Comments Off on Two Short Nights Film Festival Award Winners
Local and international directors win awards at the Two Short Nights Film Festival
Pictured: Paul Parncutt and the team behind Cloaned with their award for Best Short Film Commission.
Exeter Phoenix’s annual short film festival, Two Short Nights, brought flocks of filmmakers, viewers and industry specialists to the city last week in a celebration of short films and the people who make them.
With an emphasis on local filmmaking talent, the festival’s opening night on Thursday included the 48 Hour Film Screening, a collection of films written, shot and edited in just 48 hours. Supported by Cineon Productions filmmakers were in with a chance of winning £150 worth of equipment or training.
Toby De Burgh of Cineon Productions said ‘It has been great to support local filmmaking in this way and we were really impressed with the standard of films in the competition.’
Friday’s festival line up featured a sell out screening of Exeter Phoenix’s five film commissions of 2015. Jonas Hawkins, Digital Media Manager said: ‘The festival is all about offering a platform for new and emerging film talent and connecting filmmakers with a cinema audience’.
Other festival highlights included the International Shorts Screenings, a curated selection of inspiring short film from directors across the globe and a Live Pitch from filmmakers competing to win the £500 2016 Devon Documentary Commission. An award ceremony and after party brought the festival to a close.
Award Winners
Best Short Film Commission
Paul Parncutt for Cloaned
Best International Submission
Scott Willis and John Batty for What Do You See?
Audience Choice Award
Amanda Whittington for her documentary Jab Jab The Biggest Band You’ve Never Heard Of
Best 48 Hour Film
First place went to Team Carpentersson Constructions for Fireworks.
Second place went to Team Candylad for Dear Abigail
Third place went to Team Aardvark for Indie Pendant and the Lobster of Doom
2016 Devon Documentary Commission Winner
Simeon Costello won over the panel at Friday’s Live Pitch with his proposal to document his journey around the perimeter of the UK using only public bus transport on local routes.
This year’s awards were made by art students from The Maynard School with each one embodying it own bespoke design.
Comments Off on Give Someone An Experience They Won’t Forget This Christmas
Give someone an experience they won’t forget
Exeter Phoenix gift vouchers can be redeemed for anything in our programme, whether it’s a day exploring your creative side at a sculpting workshop, a training session with our filmmaking team, or a great night out at one of the hundreds of gigs and live performance events we programme every year.
Vouchers can be bought in any denomination you’d like, but here’s an idea of value…
A £15 gift voucher would buy you…
A trip for two to our 74 seater independent cinema
A £30 gift voucher would buy you…
A family outing to see some fantastic kids theatre
A £50 gift voucher would buy you…
A great night out for two to see a big name comedian or band
A £70 gift voucher would buy you…
An opportunity to learn new skills or get creative on one of our courses – learn how to make a film, a website, or improve your art skills with help from our professional tutors
After something extra special?
Our gift vouchers can be used to purchase bespoke tuition with any of our specialist tutors to gain training in photography, Adobe software, web design, video editing or camera skills. A bespoke, one-to-one day costs £175 (individual rate) £230 (commercial rate). To find out more about this offer, please contact our box office. Find out more about the range of training available here >>
How does it work?
Call our box office for more information, or buy an e-voucher below here >>
You can personalise your message and either have it delivered straight into the recipient’s inbox, or send it to yourself if you’d rather deliver it personally. Have a look at the example below to get an idea of what you’ll get.
Comments Off on Behind The Scenes: Brief Encounter
Behind The Scenes: Brief Encounter
The making of a classic during the Second World War
Now one of the most iconic British films of all time, Brief Encounter endured a rather unique set of filming challenges. Filming took place between January and May 1945, during the last months of the Second World War. So what were the challenges of making a film in wartime?
The biggest challenges faced by the production team were often to do with finding locations. Originally the scenes in the train station were going to be filmed in London, but with the ever-present threat of air strikes, the company was evacuated to outside the city. This led to the need for a new location to shoot the, now iconic, railway station scenes.
A suitable option was soon found at Carnforth, north Lancashire. The main reason Carnforth Station was chosen was that as it was so far from the South East coast, the crew would receive sufficient warning of an approaching air-raid attack that they would have time to turned out filming lights and comply with blackout restrictions.
For residents of Carnforth, the arrival of a film crew brought much excitement, with many locals being cast as extras. The highlight for those chosen was the provision of dinner each night, which often included sweets and other items that were otherwise controlled by rationing.
