Manchester International Festival and other Treats

So I'm back in Manchester to work at the International Festival and the running theme seems to be sensory overload.  From the fantastic pastels of Festival Square to the high energy of the show I am working on  Massive Attack vs Adam Curtis, the intimacy of Macbeth (I haven't watched it yet but there is a lovely Manchizzle review here)

In addition to the new festival friends I'm making and experiences I am having, I am obviously also taking time out to catch up with friends and my favourite creative places around the city.  In particular my hosts Laura and Nick are magnificent and Cornerhouse/Library Theatre Co./Home friends are welcoming as always.

As always I have been updating my film blog too, and my review of Stories We Tell which I saw last week should be up in the next couple of days.

So here's a few things I've been up to for the first 10 days.

Where I've Been & What I've Seen: Robert Martin Exhibition -Taurus Bar, Vimto sculpture - Umist Campus, Sackville Park, Olive, Festival Square & Pavillion (feat. Drunk at Vogue Drag Queens and assorted musicians), Gingers Comfort Emporium (Chortlon Crack Ice Cream - intriguing), Stories We Tell (excellent) & Anguish & Enthusiasm exhibition at Cornerhouse, MOSI including the Cosgrove Hall Exhibition (also featuring stop motion animators Mackinnon & Saunders), John Rylands Library, Manchester Library (a girl sometimes needs to email), The Old Woman, Massive Attack Vs Adam Curtis and a few things I'm sure I've forgotten.

Before...and After

In 1995 I fell in love with a film about 2 people wandering around and talking (or as my romantic 14 year old self would have put it - a blissful rambling mediation on love and life)  .

In 2004 I was certain that nothing could live up to my expectations regarding that film, and yet it surpassed them. 

In 2013 I thought there is no way that I could be happy if they were happy and happy if they were sad.  They were both and I am very happy having watched it.

It is a rare film that keeps you invested in 2 people, for so long and knowing that like most romances on film there may not be a happy ever after in the traditional sense.  I continue to be intrigued and more than a little obsessed by Jessie and Celine, and like the equally fascinating 7 Up documentary series long may they continue to explore love and flirting either on screen or off screen in my imagination.

A Marathon of Blogging

I do not mean to neglect you my dear readers, and I am rectifying this shortly.  In the meantime, I have promised you a few reviews and they are over on my other blog, but my regular foray to the Manchester International Festival will provide fertile cultural fodder in the months ahead and I am planning a montage of some exciting projects that are waiting in the wings.

In the meantime I have reviewed Stoker, Iron Man 3 and The Place Beyond The Pines on my film blog, as well as summing up a few of the the year's releases which have whipped me into a frenzy of anticipation!

Enjoy the bank holiday!

The End of An Age

In the last month some people who have profoundly influenced me died. They are mainly creative and one very political and high profile so excuse some minor ranting and then some more pleasant memories of some people whose loss saddens me but whose legacies will continue to shine on through their endeavours.

Margaret Thatcher: 13 October 1925 – 8 April 2013 (UK Prime Minister  4 May 1979 -28 Nov 1990)

She was important in my life in that I was born in 1979 so my first 11 years were tainted by her being at the helm of British politics.  I even remember where I was when she was ousted  - first year History lesson with Mrs Jones – and it was a monumental time of political awareness for me.

I hate a lot of what she stood for, I hate her attitude to feminism and I despise the vast majority of her politics.  She did however achieve the remarkable feat of being the only ever British female Prime Minister and to date the longest serving.  Her policies have left me with a bitter aftertaste so all in all my only tribute to her is to encourage you to watch this film about  one of her less fine moments, The Fawklands, and I may get around to watching The Iron Lady at some point soon.

Jane Henson :  16 June 1934 – 2 April 2013

Another lady who influenced my early years, however little I knew of it at the time, was co-creator of The Muppets Jane Henson.  Apparently they “were mostly doing it just to entertain ourselves” , but it there is no doubt they enchanted and delighted the entire world too.  So I pay tribute to her not just for helping bring Miss Piggy, Kermit, A Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet babies and many other unforgettable characters to life, but with deep gratitude for my Henson favourite Farscape and for founding the Jim Henson Legacy, which continues to publicise his creative influence through exhibitions and presentations.  Watch this and I dare you not to smile.

