to teach the apathetic youths of modern Britain how to survive in the potentially fatal environment that is ‘reality’. Brenda won  Best Film, Best Screenplay and Best Actress at 2 Days Laughter, Mark Bowsher, the director of the short film, tells us about his experience.

Mark Bowsher: It was Emma Brand (a friend from uni and an old housemate of mine) who came up with the idea for the sketch show I do for the internet, CAFLTtv, but I find that if someone comes to me with an idea I go off on a tangent and change it to make sure it’ll work with the style of comedy I like. The sketch Emma had written was basically taking the piss out of nanny state/PC attitudes and how people really have to have everything spelt out to them. So Emma wrote a script called Brenda Explains about a woman who teaches a man that walking out in front of a car is generally a bad idea and he claims he didn’t realise because no-one ever told him it was dangerous. A year or so later I wrote another script based on the idea which was more of a long magazine/current affairs programme, then I went off travelling for a year and then after coming back I found the script again and tried to film it.

Emma imagined our friend Kelly Davies doing the part but she wasn’t free and I thought Emma could do it pretty well. There was only really her piece to camera and Brian (who I was playing) headbutting the toast to film but I wanted to get a shot of them in the kitchen to put over the voice-over. So I told Emma it didn’t matter what she said because I wasn’t going to use any of the dialogue and that she should just pretend to show me around the kitchen and explain things not to do with a toaster and stuff like that. It started with the very first shot you see in the whole film and Emma just starting ad-libbing wildly and because we have the same sense of humour I was able to bounce off her and we just kept going. In the end we had about 15 minutes of footage and most of it I thought could be used for something. We never did second takes but we had to stop 5 or 6 times because we were cracking each other up. Abbie Murison who was filming for us was pretty convinced we’d rehearsed it because she couldn’t believe we were making it up on the spot.

What we’d filmed sat on the shelf for a few months while I filmed other stuff for CAFLTtv but I was slowly editing the whole sketch which had this one section in the Brenda Goswin Institute and I was struggling to work out how I would cut it down to a minute which still seemed pretty long for part of one sketch in a 10 minute sketch show. Then I remembered 2 Days Laughter and I wondered if I should try and enter and use this section just to test the water. I’m very much of the school of just grab a camcorder and film stuff instead of getting a whole crew together and doing things properly every single time.

The problem was that we needed to include certain things as part of the festival’s criteria – I picked Margate, an egg and a current news event (Gaddafi) from their list. Abbie Murison had already recorded a voice-over and her voice had been off screen during the interview with Brenda but to link it all up to the festival spec I had to change it so it made sense on it’s own and so I could mention Margate. I spent an afternoon editing it together and had my housemate/long-term collaborator John Fricker (who’s plays the crazy king Marteetee in Your Highness) record a voice-over for it to link the material and name drop Margate. I then spent 10 minutes pacing up and down trying to think how I could involve an egg and Gaddafi, grabbed my camera, the hoody I’d wore before and an egg and asked John to sit behind the camera and ask me what I wanted to be when I was older. I recorded a quick simple piece on my guitar and finished editing it.

I then had a load of problem exporting the bloody film and almost gave up because it was the early hours of the morning and I had to post it the next day to get it there in time. I had a brilliant time at 2 Days Laughter and the vast majority of the films cracked me up so I was pretty certain we had no chance of winning anything. I was wrong!

I mainly make sketches which you can see on my website, but I’ve recently just finished shooting my first short with a proper crew (all contacts I got from various 1st AD jobs I’ve done) called The Watchers with John Fricker in the main role. It’s a multi-format film about a homeless man who does medical experiments to get free accommodation and each experience is filmed in a completely different way. I’ve also shot a music video for my friend Nisha Chand which is a mix of stop motion and super8. None of these had any real budget, it was all out of my own pocket and The Watchers was the most expensive at £75.

Visit Mark Bowsher’s website to check out his sketches, and do give Brenda a watch, y’know if you’re not busy or anything. 

The world’s first film festival run by, and for, people with a learning disability

Oska Bright is a film festival for people with learning disabilities, not only do they celebrate filmmkaers who are otherwise segregated, they have a master class to teach more disabled people the art of making movies. Gorilla Film Magazine is super interested in the festival, and is working with Oska Bright to spread the word and put these filmmakers in the spotlight. In issue 3 (coming soon) we have an article on the festival written by Tilley Harris as well as a review of My Bloody Valentine (no, not that one) a truly fantastic short film by the Shyster Shadows. In the future, we hope to interview some of the filmmakers, and perhaps even get them to write some articles of their own, about their feelings on the film industry.

The films that we’ve seen are all massively different, but share certain similarities, such as an emphasis on telling the story through visuals, and a carefree attitude towards film-making. It’s refreshing to see, and we hope to see more soon.

Visit the Oska Bright website by clicking on this link.

Mayday, Monkeys, Monsters and Maps

A while back we got in touch with the East End Film Festival, looking for advertisements for our publication. We had a chat and they seemed interested in some sort of cross promotion, suggesting we get involved with Monday Mayday, a street party celebrating the EEFFs 10th year anniversary.

We had ourselves a good long think about how best to promote the medium of film, from shorts to low-budget filmmaking, and decided the logical thing to do was to host a treasure hunt.

For more videos click on this link.

And so, on the 2nd of May, Gorilla Film Magazine set up our stall in the Vibe Bar, on Bricklane, and told anyone who would listen about how we’d run in to a spot of trouble involving a pirate, a monster, a monkey and a map.

For more pictures visit our Facebook page, oh and we’ll have a video up soon.