However, the use of a new, non-London location brought new and unexpected challenges for the crew. When trying to shoot images of high-speed trains passing through the station, director David Lean hit upon a problem. Train drivers in Lancashire were not used to cameras and production lights being pointed at them, and when they saw them they feared there was a problem at the station. The approaching trains therefore all slowed to a mere crawl on approaching the station. In order to get his shots, David Lean ended up having to send a railway traffic officer to the other stations in the area, reassuring drivers that they could maintain their speed whilst passing through Carnforth.
Scheduling during wartime brought about its own difficulties. When the war ended, Victory in Europe Day was declared, and so on May 8 1945, the cast and crew were given the day off. This wasn’t exactly so that they could go and celebrate, but rather because the cameras and crew were needed to help cover the VE Day celebrations in London.
With Brief Encounter celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, filmmaking may have changed dramatically, but the allure of this timeless classichas not faded. Thousands of people every year make the pilgrimage to Carnforth Station to take tea in its refreshment rooms and recreate the scenes from the film. Critical acclaim also continues to grow for Brief Encounter, with The Guardian describing it as ‘the best romantic film of all time’, and BFI’s ranking it as number two in its list of the Top 100 British Films.
Don’t miss your chance to see this timeless classic on the big screen.
As part of our #BFILove season, you can see Brief Encounter at Studio 74 on Thu 19 Nov. Find out more here >>
Jammy Voo’s latest show, Birdhouse, is a wonderfully surreal comedy horror, inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. Nominated for a Total Theatre Award for Innovation, Experimentation and Playing with Form, Jammy Voo’s Birdhouse introduces us to the four sole survivors of the infamous bird attack in Hitchcock’s iconic horror film.
Jammy Voo met whilst studying at the world famous Jacques Lecoq Theatre School in Paris. After forming in 2006, the company received Arts Council funding to create their first show Something Blue, developing their unique blend of physical theatre, sublime puppetry, arresting visuals, live music and song. They have since gone on to tour works both nationally and internationally, being met with critical acclaim along the way.
Speaking about the origin of their latest play, founding member and the company’s musical director Emily Kreider said:
‘In any horror film, it is certain something bad will happen. Perhaps even multiple times. Without question you are waiting and watching for the next horrific moment. You just don’t know when, where or to whom it’s going to happen. But it will. That is certain. In making Birdhouse we wanted to look at the anticipation of horror. What would it mean to live expecting and preparing for horror at all times? We found this notion to be hugely absurd, comic and tragic all at once. We liked that the subject of horror offered space for high drama, the surreal and the ridiculous. But there was also room for the poetic and heartbreak as well.’
Birdhouse will be performed at Exeter Phoenix on Tue 17 Nov. Find out more here >>
Comments Off on Theatre Alibi’s Daniel Jamieson wins award for his plays
We’re delighted to share with you the news that Theatre Alibi’s Daniel Jamieson has won a prestigious award for his plays for children.
Daniel won the award from Action for Children’s Arts after being nominated by the artistic director of nationally acclaimed children’s theatre the Egg in Bath, who commended ‘his original plays for Theatre Alibi that place children’s experiences of the world right at the heart of his exciting, profound and fascinating stories‘.
Action for Children’s Arts is the UK’s leading organisations promoting the value of the arts in children’s lives. The award was presented by bestselling children’s author Dame Jacqueline Wilson.
Comments Off on A New Devon Theatre Collaboration Responds to the banning of Gay Pride in Moscow
A response to the banning in 2012 of Gay Pride in Moscow for 100 years, We’ll Meet In Moscow comes to the stage of Exeter Phoenix on Mon 16 Nov.
Exploring hope, the distances we travel, and the lengths we might go to when falling in love, the piece is the culmination of a new theatre collaboration between Writer Natalie McGrath (Oxygen, Coasting), Choreographer Jane Mason (Life Forces, Singer), Designer Sophia Clist (Oxygen, The World At Your Feet) and Director Nicola Rosewarne (The Enchanted Palace, Third Light).
We took the time to speak with each of the creatives who have contributed to this collaboration to find out what they think of the project, the part they played in the artistic process and why they think YOU ought to come and see it.
From left to right: Natalie McGrath, Nicola Rosewarne, Belinda Chapman, Sophie Clist, Jane Mason, Michelle Ridings
NATALIE MCGRATH – WRITER
We’ll Meet In Moscow is a Devon based arts project, with a performance making engine at its heart of the same name, connecting to and celebrating LGBTQ stories, whilst responding to Gay Pride being banned in 2012 in Moscow as its original provocation.