(Juan José) Bigas Luna : 19 March 1946 – 6 April 2013

Not such a direct influence on my life, but as a huge fan of Spanish cinema and Javier Bardem as an actor it would be a huge shame not to mention this extremely talented director who helped promote the talents of many of Spains greatest actors.

Given that he was a man who espoused great cinematic vibrancy I will direct you to the Guardian photo gallery - http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/gallery/2013/apr/08/bigas-luna-best-films-pictures

Richard Griffiths :  31 July 1947 – 28 March 2013

A couple of days after his death King Ralph was on TV and even in a film which is a guilty pleasure you get a sense of Richard Griffith’s great affability.  He had a true talent for playing genuinely warm hearted characters.  James Corden wrote this moving piece about him and he was not alone in the acting community to fall over themselves to laud and praise him.  My first filmic encounter with him was of course as the larger than life Monty in Withnail & I a role filled with comedy, gravitas and amazing enunciation!

Roger Ebert : June 18, 1942 - April 4, 2013

Dear reader we would not be here together had I not loved this man’s way with words. He championed great filmmakers and his personal philosophy was one of kindness.  He was articulate, embraced emergent technology and wouldn't shirk at taking on the living breathing organism of bigotry that is the Westboro Baptist  Church in his dying days.  He is a man I continue to respect, trust and revere.  If you’re not sure if you should watch a film you can never fail to get a better understanding than reading his considered reviews. My film life has been richer for him and will continue to be for years to come.  I leave you with the man himself, his own review of himself and his considerable legacy. http://www.rogerebert.com/rogers-journal/a-leave-of-presence

Here he is reviewing The Shawshank Redemption with his long time collaborator Gene Siskel. 

Spain in The Rain (well in Manchester!)

My co-blogger Laura posted about all the films she saw at ¡Viva! 2013 and I play a supporting role.
Click here for todo sobre ¡Viva! 2013.

Creativity Marches On

Heather Gardner at The Old Rep until 28 March

To me March is always synonymous with culture. I am straddling the Birmingham and Manchester arts scenes like a ...funny simile.  It's not all been film either, here's a selection of stuff I've seen or want to see; radio, cinema, theatre & events across the UK and the web in March and beyond.

Neverwhere.  Neil Gaiman is an immensely talented fantasy writer, who has collaborated with Terry Pratchett on Good Omens, penned the hugely successful Sandman graphic novel series and written the award -winning The Doctor's Wife episode of Doctor Who.  I could love him just for these, but he also wrote a TV series/novel based on a suggestion by Lenny Henry to create a drama about the homeless and disenfranchised.  Neil Gaiman tackled it with sparkle and charm and it is currently a Radio 4 series starring James McAvoy, Sophie Okinedo and Anthony Head to name but a few. Catch up here

I went to see Heather Gardner at the Old Rep - a delicious reworking of Ibsen's Hedda Gabler.  Worth watching for a brilliant study of manipulation and power struggles relocated to the cut throat world of Birmingham University academics.  Heather has beauty and the adoration of her somewhat dry academic husband, but figures from her past show up and afford her an opportunity to maintain the thing most important to her - power over others.

Del Lado del Verano played for the final time at the Viva Spanish and Latin American Film Festival.  It's definitely worth seeking out because after Festen, this is one of the most dysfunctional and in denial screen families I've seen in a while.  It's a fantastic car crash of a family, dealing with the aftermath of the death of a man everyone seems to view in completely different ways.  And you know I like to big up women directors, this film has the added bonus of super talented transgender actress Antonia San Juan at the helm (La Agrado in Almodovar's Todo Sobre Mi Madre), directing herself as a homophobic high maintenance mother to a gay son.

The festival continues until Sunday, I'll be catching Spanish werewolf flick Lobos de Arga/ Game of Werewolves and 30 años de oscuridad / 30 Years of Darkness an animated documentary about people driven by fear of Franco's regime to hide in the shadows.

