10th - 12th july 2015
official festival programme Manchester Film Festival
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WELCOME TO THE INAUGURAL MANCHESTER FILM FESTIVAL Some would say 71 films, including many UK and World premieres, over two and a half days is madness. Well, this is Manchester—renowned for being (albeit tongue in cheek) ‘Mad for it!’ And what ManIFF is mad for is great stories; and amongst this year’s Official Selection we have them in abundance. Covering an eclectic mix of genres, from surreal romance to haunting mysteries, we believe that we have unearthed a treasure of well-crafted gems told with originality and integrity. It has been plain to see over the last seven months as thousands of submissions have poured in that (from a filmmaker’s point of view) ‘the rainy city’ is ready for its first fully fledged International Film festival. This is testament, not only to this great city’s world identity, but also to the passion shown from filmmakers around the globe in wanting to showcase and premiere their work in Manchester. ManIFF’s adopted ethos is to champion powerful stories while acknowledging the complexity of craft needed to translate those stories to the big screen. And with some help from the magnificent films in our official selection we aim to build on this belief to make the Manchester film festival a sustainable annual event that the international film festival community as a whole and film lovers here in Manchester will be proud of for many years to come. Enjoy the festival and keep sharing stories… Al Bailey, Director of Programming ManIFF2015 Acknowledgements… Director of Operations/Co-Founder Neil Jeram Croft Director of Programming/Co-Founder Al Bailey Operations Liaison - Emmanuel Ntabejane Short Programme Liaison - Dimitris Toulias Marketing - Tangerine PR Marketing Liaison - Huw Morgan ManIFF TV director - Rob Reed ManIFF TV Presenters - Lorna Bankcroft, Maria Kouka, Sian St John The Filmmakers studio - Tom Percival and Mike Halligan ManIFF Screenwriting course - ‘The Secret Screenwriter’
Manchester Film Festival
ManIFF2015 would like to thank its partners and volunteers for their invaluable support… AMC Cinema Manchester The Great Northern Warehouse Manchester 235 The Midland Hotel Mal Maison The Yard Lifestyle Den Living Krombacher All Star Lanes Scene Indian Street Kitchen MSA Tom Fraud/Factory 311 printed.com Uber Calumet University of Salford Real XS Final Draft …and further thanks and gratitude to our jury and all the amazing filmmakers who have shared their work and chosen to premiere their films at ManIFF2015.
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COMPETITION JURY GARETH JONES Gareth Jones has been involved in the finance, sales and distribution of feature films for over twenty years. He joined ‘HandMade Films’ as an inhouse lawyer in 1984, went on to head ‘HandMade’ and subsequently became Managing Director of ‘Alibi Films International’, both international film sales companies. Gareth has exec produced, financed, packaged and sold international rights in dozens of successful independent films including ‘Withnail and I’, ‘Mona Lisa’, ‘How to Get Ahead in Advertising’, ‘Nuns on the Run’, ‘The Man With Rain in His Shoes’, ‘Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’, ‘The Hard Word’, ‘The secretary’, ‘The Business’, ‘Mystics’, ‘Open Range’, ‘My Summer of Love’ and ‘4,3,2,1’.
PETER SAUNDERS With over 30 years of experience, animation partnership Ian Mackinnon and Peter Saunders’ talented Bafta and Academy award winning team have had the privilege of bringing some of the world’s best known animated characters to life including Tim Burton’s ‘Corpse Bride’, ‘Pinocchio’, ‘Frankenweenie’, ‘Caroline’ and Wes Anderson’s ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’.
SEAN EVANS Sean Evans set up Back to the Movies as a film appreciation blog website back in August 2013. The Blog quickly evolved into a production hub where Sean worked on Hollywood and Independent movies in a marketing and advertising aspect, landing a role on Fear Clinic the Movie starring Robert Englund and working with Anchor Bay Entertainment over in Hollywood, California. He has since worked with such names as James Franco, Corey Taylor, Katherine Heigl and Marlon Wayans all in various marketing roles including social media management and crowdfunding investment. Sean is now expanding into Associate Production work. Back to the Movies is now ranked within the Top 10 most influential film blogs in the UK.