The project started with me registering my shock at the fact that Moscow’s authorities had banned Gay Pride for 100 years, I wondered what that was about, and whether there was a way of responding to this through performance work/artistic activity, then the legislation in Russia making the lives of LGBTQ individuals more difficult began to emerge, so I invited others to join me in this exploration with a period of research and development that was funded by Arts Council last year, now we are here in the second stage of the project (also funded by ACE) making that performance work and supporting wider participation across Devon.
I guess there is real value for me in sharing stories and exploring lives onstage that aren’t often represented or made visible, and in this instance, we are telling a love story between two women, as the catalyst tapping into a deeper vein of what is happening in terms of prejudice and the difficulties that arise when life becomes dangerous because of your sexuality or difference.
NICOLA ROSEWARNE – DIRECTOR
This piece is designed to tell a beautiful love story between two women that spans one hundred years.
I’m engaged in working with the creative team to explore the content and shape the work from a theatre perspective.
The work will be beautiful and challenging. This sharing is a step on our journey towards making a complete work and we deeply value our audience responses to it.
JANE MASON – CHOREOGRAPHER
We’ll Meet In Moscow portrays the difficulty of love between two women, set in a changing sculptural landscape of white. The global reality of sustained persecution, hatred and intolerance by some people towards the LGBTQ community is absolutely sickening, and we feel people should know about it. The aim with the performance, which is one strand of a wider participation project, was not to comment in a documentary style way about the issues explored during our research, we wanted to concentrate on a poetic telling of a love story between two women, coloured by the intense atmosphere of fear that often shrouds homosexual people’s experience of love in Russia. At its heart this is really a story about love and fear and hope between two people in a place where they are unable to love freely.
I work primarily with the body, with an interest in foregrounding the body’s expression and language. As a choreographer working in a range of collaborative contexts with a strong interest in interdisciplinary performance, I see my role concerned with a broader notion of choreography. Looking at how movement, spoken text and relationships to cloth and space can interweave and combine successfully. During the Research and Development phases our various roles overlapped as we worked to increase our understanding of a shared language and form.
SOPHIA CLIST – DESIGNER
This performance is made up of reflections from and about two women in love, a love that is not allowed, expressing the fear, the courage and the hope.
In my role as the designer, I have introduced a material and object which can transform to tell a story in an abstract or literal way.
I hope that the people who choose to see this get an understanding of how dangerous it is to be gay in Russia, that people are being persecuted for their love.
BELINDA CHAPMAN – PERFORMER
To investigate how to find an accessible language, between the artists involved, to portray the lives that are affected by Russia’s harsh banning of gay pride and freedom of the gay community being able to freely to love one another. With this piece, we’re aiming for wider arena of people to have an understanding, acknowledgement and awareness of the effect this situation has on human beings, that have to put them selves in danger just to be ‘themselves’.
I am performing in the piece. Because of the way the process is set up – as a collaboration – I am able to offer my views, ideas and honesty as to how I feel and what I feel works / doesn’t work.
MICHELLE RIDINGS – PERFORMER
We’ll Meet in Moscow shows how the force of love between two women can survive in a climate of fear… in a land where people can disappear simply because of who they love.
As a performer relatively new to the collaboration, I feel my role so far has been to absorb and respond to the material presented to me, find the connections, discover the physical and emotional language to embody the work and bring it into life, finding the games, the relationships, energies, textures, inhabiting landscapes.
Audiences will be invited to look into the interior worlds of two women and recognise that we do not choose who we love. Love is a force which chooses us. It is blind, desperate and tender. It is expansive and full of joy. How would it feel to have to risk your life for who you love?
We’ll Meet In Moscow comes to Exeter Phoenix on Mon 16 Nov at 8pm. Tickets available here >>
Our upcoming #BFILove screening of Annie Hall has led to several conversations in the office about memorable first dates.
…Unfortunately first dates aren’t always memorable for the right reasons! From the downright awful to the hilarious, and right the way through to the rarity of perfection, one thing is for certain – every first date is different!
Read on for our favourite staff first date stories…
I’m sure everyone has experienced that horrible moment when you arrange a catch up with someone, and upon meeting it immediately dawns on you that they think it’s a date. My worst first date was one of those. Mid summer, hottest day on record that year. Walking along Swansea seafront with a very sweet guy from a death metal band who was cloaked in a black leather trenchcoat. Sweat poured as we awkwardly made small talk.
