Artists Cinema Shorts 2010 hits Cannes ahead of UK Regional Picturehouse release

Submitted by Matthew Arnoldi on Thu, 05/13/2010 - 09:55

A collaboration between ICO (the Independent Cinema Office) and LUX has led to the commissioning of seven International artists to produce a series of short films which have been shown in Cannes in the past week alongside feature films like the thriller The Ghost and British satire Four Lions.

The 2006 series of shorts previously screened alongside films like Borat, Casino Royale, The Lives of Others, Pan's Labyrinth and This is England, reaching audiences of over 100,000 people in cinemas UK wide.

16th Encounters International Film Festival

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 05/13/2010 - 01:16

Encounters International Film Festival is the umbrella title for two of the UK's leading film festivals Brief Encounters and Animated Encounters, with a host of cross-over attractions, at venues in and around the Harbourside area of Bristol, UK.

Highlights from the most recent edition of the festival included a Q&A with directors Andrea Arnold (Fish Tank), Tom Harper (The Scouting Book for Boys) and Eran Creevy (Shifty) discussing their progression from Shorts to Features, a Cinematography Masterclass with Gary Shaw (Moon) and a Late Lounge with live Poo-eoke!

Dancing Out of China

Submitted by Robert Alstead on Thu, 05/06/2010 - 09:47

One of the trickiest aspects of creating drama from a celebrated artist's life is finding an actor who can convey both the emotional life and the talent of that artist. It takes an accomplished actor to provide a convincing face to that artist and an excellent artist to convey the talent.

Ravishing animation in so-so Celtic quest story

Submitted by Robert Alstead on Tue, 04/06/2010 - 17:04

The Book of Kells is one of the oldest Celtic manuscripts dating back to the times when Norsemen terrorised communities along European shores raping and pillaging wherever they went.

The manuscript itself is revered for its intricate and beautifully hand-drawn illustrations, but is surrounded by mystery. The Secret of Kells, drawn in appropriately flowing, exquisite colours, tells the story of how the book survived the marauding invaders that ransacked Kells.

Artful working class Brit flick

Submitted by Robert Alstead on Tue, 03/16/2010 - 23:38

Fish Tank is one of those gritty working class, Brit flicks that makes few concessions to the demands of commercial cinema. Set in the grimy hinterlands of contemporary underclass England, it's a rite of passage drama about a bored and stroppy teenager Mia whose transition into adulthood begins when her mum brings a new man home to their grungy, high-rise flat.