JANE ANDERSON CDG Jane Anderson has cast for BAFTA winning productions. She casts gritty drama through to fun filled comedy. Recent independent films include the comedies ‘Convenience’ & ‘Down Dog’ and the soon to be released thriller ‘Monochrome’. On the small screen she has cast award nominated series ‘All At Sea’ & ‘Hank Zipzer’ and in her years as a Casting Associate she worked on the likes of ‘Sherlock’. ‘Mo’ and ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’. She is a member of the Casting Directors’ Guild of Great Britain and Ireland. 4
MARK HUDSON Mark Hudson is one of the most ‘in demand’ acting coaches in the UK with an endless list of film, television and theatre credits. A former actor and two time BAFTA Award winning BBC Producer Mark works with an ever increasing roster of actors that reads like a who’s who of film and television talent. In 2001 Mark opened the Manchester School of Acting one of the most successful and forward looking independent drama schools in the country. MSA students include many of the most successful and recognisable actors in the industry today. Mark is a member of both the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and the Royal Television Society. The Jury will be working hard over the weekend of the festival to choose the winners of the following awards: Film of the Festival, Best Dramatic Feature Film, Best Documentary Feature Film, Best Dramatic Short Film, Best Documentary Short Film, Best Animation Film, Best Student Film, Best Experimental Film, Best music video Film, Best International Film, Best UK Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Score, Best Production, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best uncomissioned Screenplay Competition Winner. We will also be awarding a Staff Pick, and an Audience Award so don’t fotget to rate the films after your screening! Go to www.maniff.com/audience to register your vote.
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Manchester Film Festival
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OUR VENUE AND AWARDS The Great Northern Warehouse is an icon of Manchester’s rich industrial heritage. The Grade II listed building, from its completion in 1899 to closing in 1963 was the centre of transport for rail, road and canal, moving the goods produced from Manchester’s mills and factories around the country. It stood idle until 1998 when developers brought it back to life and it now stands with the AMC in its walls. The City of Manchester is indelibly linked with the industrial revolution and the Great Northern remains a proud memory of that. As the city moves forward in industry and ambition, we are are proud to launch the inaugural Manchester Film Festival under the roof of a building which is a symbol of what made Manchester a thriving city, of its past and its future. Manchester, as well as being home to a celebrated music history, has produced many prominent people in the film industry. Actors Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, House of Sand and Fog), Steve Coogan (Philomena, Alan Partridge) and Robert Donat (The 39 Steps) all grew up in and around Manchester. As did Directors Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting), Mike Leigh (Mr. Turner, Another Year), Sir Ian Mckellen (Lord of the Rings, X-Men) and Justin Chadwick (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, The Other Boleyn Girl). The Jury will be awarding the Golden Bee to the best film of the weekend. The worker Bee, known for its industriousness, teamwork and perseverance, is a symbol of Manchester. 7 bees were incorporated into Manchester’s coat of arms in 1842 and appear frequently throughout the city, if you look hard enough for them. The bee represents many of the attributes needed by crews around the world to produce and create wonderful films. As such, we see it as a fitting tribute to the filmmakers, to honour their hard work and artistic craft. We hope the filmmakers will be as proud to receive it as we are to give it out.
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SUMMER MENU £19.95PP FOR 2 COURSES £24.95PP FOR 3 COURSES, AVAILABLE EVERY DAY BEFORE 7PM (EXCEPT SUNDAY) Manchester Film Festival
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FEATURE FILM SELECTION
* English Subtitles
TOUCH | 90 mins | English
NOT MY DAY | 115 mins | German *
Friday 10th July - 7pm - Screen 12 Director: Christopher Houghton
Friday 10th July - 9:15pm - Screen 12 Director: Peter Thorwarth
Stars: Leeanna Walsman (Star Wars: Episopde II, One Perfect Day), Matt Day (Muriel’s Wedding), Onor Nottle, Shane Connor, Greg Hatton (The Square).