I went on a date in Bristol with a girl from Wales. We met in a pub and she drank a whole bottle of red wine to my 2 pints, then gave me an impromptu shoulder massage! Popped her on the last train home.
On my walk to meet a guy for our a first date, I realised I just couldn’t remember what he looked like! I was panicking as I walked into the restaurant, but luckily as soon as I saw him, that feeling passed. We got married three years ago!
I had a lovely first date with a girl called Josie. We had a lovely evening, and had loads in common. As I was saving her number, I started telling her how I’ve always thought Josie was a really beautiful name. Turned out she wasn’t Josie – that was her best friend’s name. It took me a good month to convince her that I wasn’t secretly in love with her best friend.
One Valentine’s day I took a girl out for a date and thought I was getting a great deal for £60 for the two of us with lobster, prosecco etc in a really fancy restaurant. Turns out I’d misread it and it was £60 per person, you should have seen my face when the bill came out for £120! This was when I was at university and had no money as it was!
In the run up to our showing of the Woody Allen Annie Hall classic we’ll be sharing our favourite first date stories right here. Got something to add? Get in touch! Help us build the collection and let us know your best first date story.
With our upcoming screenings of the classic Rebel Without A Cause and new biopic Life, we take a look at the legend of James Dean.
James Dean is not just an actor. James Dean is a cultural icon. The Telegraph have described him as ‘one of the most widely recognisable movie stars of all time’ and he is widely regarded as one of the icons of Hollywood.
Whilst he was already well on his way to Hollywood stardom, it was his untimely death at the age of 24 that elevated James Dean to a cult figure. In fact despite his now legendary status, Dean only appeared in three films – and only one had been released at the time of his death in September 1955.
East Of Eden, which had been released earlier in 1955, was Dean’s first major film role and has been named as one the best 400 American films of all time by the American Film Institute. Of his three films, this is also the only one that James Dean was able to watch in full. His performance also earned him a posthumous Golden Globe for Best Dramatic Actor.
Rebel Without A Cause is undoubtedly the definitive James Dean film. His performance as Jim Stark perfectly captures the disillusioned youth persona that is so widely associated with him.
His final film, Giant, was released in 1956 and earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
Despite his short film career, James Dean’s status remains legendary even 60 years after his death. The American Film Institute put him at number 18 on their list of the 50 greatest screen legends, and to this day thousands of people still visit his grave every year.
You need only look at cinema’s new releases to see that James Dean’s cult status is in no danger of disappearing. This year sees the release of Life, a new biopic about the friendship between James Dean and Life magazine photographer Dennis Stock.
You can see James Dean on the big screen this season our screenings of Rebel Without A Cause and Life.
As part of our Crossing The Line film season, we are screening The Lives Of Others – a classic tale of corruption, politics and human drama set in East Germany, 1984.
The film’s writer and director, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, is known for his rather unusual habits when it comes to scriptwriting. Whilst preparing for film projects, he is known to isolate himself for weeks at a time in the confines of an Austrian monastery. Donnersmarck is in good company when it comes to famous writers with peculiar routines and rituals.
Mark Twain and George Orwell claimed to have done all of their best writing whilst lying down, whereas Charles Dickens and Lewis Carroll are amongst the writers who achieved greatness whilst standing up.
When facing an impending deadline for The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, Victor Hugo ordered that all of his clothes needed confiscating until the novel was finished, rendering himself unable to leave the house.
Truman Capote’s habits were of a more superstitious persuasion, including his refusal to begin or end a piece of work on a Friday.
Whilst Stephen King won’t stop until he has written 2,000 words each day, James Joyce considered constructing two perfect sentences a good day’s work.
Perhaps the strangest known habit comes from Friedrich Schiller, who was known to keep rotting apples in his desk drawer, claiming that the stench aided his writing process. Staying with apples, Agatha Christie said her greatest moments of inspiration came whilst eating apples in the bath.
…Maybe writing in a monastery doesn’t sound so strange after all.
Do you have any peculiar writing habits? Let us know @creativehubEP
Comments Off on Gandy Street’s Countdown To Christmas!
As the race to Christmas picks up pace and sparkly trees and glitter start to appear in Exeter, Gandy Street will be buzzing with music and entertainers in their own seasonal festival: Countdown To Christmas.