Stoker.  I'll be writing a full review on my film blog shortly but needless to say a film which combines the  talents of Oldboy director Chan-Wook Park and with a screenplay from the writers of The Secretary as well as the star of Prison break, is an interesting prospect.  Instense and dark, the film has an equally strong and disturbing central protagonist, India Stoker and even in his first English language film, he doesn't hold back on the violence and chilling family dynamics. Here's the trailer

That is all without mentioning the celebration of Women Filmmakers which is Birds Eye View in London, Flatpack Birmingham's excellent alternative film festival & Theatre Fever in Birmingham as well as epic digital festival Future Everything in Manchester. 

Thanks to Clem, Chris, Laura and Nick for harbouring me through this fabulous times and joining me on my quest for film and fantasy : wonderfully evoked here by Simon Ward of the ICO talking about Carlos Reygardas' latest film Post Tenebras Lux which opens today and the joys of being a film addict.

Keep the culture flowing, and let me know in the comments about your cultural highlights which are keeping you out of the cold, cold British weather.

Nothing Pointless about Oslo

A few months ago I squeed about the pinnacle of my nerd career so far, being on and winning the quiz show Pointless, based on my knowledge of Oscar winning directors no less.

Charlotte and I decided we wanted to take a trip together with the winnings, and after long consideration (Cannes will be postponed and probably a solo venture - for those of  you who saw it) we went to Oslo.

Neither of us had been to Scandinavia before so we didn't know what to expect -and I was very pleasantly surprised.  I'm still editing video footage, and I took about 600 photos.  There was so much to see and do, it's a wonderful cultural city and I was really pleased with the amount of street art and street sculpture - a few examples below.

So I will definitely be heading back, noting that reputations are reputations for a reason and taking some alcohol with me and avoiding such a cold time of year!

March Event: High Society Film Premiere

Hello noble readers!

As I often say I am happy to share projects that people are doing & a friend of mine is distributing a film! It’s called Hi-So (Thai slang, short for 'high society'). There are a couple of screenings this weekend in London which some of you Indie film lovers might appreciate. I hope you can make it, especially as I can’t, feel free to post me your comments about it if you do go along.

There are two special screenings on 1 & 2 Mar, each followed by director Q&A and drinks reception with a free beer thanks to Chang Beer! Definitely one for lovers of good independent cinema and a more authentic view of Thailand!

The premiere is on Fri at Curzon Renoir at 6.15pm and the second screening + Q&A is Hackney Picturehouse on Sat at 2pm in the afternoon.

So that’s a UK Premiere of Thai Cinema, with free booze and a filmmaker to boot…Day for Night are really spoiling us!

Here are the links for booking & info:

htps://www.facebook.com/HiSoFilmUK

www.day-for-night.org/

Trailer:

I predict...a riot!

So tonight's the night.  To get myself in the mood I may even dust off an evening frock! OK maybe I'll just wear the pyjamas without the holes.  I will be live tweeting @shegeekbham if you want such dazzling insights as - "yep he's drunk", "that dress is amaaaaaazeballs"  "WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAT!!!!!" & "Nice speech".

Well lets face it, the results are unlikely to vary from other awards by much, so Seth MacFarlane needs bring the controversy, which shouldn't be a problem.

In case you haven't caught my other blog (what, faithful readers? you don't follow my every move?) I have listed my predictions there.  Well here.

To aid your passage through the night, I've linked to a couple of drinking games (remember the year of the strange interpretive dance!) although I will be staying sober to keep my witty edge and because I'm working tomorrow.

http://filmdrunk.uproxx.com/2013/02/filmdrunk-oscars-drinking-game-2013 - the party drinking game

http://www.ibtimes.com/best-oscar-night-drinking-games-2013-1101388 - and a few others

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/feb/22/oscars-2013-drinking-game  - slightly over complicated

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/food-for-men/2013-oscars-drinking-game-15130710  - awesome

Anyway - enjoy and celebrate films (responsibly!) wherever you are.

Single on St Valentines

I am always single on St Valentines Day.  Usually I catch a movie at home (usually NOT Before Sunset because Celine's breakdown is a little too raw when I'm reflective).  This year I watched Les Miserables surrounded by couples and enjoyed a good uplifting cry as the last couple of songs washed over me with their melancholic beauty.  So much for dignified defiant singledom.  This year I let it upset me that I was single, alone "on my own".