Stars: Moritz Bleibtreu (Run Lola Run, Das Experiment, The Baader Meinhof Complex, World War Z), Axel Stein, Jasmin Gerat. After refusing to clear a loan, small town bank teller Till Reiners’ life is dragged out of a rut as he is kidnapped by ex con Nappo (Moritz Bleibtreu). After a debunked bank robbery the pair go on the run, which takes them on a journey that entails a series of offbeat coincidences, which ultimately leads Till to find himself and realize: His life isn’t so bad after all...
A woman running from a terrible truth hides out in a remote hills town with her young daughter until her past catches up with her and the unthinkable must be faced. “A compelling, cryptic movie that has style and mystery with a twist.”— Screen Daily “This debut from first-time director Christopher Houghton is a stirring and masterful mysterythriller.” — Broadsheet
MEET THE HITLERS | 84 mins | English Friday 10th July - 7pm - Screen 9 Director: Matt Ogens
Documentary
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Award winning director/producer Morgan Spurlock (Supersize Me) presents ‘Meet the Hitlers’, directed by award winning director Matt Ogens (Confessions of a Super Hero). This feature documentary examines the relationship between names and identity, by exploring the lives of people who are linked by the name ‘Hitler.’ The film raises important questions about the meaning of names, and explores complex issues like immigration, racism, and tolerance. Yet it’s ultimately a character-driven story, offering an intimate portrait of its subjects, whose reactions to their name span the spectrum of human experience, from tragedy to comedy, and heartbreak to hope.
* English Subtitles
FEATURE FILM SELECTION
MY VOICE MY LIFE | 91 mins | Cantonese *
KYRA KYRALINA | 91 mins | Romanian *
Friday 10th July - 9pm - Screen 9 Director: Ruby Yang
Saturday 11th July - 11am - Screen 12 Director: Dan Pita Stars: Corneliu Ulici (Devil Inside, The Necessary
Documentary
Death of Charlie Countryman), Stefan Lancu, Iulia Carstea, Iulia Dumitru, Dana Borteanu, József Bíró.
Renowned director Dan Pita took 20 years to develop the adaption of Panait Istrati’s famous novel ‘Kyra Kyralina’ which reconstructs the lives of a dysfunctional family from the 1920’s. A mystical story of unconditional love. Living in an abstract world surrounded by abusive behaviour a brother and sister must stay together or lose one another forever.
A Hong Kong documentary directed by Oscar winning director Ruby Yang, chronicles the trials and tribulations of a group of underprivileged middle school students as they undergo six months of vigorous training to produce a musical on stage. “Hong Kong educates the next generation” – Wall street Journal
MANY BEAUTIFUL THINGS | 84 mins | English From Executive Producer Hisao Kurosawa Saturday 11th July - 1:15pm - Screen 12 Director: Laura Waters Hinson Documentary
Stars: Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey), John Rhys-Davies (Indiana Jones), Ashley Lane Adams.
Manchester Film Festival
comes the untold story of one of the world’s greatest women artists. Many Beautiful Things plunges viewers into the complex age of Victorian England to meet Lilias Trotter, a daring young woman who abandoned the possibility of great artistic success to pursue her true humanatarian calling. Through the letters and astonishing paintings she sent to her confidant John Ruskin, the intriguing story follows Lilias from upper class London to the slums of Algeria.
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FEATURE FILM SELECTION
* English Subtitles
THE LONG WAY HOME | 90 mins | Spanish*
PERSONAL GOLD | 88 mins | English
Saturday 11th July - 3:20m - Screen 12 Director: Sergi Pérez
Saturday 11th July - 2pm - Screen 9
Stars: Borja Espinosa (Plats Bruts), Miki Esparbé, Sara Espígul.
Director: Tamara Christopherson (U.S Olympian) Documentary Stars: Dotsie Bausch, Jennie Reed, Sarah Hammer Lauren Tamayo, Lance Armstrong.
Produced by Bill Gerber (Gran Torino) and Sky Christopherson (U.S Olympic athlete) ‘Personal Gold’ tells the story of four underdog women who become America’s medal hope at the London Olympics, after the men’s team is banned during the Lance Armstrong drug scandal. Underfunded, the women turn to their husbands as mechanics and two dedicated coaches who use data rather than drugs to attempt to compete with the power houses of Australia and Great Britain and win the U.S’s first women’s track cycling medal in 20 years.