From 5.30pm on Thu 26 Nov, Gandy Street’s independent traders will be holding an extraordinary pre-Christmas celebration shopping night with more than 20 businesses joining in the festivities. As well as discounts, promotions and offers galore, visitors to the street will be treated to goody bags, mince pies, mulled wine and all manner of samples and goodies to try.
Exeter Phoenix will be down on Gandy Street offering tasters of hot mulled cider, or call into our Café Bar to warm up, where you will find an array of of nibbles and great drinks offers.
The evening, which for some of the retailers will stretch on into the weekend, has been masterminded by Philippa Rutherford of Mantis.
‘Gandy Street is well-known for its unusual and independent boutiques and eating places and we wanted to get together to provide something really special for our customers to lighten the load and help ring in the Christmas cheer’, she said.
‘We’ve been overwhelmed by the number of businesses getting involved it’s going to be a brilliant night with a fabulous atmosphere, open shops, mulled wine, free samples, street theatre and very, very reasonable Christmas shopping – I challenge anyone not to feel Christmassy!’, she added.
Countdown to Christmas begins in Gandy Street at 5.30pm on Thu 26 Nov.
Comments Off on Upcoming Accessible Theatre Performances
Relaxed Performances
A relaxed performance is the opposite of the Quiet Carriage on a train…
Do you have a family member who makes involuntary noise, is likely to talk a lot, needs to move around, or gets disturbed by sudden loud noises? This might include someone with an Autistic Spectrum Condition, sensory or communication disorder or learning disability.
If so, your family might enjoy seeing theatre in a more informal environment. At relaxed performances, families are welcome to leave and re-enter the theatre as necessary and there will be a quiet place to go if you need one.
We know things don’t always go to plan on the day, so we’ve set up an offer designed to take the pressure off. Book in advance and we’ll refund you the cost of your tickets if you can’t make the show on the day, or are unable to stay for the performance. Our only condition is that you ring us before the start of the performance if you can’t make it.
Please contact Anna-Ruth at annaruth.peelcusson@exeterphoenix.org.uk or phone 01392 667080 if you have specific requirements. Details of access and how to get to Exeter Phoenix can be found here >>
BSL Interpreted Performances
We will also have BSL interpreted performances of both Olive And The Dream Trainand The King With Donkeys Ears, and are offering all families with deaf members one free ticket. We are also running an early bird offer for our BSL interpreted performance of Olive And The Dream Train. Bookby Fri 16 Oct and we’ll give you two free tickets.
All other tickets are a special price of £6 for Deaf family members.
To book your tickets please email annaruth.peelcusson@exeterphoenix.org.uk Please let Anna-Ruth know if you have specific requirements about where you need to sit.
FILMS TO FALL IN LOVE WITH
FILMS TO BREAK YOUR HEART
Studio 74 is taking part in one of the UK’s biggest celebrations of romance – the BFI LOVE season. Re-kindling audience passions for film’s most enduring love stories, with thousands of film events taking place nationwide.
Read on for the BFI LOVE events taking place here at Exeter Phoenix.
Lynch’s erotically charged exploration of crime, voyeurism and sexual perversion challenges conceptions of what makes a true love story. FIND OUT MORE >>
Comments Off on Support Exeter Phoenix as a Volunteer Steward
Deadline: Ongoing
Are you are looking to gain experience in a professional arts environment or are you simply a lover of music, performance or film?
We are looking for people to assist in the smooth running of our performances, looking after the safety and comfort of our customers and helping to promote Exeter Phoenix facilities and events. If you are enthusiastic, enjoy working in a customer focused environment and excited by our program this could be for you.
In thanks for your support you can see Exeter Phoenix promoted events of your choice for free and be very much a part of a small, fun and dedicated team.
This is a casual volunteer role and you can help out as little or as much as you wish, all we ask is a commitment of at least one event per month
Comments Off on Year 10 Work Experience Placements
DEADLINE: TUE 1 JAN
Exeter Phoenix will be offering several week-long work placements in the summer of 2019. This will involve working with our admin, marketing, digital, tech, and front of house departments on a variety of tasks.
Please return the application form below to Amber Goodwin-Figes (amber.goodwinfiges@exeterphoenix.org.uk) or by post at: ‘Amber Goodwin-Figes, Exeter Phoenix, Bradninch Place, Gandy St, Exeter, EX4 3LS’.
Please complete and return the attached application form for consideration by January 1st. Potential candidates will be invited to interview in February.
All application forms will then be reviewed and those successful will be asked to come in for an informal interview. After the interview stage we will contact you to advise whether you have been accepted to take your placement here.