Anyway I came home and came across something I bookmarked a while back which reminded me that I am single and difficult to love and eccentric but I am me and happy to be me. This inspiring poem and beautiful vimeo video says it far more eloquently than me:

(here is the interview with the poet - http://wellandoftenpress.com/reader/november-2012/to-be-vulnerable-and-fearless-an-interview-with-writer-warsan-shire/)

Sarah Keeling's Showreel

Something I enjoyed watching today, by the lovely and talented Sarah Keeling.




Oh and Laura posted about sequels on our What Have You Done To Deserve This Blog.  Check it out here...

Featured Photos


I do love pinterest.  As a lifelong collector of postcards I have in the past had rooms with walls covered with random photos and postcards, so for me pinterest is a fabulous site which lets me share my walls and see other people! 

I also adore the fact that they can be organised in theme related boards. 

So in adiition to the lists of creative people on this site, I am also gradually pinning some images by my favourite phtographers (many listed here too).

http://pinterest.com/brummieblerd/photos-by-my-favourite-photographer-friends/


 

Random Insomniac Limerick

I can't sleep.

I had to write an extended bio for my shorty award profile, a thing I only completed because I couldn't get to sleep.

Since my chances of winning a shorty are zero, and I hate writing bios, I wrote a limerick instead:

There once was a girl from Great Barr
Whose ambitions extended quite far
Films were her dream
And crazy she seemed
With creations quite strange and bizarre.

Unfortunately there is no poetry award!

In case you're curious so far I have voted for Lizzie Bennet Diaries in webseries (I still love you Awkward Black Girl - please don't hate me!  Issa Rae you'll get my actress vote) and failed to nominate Socially Awkward Darcy in the fandom category because she doesn't have a twitter. Feel free to comment if you can find a way around this.

I do like to rock an obsession!

To sleep, perchance to stare at my ceiling.

Oh and if you're bored you can nominate me by clicking the box below:

Nominate

Getting My Creative Juices Flowing

Happy January

As I said last year I shall be refocusing this blog on creative projects and creative people. I'll still talk about films I've seen but more in depth thoughts will move to the new film-centric blog with my fabulous friend Laura Bradshaw.  The first What Have You Done To Deserve This post is now up here.


I shall me adding some musings on the Oscar nominations and some films I've seen lately.  I have been working my way through the nominated films, and I can't be outright confident about any of the nominees, so far I think this is the most fun I've had watching the Oscar nominated films for a while.  Silver Linings Playbook had me giggling from start to finish, Brave's Merida had me thinking about my own princessy little sister more than once, and Tarantino's Django Unchained more than makes up for N-bombs and gratutitous violence with witty banter and some serious A-grade hammy acting (his own being the only low point).  Looking forward to the downers next with plans to see Zero Dark Thirty, Les Miserables (well the clue is in the name) and Lincoln.  Thank god I've already seen the marvellous Amour or February could be pretty bleak!

Back to my own filmmaking projects:

I will hopefully be working with a very talented playwright to adapt her one woman show into a film and I've recently read a script for a short film about the perils of not believing in magic.  I am hopefully going to get production moving on that very soon.

I also have a planned script of my own, I have been working on.  For a sneak peek at some of my inspiration I've been using Pinterest as an ideas board.

I've been pretty motivated already, and was helped along by watching the TED talk below given by Alex Day talking here about how he came to become a unique chart sucess and make his Forever Yours music video.  Take care folks and post your own projects below for sharing.  As always my stream of consciousness is also followable on twitter where I am @shegeekbham.

2012: It's The End Of The Year As We Know It...

We "survived" the most anticlimatic Mayan apocalypse that wasn't, and if I'm honest, it’s been a mixed bag of a year, which means I shall be looking forward to 2013 all the more.

I have a few projects on the go as always, but want to concentrate on my filmmaking and film writing. To that end a friend and I will be starting a new blog: What Have You Done To Deserve This, which will be more film centric than this blog and less rambly too. I’ll link to our first posts here but once we’re up and flying I’ll probably just post them at the side. As for the filmmaking, that will stay here on my creative projects site and I will be cleaning it up, featuring more people and generally blogging better.