One Morning, Joel (Borja Espinosa) wakes up to find his wife’s dog Elvis half dead. This forces him out of his home, something he has avoided for a long time. After leaving his keys inside he spends the day desperately trying to get back into the haven of his flat that has seemingly been his personal prison, away from a world he fears and cannot forgive.
DESERT CATHERDAL | 85 mins | English Saturday 11th July - 6:15pm - Screen 9 Director: Travis Gutiérrez Senger
Stars: Lee Tergesen, Chaske Spencer, Phil Andrade.
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A broken real estate developer, played by Lee Tergesen (Oz, Generation Kill, Monster), mysteriously disappears into the Southwest in 1992, leaving behind a series of VHS tapes to his employer and family. Without the aid of the police, his desperate wife hires a private investigator, played by Chaske Spencer (The Twilight Saga), to locate his whereabouts and bring him home. Based on a true story, this evocative narrative blends actual archival materials and found footage to create a unique cinematic experience. The haunting debut feature from Travis Gutiérrez Senger features the brilliant cinematography of Michael Ragen and a powerful score from Saunder Jurriaans and Danny Bensi (Enemy, Last Days in the Desert).
FEATURE FILM SELECTION Executive Producers Stephen Fry and Sir Derek Jacobi present, ‘Two Down’ the Saturday 11th July - 8:15pm - Screen 12 second feature from Fizz and Ginger Films, Director: Matthew Butler Stars: Graham Butler (Penny Dreadful), Conleth Hill whom Screen International (UK) picked for (Game of Thrones, Suits), Alex Hassell (Anonymous, RSC), their ‘Stars of Tomorrow’. Injured hitman Mr Thomas (Alex Hassell) holds a young woman Tori Hart, Felicity Montagu (Alan Partridge). hostage in her own home. Over a Chinese takeaway the depleting Mr Thomas and his increasing number of captives uncover a web of deceit that will lead them to the true reason behind their collective predicament. Quirky, quick witted and devilishly simmering over hybrid satire and harsh espionage ‘Two Down’ is brought to you by the team behind the much anticipated and star studied ‘The Curse of the Buxom Strumpet’. Mr Thomas is an assassin like no other…he’s got a problem…a big one.
TWO DOWN | 88 mins | English
ManIFF Catch up with ‘Fizz and Ginger Films’, the production house founded by ‘Two Down’s’ writing and directing team Matthew Butler and Tori Hart…
What do you think is the continuing role for cinema? Every couple of decades a new piece of technology comes out and everyone asks, “is this the death of cinema?” but it always survives. This is because people still love that spectacle of seeing films up on the big screen. They love the emersion and complete escapism that it provides without the distractions of life and the ability to pause and do something else. Tori and I still get excited going to the cinema and noting all the small things that make it magical; the smell of popcorn as you enter, tickets being torn Manchester Film Festival
and been shown to your seat, and the people who race in just as the film is starting hoping no one will notice. It all adds to the sense of occasion and the acknowledgement that what you’re about to see is special (well hopefully, but you know what I mean!). From a less sentimental place, it’s also what helps films when they get to the VOD, digital and DVD market. It is an essential platform for a film and what gives it a life afterwards, and since every film, no matter how bad you may think it is, is a mini miracle, it is vitally important that we keep cinema alive. What should festivals do for a film? Speaking as independent filmmakers, festivals are hugely important to us as artists and also as a company that is making future plans. Reputation, and having a presence, is so important in the film world, and if you are not attached to a studio or working with large institutions, festivals provide an amazing platform to have your work seen. Festival audiences tend to be have a big appetite and specific interest for film so from an artistic point of view it is great, and sometimes slightly scary, to receive feedback from them about your work. From a business side it can be a springboard for new ventures and for new collaborations to begin, and gives filmmakers the necessary visibility to create more work.