We receive a lot of applications and interest and therefore can’t take everyone, so would recommend that you also approach other workplaces.
Thank you and we look forward to receiving your application forms.
Comments Off on Art Classes Offer – Bring a friend and we’ll give you rewards…
Bring a friend and we’ll give you rewards…
If you book two places on selected courses or workshops in Nov and Dec this year, we’ll give you a 10% discount on both places. That’s money off for you and your pal.
Discount available online or at Box Office and will be automatically applied to your basket when booking two or more places for a single course or workshop.
We are delighted to reveal that Exeter Phoenix has been included on the brand new Exeter Monopoly board.
In all, 22 Monopoly property sites take on an Exeter flavour and feel in the Exeter version of the game, with the Chance and Community Chest playing cards heavily customised too. You’ll find Exeter Phoenix over on the yellow squares!
Comments Off on Q&A With Crystal Moselle: Director of The Wolfpack
Exeter’s brand new independent cinema Studio 74 opens its doors with the sensational documentary The Wolfpack. Winner of the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize, this The Wolfpack takes you into the extraordinary world of the Angulo brothers who have been locked away from society for 17 years in a New York apartment. Their only experience of the world is through the films they have watched, and when one brother ventures outside, it changes everything. Can they integrate into society and still maintain their close-knit brotherhood?
If you can’t wait to see The Wolfpack read on for a Q&A with the documentary’s director, Crystal Moselle.
How did you first meet the Angulos, and when did it develop that you would make a documentary about them?
About five years ago, I was cruising down First Avenue in the East Village and these kids with long hair ran past me, weaving through the crowd. I counted one, two three of them…then three more. My instinct took over, and I chased after them catching up at a stop light. I asked where they were from and they said “Delancy Street”. They mentioned how they were not supposed to talk to strangers but wondered what I did for a living. When I told them that I was a filmmaker, they got really excited, exclaiming, “we are interested in getting into the business of filmmaking.” We made a time to meet so I could show them some cameras.
This was the start of our friendship. I started filming them here and there while teaching them and encouraging their film endeavors. About 4 months in, I was able to come into their home. This is when I realized there was a deeper story and continued from there – we shot for almost 5 years
How did the boys react to being filmed?
It was a roller coaster. I was dealing with adolescent boys, so I got all sorts of reactions.
When we started, everybody was on board to shoot but it took years to get some of the tender moments where they really opened up. It wasn’t easy at times but dealing with teenagers in general isn’t easy; I’ve had experience with this age range before in other projects.
Can you tell us a little bit about your filmmaking work aside from this film? Did any parts of this movie make it into other projects of yours?
I’ve been doing short form directing for many years. I have worked with Vice, New York Times and Nowness on several projects. I also shoot commercials and music videos.
I did work with the boys on a project for Nowness called “Lightning People” where I followed them around the city in a more artful way.
How did the parents take to being filmed? Were they worried at all about how they may have appeared, as their children had been in their apartment for so long?
The parents were open to the idea of documenting their family – I feel like they saw opportunity for their children. I’m not sure they realised how in-depth the project would get. I think there was some anxiety from each of them over the film, but they were always open and wiling to film. Now that they have seen the movie there is nothing but positive enthusiasm for the project from both of them.
When filming, were you tempted to intervene in the boys’ lives in any way, or help them get out of their apartment?
When I came into these boys lives there was nothing that alarmed me about the situation. They seemed stable, well cared for and educated by their parents (especially their mother). If I had come one year earlier things may have been different. Also, at the point I came into the story the boys had started their rebellion against their father and the power in the household had shifted. They did not seem to need or desire for me to intervene.
What I did do was to encourage them explore their interest in filmmaking, by helping them to get internships and introduce them to people in the film industry.
In the movie, the boys make an obvious progression, starting as very isolated characters but thrilled to learn more about the outside world. The mother seems to undergo a bit of a similar transformation – nervously testing her limits. How did she seem to progress from when you started shooting to when you ended?
Susanne feels like a different person to me now. When we first met she was more submissive and reserved. I think her children’s step towards freedom and socialization really helped her stand up for her own rights as well. It’s a process but she is well on the right path to gaining her own independence.
In the film, we see the boys’ sister Vishnu, but we don’t hear too much about her. Can you tell us a little bit of her story? Why did you decide not to use much of it in the final film?