So here’s a summary of some of my personal highlights

Favourite Films

I’ve had a few disappointments, Take This Waltz being notable for high expectations but not quite delivering as a whole in spite of a decent premise and some truly wonderful casting and acting.  Mainly that I just haven’t managed to see some films, Berberian Sound Studio and Beasts of the Southern Wild, to name a couple.

That said I’ve also had some real delights, Amour, Sightseers, The Cabin In the Woods, Ted, the Dark Knight Rises, Skyfall and Paranorman all tickled my fancy in different ways.  My unbeatable film of the year for sheer combination of elements, wit, humour, cinematography and again fantastic casting and performances, you cannot fault The Avengers for unadulterated delight and leaving you wanting more.

                                

Personal achievement of the year

Pointless.  They asked me about Oscar winning film directors.  God bless you Michel Hazavanicius and your incredibly difficult to pronounce name.

Social media Joy

This was one of my favourite tweets this month.

This will probably be my favourite retweet ever.

Favourite video:  

So hard to pick one Lizzie Bennet Diaries episode, but this one shows just how much thought has gone to the whole adaptation. 

Fab of the year: Project For Awesome 

No people has more espoused my ideals than the VlogBrothers.  I love what they do and how they do it, Decrease Suck, Increase Awesome.  What better ethos is there? They educate, speculate, write, sing and inspire and they raise money for charity to make the world a better place.  Don’t Forget To Be Awesome in 2013 people.

Creative Times: If Only I Could Teleport

The Wedding Scene from Don Giovanni

Hello noble  readers.

This weekend I am going to a wedding which promises to be a superlative couple of days amongst some fantastic friends.  That said, being fond of performance and pop culture I have to say this weekend is one of those times I wish I could teleport or clone myself to magically indulge in some serious cross UK, cross cultural activity.  So for your delectation my futuristic fantasy of what 24^th – 25^th November would hold.

Saturday:
I’d take in the Celebrity Couples conference at the university of  Southampton – hopefully catching the sessions on The Romantic Myth of Kate and Spence or Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith: From Latin Lover and Hollywood Bad Girl to Loyal Husband and Aging Female Star .

Unfortunately in order to catch the vows in sunny Manchester*, I will have to miss Watching the Throne: Beyonce and Jay-Z: Managing Celebrity Authenticity in the Blogosphere by a Salford based media lecturer, Dr Kirsty Fairclough.

Ah yes, if I had the power of instantaneous travel, after the food, speeches and first dance at the  Magnificent Manchester Wedding, I could take a breather and merely mosey across to Nottingham for my second viewing of the current Opera North run of Don Giovanni featuring a crazy wedding and an even crazier gatecrasher, and the best “appeasing a jealous boyfriend”  scene I have ever witnessed.

Then back to raucous antics in Manchester for the end of the wedding and possibly a hangover to end all hangovers.

Sunday:

What better way to ease my hangover than by catching up with friends over breakfast lunch and in a blink I could either return to my home turf at The Drum to take in a film. Since there is a Q&A with   Express Punjab a documentary about drugs in Pakistan that would be one option, or I could take full advantage of sci-fantasy transport methods and head even further south.

My second afternoon filmy choice would be attending the brand spanking new Underwire film festival  addressing why women “can’t” make featurefilms, with Dreams of A Life director Carol Morley and (I’m trying to be sooo cool about this and failing) my new twitter follower Hannah McGill, lists amongst a magnificent cv being former Artistic Director of the Edinburgh Film Festival.

After that I could Stealth Salvatore across time and space indulge in some mulled cider at the German Market and a brat-best (they could never be called wurst!) and finish off the night listening to the dulcet tones of Terri Walker back at The Drum . 

Alas without the aid of a tardis, this weekend will remain a fantasy and perhaps that’s for the best, after all friends and family are pretty special in themselves.

*the blogger accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of this statement or choking fits suffered by readers.

Creative Gifts: Christmas is coming

As Christmas approaches I would like to suggest gifts of books written by people I know: for your consideration I present:

By Andy Murray: Into The Unknown; The Fantastic Life of Nigel Kneale – for Sci Fi fans

By Leeanne Stoddart: Unrealistic Expectations – for poetry fans

By David Kirby: Lab Coats In Hollywood – for Sci Fi/Science nerds
Es

Bringing The Random: Secret Geek Mission

So I mentioned in July that I had been busy in June, one of the things was recording a tv show which will be shown tomorrow night - Thursday 18 October, 2012 at 5:15pm on BBC1.