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FEATURE FILM SELECTION Without festivals like MANIFF independent cinema would soon be a thing of the past. What do you enjoy most about attending film festivals? As a filmmaker it is about as big a high as you can get being in a cinema with complete strangers enjoying your film. When they understand all the little nuances you carefully plotted in but worried that no one would get, it is hugely gratifying to say the least. And as a lover of film it is amazing to be in a place where everyone is there for one thing: watching and talking about film. There is such a buzz and sense of community and a space where you feel safe to show a film that has been your life/baby for years. What advice can you give to up and coming writers and directors? You have to love film to be in the industry, mostly because it is a very hard life to enter into. You have to know that you will spend a lot of the beginning of your career with no money; you will have to fund things yourself and you can’t expect anyone to give you anything on a plate. But, once you know that, the best way to get
* English Subtitles
ahead is to do. Don’t talk about doing it, just do it. The industry is full of talkers but the only way to learn and to grow is to go and write or make something. Short films are not only an art form in themselves but a brilliant way of learning the craft and also creating a body of work so that when you want to move forward, people can see what you can do. But, and this is also very important, know that not everything you make will be good and that that is fine, just don’t show people! I, Matthew, have directed dozens of shorts that will never see the light of day, but that is all part of the learning. The most important piece of advice is to never give up; if this is what you want and need to do with your life, then work harder than everyone else.
Two Down’s UK premiere will be shown in screen 2 on Saturday 11th July at 8.15 pm. Matt and Tori host a filmmakers studio “Writing as a Partnership” on Saturday the 11th of July at 11am.
THE LAST EXECUTIONER | 90 mins | Thai *
Padrone E Sotto | 71 mins | Italian *
Saturday 11th July - 10:20m - Screen 12 Director: Tom Waller Stars: Vithaya Pansringarm (Only God Forgives,
Saturday 11th July - 8:30pm - Screen 9 Director: Michele Cirigliano
Hangover Part 2), David Asavanond, Penpak Sirikul.
The incredible true story of Chavoret Jaruboon (Vithaya Pansringarm), the last person in Thailand whose job it was to execute by gun at ‘The Bangkok Hilton’- a wild rock and roller who took a respectable job to provide for his family only to be haunted by his decision in the years that followed.
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Documentary A small, shabby bar in the deep south of Italy. A group of men play ‘Padrone E Sotto’, an archaic drinking game. The film looks into a closed society of residents from a forgotten town and unearths characters and stories that have integrity, harsh soul and a whimsical charm.
FEATURE FILM SELECTION THE UNDERTAKER | 85 mins | Filipino *
SIDEWALK TRAFFIC | 104 mins | English
Saturday 11th July - 10:30pm - Screen 9 Director: Andrea Capranico
Sunday 12th July - 11am - Screen 12 Director: Anthony L. Fisher
Documentary Aspiring young chef, Ivan and his fellow watchmen are tasked to bust prostitutes, drug dealers, and murderers in Manila’s darkest cemetery. Here, hundreds of squatters live in improvised shacks that give shelter to a community that stands as close together as it does far apart. “An engaging depiction of a lost soul wandering around a land of ghosts” - Hollywood Reporter
Stars:
Johnny Hopkins (Kick Ass), Heather Matarazzo (Devil’s Advocate), Samm Levine (Inglorious Basterds), Erin Darke (The Wolverine).
A struggling 30 year old filmmaker faces up to the harsh reality of the murky world of independent filmmaking. Never giving up on his dream he refuses to accept convention and agrees to be a stay at home dad whilst his loving young wife goes back to work in order to aid his passionate pursuit of getting the big break with his latest screenplay.
IS THIS THE REAL WORLD | 90 mins | English
LOVE IS NOW | 91 mins | English
Sunday 12th July - 1:30pm - Screen 12 Director: Martin McKenna
Sunday 12th July - 3:30pm - Screen 12 Director: Jim Lounsbury
Stars: Sean Keenan, Hannes Berger, Charlotte Best, Julia Blake, Peter Hardy, Aaron Bethune.
Stars: Eamon Farren, Claire van der Boom (The Square), Anna Torv (Fringe), Chris Haywood (Shine).