Visnu has Turner’s Syndrome, which is a genetic condition in which a female does not have the usual pair of two X chromosomes. She can’t communicate as well as the others, and the film really shaped up as the story about the brothers breaking free. She was of course a part of it and is very much a part of the family. They have a really wonderful relationship with her – they take her to the beach and include her in their Halloween festival every year.
It’s interesting to see what an advanced aesthetic the boys have in the movie for people who are so isolated – both in their movie taste and their personal style. How did they end up seeing so many movies and where did they develop their personal wardrobes to that extent?
Their dad brought both classic and cult movies to them. They liked the violent, horrific, morally complicated films the best. As they read more about movies they started to request specific films.
The boys first saw Pulp Fiction on television, and this started their Quentin Tarantino obsession. It opened their eyes to film outside the realms of the standard Hollywood films they were used to watching. Since films were their world, they started to interpret these looks into their wardrobe. Their personal style is directly related to their favorite characters from their favorite movies. A lot of their early costumes were from clothing their dad would find on the street and at Salvation Army, which they would re-work by hand into specific costumes. For example, they’d tape blue Nike swooshes on tennis shoes to look like Marty McFly’s, or cut up a woman’s rain coat and sew it into the shape of Mad Max’s leather biker vest.
Comments Off on Call For Submissions – 2016 Devon Documentary Short Film Commission
Exeter Phoenix launches the first of its 2016 Short Film Commissions with a call out for proposals for the 2016 Devon Documentary Short film Commission.
In Brief
The 2016 Exeter Phoenix Documentary Short Film will be an enlightening and untold factual narrative, which will engage a cinema audience though concise visual story telling. Finished projects will include a 10 minute film, which will be premiered at Two Short Nights Film festival 2016 and a 3 minute edit which will be featured on screen in Studio 74, Exeter Phoenix’s dedicated screening space and may preview films at Exeter’s Big Screen in the Park 2016.
Applicants who are shortlisted after the first stage of applications will be required to live pitch their idea in front of a panel and small audience at Two Short Nights Film Festival 2015.
Who can apply
Exeter Phoenix Short Film Commission is open to individuals or groups based in Devon, UK, who have a great idea for a short documentary film up to 10 minutes in length. Projects applying for the Exeter Phoenix Short Documentary Film Commission must have a director or producer attached to the project who is 18 or over.
Level of funding
Exeter Phoenix will fund one short documentary film at £500.
The commission will include at least £240 worth of training in camera skills, sound recording, postproduction and script development as well as in kind support to the value of £1500 which includes the hire of film and sound equipment and production support.
Deadline
The deadline for applications is Mon 9 Nov 2015.
Successful applicants will be contacted by Fri 13 Nov with an invitation to present a live pitch at Two Short Nights Film Festival on Fri 27 Nov.
Exeter Phoenix recognises that moving image plays an important role in reflecting our culture, establishing individual voices and can help filmmakers and artists develop new skills and long-term relationships with cast, crew and cinema audiences, both locally and nationally.
Exeter Phoenix has awarded nearly 100 bursaries and commissions during the 14 years the scheme has been running. For many the process has helped establish film careers and played a vital role in building relationships within the creative industries.
2016 will see a reworking of the Exeter Phoenix Commissions in a response to the launch of its new Creative Hub, and screening space, Studio 74, which opened in October and which will offer a new platform for commissioned work. The reworking will re-enforce the organisations strengths and expertise in developing moving image talent and help to offer support right the way through the development phase and beyond the first screening. The new schemes will also encourage fresh talent to apply and initiate a new window of opportunity to previously commissioned filmmakers
Four further Commission strands will be announced in November 2015.
Comments Off on Arts, Cinema and Live Music in the run up to Christmas
The run up to Christmas sees another vibrant mix of music, art and performance, from award-winning internationally renowned artists to homegrown talent. Alongside this thrilling programme of live events, Studio 74, Exeter’s new independent cinema presents an inspiring, hand-picked programme of first-rate alternative film and the latest arthouse releases.
Music highlights this season include a South West visit from one-time Supergrass frontman Gaz Coombes, ambient house pioneers The Orb and ex-Bombay Bicycle Club singer Lucy Rose. Exeter’s most imaginative New Year’s Eve event returns with more live music, zany performers and hidden surprises as a fitting finale to a jam-packed season. Following the success of 2013’s Spectacula Fantastica and 2014’s Time Travellers’ Ball, this year’s Wonderland themed party is set to be the season’s hot ticket.