Can you guess what it is yet?!

The Link for the show on iplayer will be added on Friday.
Edited: oops a little late - it's live until 24th October. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01nht97

Creative Times: October Fests

Hello Readers,

It's your sporadic blogger here (guess who re-watched Clueless recently!)

A couple of things you should be checking out this month:

Online: All Animated. animators community  I started following them on facebook this week and already been introduced to this little gem:


Birmingham - Afrovibes festival at The Drum.  It was a fabulous success last time and features international dance, theatre and music.  It's also touring around.

It's worth just popping down for the photos on display in the cafe by South African Artist Tyler Dolan : Here's his website and the festival website

Also it's October, so it's Black History Month and there are fabulous events accross Birmingham.  I am planning on heading to the mac on Sunday with photographer Vanley Burke.  You can follow the Birminum trail featuring places from the photographs in his exhibition charting Birmingham immigrant communities.

Anyone else excited about the new lady in charge of the London Film Festival, Claire Stewart?  just me - can't be!  I probably won't make the festival, but this piece on shorts programmer Phil Ilson has me seeing if I can rework my schedule.

Also perpetual PlanetEsther fave, Cornerhouse is merging with the Library Theatre and recently announced it's new name.  I am not quite used to it yet, but as long as it has the same ethos, I suspect I will have no problem making it my occasional Home.

Happy October folks!

Creative Times: A trip worth taking

On Wednesday night, I attended the launch of the Abandon Normal Devices in Manchester. Having navigated several of the opening night venues and walked a great deal of Manchester I reached a stumbling block, literally, at the Salutation Pub, where burger in hand I took the kind of slow motion fall that would have made even Buster Keaton stare in awe. As it was, I dismissed the concerns of friends and strangers and thought about puns for my blog!

A trip down memory lane



As a veteran since the very first festival in Liverpool, I wouldn’t let a mere grazed knee stand in the way of my enjoying the feast of international artists and activities that the Abandon Normal Devices Festival has to offer. I have left the North west, but something about this festival draws me back every year to partake in a whimsical look at digital art and quirky ideas allowed to develop and flourish.



The Saturday night, headline act, Trixxie Carr, follows in the footsteps of All About Evil 2010’s interactive horror drag show which I blogged about here. It’s a welcome return to the festival for the San Francisco performer challenging the very concept of a traditionally male led drag performance!



Falling into the unknown



Of course the hook of the festival is the new, unique and different. The idea of artists curating different spaces, whilst not new, continues to have an infinite number of permutations. The transformed spaces here are caravans, a travelling mobile republic which includes a broadcasting booth and a gastronomic smelling experience where you create your own spice combinations using a futuristic machine straight out of HG Wells.



Truly unqiue and bizarre is the The Master/Slave Invigilation system which is something that has to be experienced to be believed. Moving between sites you are taken on a tour of the AND exhibitions by a artist Jeremy Bailey who is based at a remote venue (downstairs in Cornerhouse) and offers a idiosyncratic insight into the shows through a digital ipad screen mounted on a mute robot “slave”. Visually intriguing, it turns out that I actually knew the first robot I encountered but the experience obscures their identity presenting a curious androgynous form with digital imagery.

http://www.andfestival.org.uk/events/masterslave-invigilator-system/



Finding new ways to present film is always a challenge, so the ambitious Empire Drive In, an open air (YES in Manchester!) cinema showing retro classics befitting the post apocalyptic space. Robocop has gone, but Mad Max 2 Beyond The Thunderdome is still to come, although probably sold out by now.



The programme is a lovely snapshot of stories rarely told and experimentation of method and contains films I will be actively seeking out, in particular a film about Manchester genius Alan Turing father of the internet, which of course makes such an innovative festival possible.



This year may be its last in the current form, so whilst you have the chance, Cornerhouse is once again inviting you to come out and play and I hope you fall hard for it like I did! The spectacle continues until Sun 2 September at various venues across Manchester and the mobile republic will also be on a limited tour. See http://www.andfestival.org.uk/ for more details.