Mark (Sean Keenan) is a smart kid from a chaotic family. Dealing with his wine binging mother, his jailbird brother and his dying Gran, he finds himself thrown into a new school where he fights against a system that is being enforced by an extreme principal. Rebelling at every turn he must find his way in the real world, with the help of the principal’s daughter, in this coming of age tale of first love and true acceptance.
Love torn photographer Audrey (Claire Van Der Bloom) and aspiring snapper Dean (Eamon Farren) both embark together on a formative country adventure following the NSW harvest trail where they discover more than they ever expected along the way.
Manchester Film Festival
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FEATURE FILM SELECTION AMERICAN NATIVE | 80 mins | English
THE PILGRIM | 112 mins | English Subs
Sunday 12th July - 2:30pm - Screen 9 Director: Steven Oritt
Sunday 12th July - 5:50pm - Screen 12 Director: Daniel Augusto Stars: Júlio Andrade, Ravel Andrade, Fabiana
Documentary Thirty miles from Manhattan a group of mysterious mountain people fight for recognition as a legitimate Native American tribe…’The Ramapough Mountain Indians’. “A film that provides an in-depth look at a complex past, a volatile present and an endangered future.”- Ramapough Tribe
Gugli (Blindness).
A chronicle of the most translated author since William Shakespeare. Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist) travels a dark, psychedelic and beautiful journey from his troubled early life to become one of the most influential writers in Brazilian and world history. “Daniel Augusto narrates Coelho’s spiritual journey, taking in a flirtation with death, escape from madness and making Brazilian rock and roll history.”- Variety
BUSKIN’ BLUES | 61 mins | English
GAZELLE | 93 mins | English
Sunday 12th July - 6:30pm - Screen 9 Director: Erin Derham Documentary In the small mountain town of Asheville, North Carolina, a mysterious subculture of worldclass street musicians reveal their troubles and triumphs in using public performance to disrupt indifference, hone their talents, and foster community. “Buskin’ Blues director Derham clearly has an eye for what makes a great story” - Film Wax Radio NYC
Sunday 12th July - 8:10pm - Screen 9 Director: Cesar Terranova Documentary Paulo is a 45-year-old Brazilian flight attendant who resides in New York. He is internationally famous in the after-hours world for the fabulous persona he has worked tirelessly to create. With the sudden death of his partner Eric, Paulo must decide whether the artistic life he has fashioned as Gazelle is the emotional answer to his own personal battle with H.I.V.
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FEATURE FILM SELECTION
All Star Lanes, The Great Northern Warehouse, 235 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 4EN Manchester FilmThis Festival *Subject to availability. offer is valid until 01/11/2015. Not valid during December or in conjunction with any other offer/promotion. 15 Offer not valid in the private room. Maximum party size 6 people. Terms & Conditions may be subject to change.
FEATURE FILM SELECTION THE IMAGO | 92 mins | English Sunday 12th July - 8:20pm - Screen 12 Director: Emiliano Galigani
Stars: Douglas Dean (Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt), Manuela Parodi, James Butterfield, Micky Martin.
1895. Defendant 47 is on trial. He doesn’t know why. The judge and lawyers help him remember that he is a photographer that knows something about a killing. Fighting narcolepsy he must delve into a dark past and unearth an uncomfortable truth.
IN THE MIND OF A VISIONARY Emiliano Galigani, director of ManIFF’s world Premiere ‘The Imago’ expresses his cinematic beliefs in an exclusive interview with ManIFF2015
What do you belive is the true meaning of film? “I believe Cinema is at the same time entertainment, art and also philosophy. Every movie tells a story whose main purpose is to engage the audiences, with beautiful images. Also, but not least, every movie reveals a vision of the world. Cinema is the media that allows us - as narrators - to use multiple layers of significance, going deeper and deeper into the complexity of life. This is the role that cinema should never abandon: being altogether art, entertainment and philosophy”. How do festivals help filmmakers? “Festivals are a great opportunity to connect with audiences, promote the movie and meet other professionals. It is not only a way to have a great experience, but also to build up your career”.