Comedy fans will have their pick of familiar faces from television panel shows, including James Acasterand Robert Newman. ‘Tis the season for family theatre, so those with young ones in tow will be pleased to see two fantastically inventive productions hitting the Exeter Phoenix stage. Theatre Alibi present their action-packed new show, Olive and the Dream Train, while Quirk Theatre return with their innovative alternative to the traditional pantomime, a new show titled The King With Donkey’s Ears.
Our new cinema Studio 74 will be coming to life with an inspiring collection of new release indie films, amongst a host of buzzing festivals and special events. Highlights include hotly anticipated film The Lobster, an absurdist story of human-animal transformation in a dystopian near future, and award winning documentary Salt Of The Earth.
As part of one of the UK’s biggest celebrations of romance, the BFI LOVE film season, cinema-goers can rekindle their passion for the big screen with a series of films exploring romance; from vintage love flicks like Brief Encounter, to those which challenge conceptions of what love is, such as cult-classic Blue Velvet. November sees the return of Two Short Nights, the festival celebrating short film and the people who make it.
In an unprecedented Exeter gallery takeover, we are teaming up with Double Elephant Print Workshop to exhibit work from the Redefining Print project in Surface/Contact, an exhibition exploring themes of surface, layers and sense. Work from the Redefining Print project will also be exhibited across the city, in RAMM, Exeter Central Library, Brook Gallery and TOPOS.
Find all the new season events and ticket information here >>
Comments Off on Exciting News From M&S Energy Fund!
We are thrilled to announce that we have won the M&S Energy Fund for the South West. Over 246 projects were submitted to M&S, before a public vote decided which projects would receive funding. We are therefore delighted that we will be receiving £12,500 from M&S towards our solar-powered cinema project, we couldn’t have done it without you.
This fund will allow us to install solar panels on the roof of our the cinema in order to generate our own energy and allow for a greener future for arts in the city. It will also pay for energy saving systems, fittings and technology within our building.
Environmental sustainability isn’t something we want to do by halves, and this funding will help us on our way to making our dream of a solar powered, energy efficient arts venue a reality.
As well as the satisfaction that comes from supporting the growth of Britain’s sustainable future, we hope that the financial savings made by generating our own energy can be passed on to our loyal customers. We want everyone to be able to share in the benefits that a solar-powered independent cinema will offer the city.
We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to vote for our project, and we look forward to sharing Studio 74 with you very soon.
Comments Off on 48 Hour Film Challenge Team Registration Now Open
48 Hour Film Challenge Team Registration Now Open
THE DEADLINE FOR TEAM REGISTRATION HAS NOW PASSED
For the 8th year running Two Short Nights is inviting teams of filmmakers to take part in this inspiring challenge. Teams must sign up by Wed 4 Nov in order to attend this year’s challenge, which takes place on Fri 6 – Sun 8 Nov 2015.
No previous film experience needed, just a good imagination and a camera.
Films made and delivered within the 48 hours will have the chance to be screened at the opening night of Two Short Nights Festival 2015 and are eligible for two Festival Awards.
AUDIENCE AWARD – Every film screened at Two Short Nights Film Festival can be voted for by our audience. The film with the most audience votes will be announced at the Premiere Screening.
SPONSORS AWARD – The team which shows the most innovative and inspired use of the brief will be awarded the prize for Best 48 Hour Film and will receive either half a day camera skills training with our sponsors, Cineon Productions or £150 worth of kit hire. The winning film will also be hosted online and has the chance of being screened at Exeter’s Big Screen in the Park and in Studio 74. The Sponsors Award will be announced at the 48 Hour film Screening on Thu 26 Nov.
Need some inspiration? Take a look at some of our previous entries
2013: Becoming Marble Man – Team: Privvy De Bins
Winner of Two Short Nights 48 Hour Film Challenge 2013:
GSOH – Team: Get Me Rex Krammer
2014 entry: Hauntings Of Devonshire with Billy Angora
How Does The 48 Hour Film Challenge Work?
Teams are invited to the Challenge launch at 6pm on Fri 6 Nov where they will be presented with a theme, a prop and a line of text, all of which must be included in the film.
Films must be made and delivered in 48 Hours and returned to Exeter Phoenix by 7pm Sun 8 Nov.
Kindly supported by CINEON PRODUCTIONS
THE DEADLINE FOR TEAM REGISTRATION HAS NOW PASSED
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Annie Hall
Brief Encounter
Fatal Attraction
Blue Velvet