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What do you enjoy most about attending film festivals? “As a filmmaker being able to talk with people about the movie I made, exchange experiences with other filmmakers or producers and making new connections”. How was Imago’s transition from stage to screen? “Pretty easy. I have to say that I always tried to merge two languages since I started my career. At the university I fell in love with both, theatre and cinema, and - simply - I haven’t chose one, I’m following both. That’s why I’ve always been fascinated by the mixing. Each media has a space, a language, own rules. But I wanted to cross the borders, that’s why ‘The strange case of Mr.D’ (the stage play of Imago) was already written in a way that allowed me to adapt it to the screen”. Did you have to make any major adjustments? “Of course I had to add exteriors and scenes that were not in the stage version, mainly to add some action. The stage environment has an undisputable king: the spoken word. Through the voice everything can be evoked. Evoking is a peculiar characteristic of theatre. In the theatre every image you create can be a metaphor to something else, to a different meaning. I tried to play a little bit with this mechanism, bringing some of those elements into the movie. That’s what I love. Being aware of the mechanism you use to communicate,you can dance a bit with the audience”.
INSIDE THE MIND OF A VISIONARY As your first feature, what motivated you to direct “The Imago” “First of all The Imago is a story. It is entertainment. I wanted to tell a story about purity. I met along the way the perfect character, Charles Dodgson, that was a very well-known photographer in the Victorian era. He was also the writer of one of the most known tales for kids ever, Alice’s adventures in wonderland. Finally, he was stammering and a priest. Bang. That was enough for me, and I started my research. On the second hand, Imago allowed me to talk about photography, and - more than this - about that special moment in the whole human evolution, when reality stopped being represented (by paintings) and became true, real, on a piece of paper. I really believe that was the starting point of revolution. A revolution that is heavily driving our lives today”.
The Imago’s world premiere will be shown in screen 2 on Sunday 12th July at 8.20 pm. Emiliano will be a special guest at the filmmakers studio - “From Stage to Screen” on Sunday the 12th of July at 3pm.
AWARDED
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SHORT FILM SELECTION STUDENT FILMS, EXPERIMENTAL FILMS AND MUSIC VIDEOS | 85 mins Saturday 11th July - 11am - Screen 9
Featuring: Cabby, Dying to Meet You, Monumenting, Imprisioned, Open 24 Hours, Dark was the night, Inbetween Frames, Horizon, Descent, Sing the Sand into Pearls, Vertinginous Hole, Fractures - It’s Alright, Emporer of Nowhere, Magic. From Manchester cab drivers to US gravestone engravers, to prisoners and sci-fi thrillers the experimental, music video and student film programme has it all.
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS | 63 mins Saturday 11th July - 12:30pm - Screen 9
Featuting: The Last Little Show at the end of the World, Dance of the People, Sun Village, It’s my Birthday and I’ll Fly if i Want to, Code Oakland. Old time street performing, green grass clogging, Far East social issues, underprivileged tech geniuses and a naked middle aged lady tied in ropes. What’s not to like about our documentary shorts category?
INTERNATIONAL DRAMATIC SHORTS SESSION 1 | 74 mins - Screen 9
ANIMATED SHORTS | 95 mins
Saturday 11th July - 4:15pm
Featuring:
Featuring: What If, The Answers, El Hueco, Bis Gleich, Everything WIll be OK,
A label free supermarket, an after death analysis, a desperate pitch for a burial place, OAP romance and one of the most heart wrenching father daughter stories you are ever likely to see. The international shorts session 1 is a selection of brilliant stories for all tastes.
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Sunday 12th July - 10:45am - Screen 9 Tall Tales 2, Coyote and the Rock, Thank You Stan, The Looking Planet, The Present, Without a Doubt, Tick Tock, House of Unconsciousness, Luminaris, Aubade, Last Dance on the Main, Daewit, Wrapped.
Coyotes and sir Stanley Matthews both feature in a fascinating collection of animation films from around the world that also includes the best from our festival partner ‘The Montreal Animaze Festival 2015’.
SHORT FILM SELECTION
UK DRAMATIC SHORTS SESSION 1 | 78 mins - Screen 12 Saturday 11th July - 6pm
Featuring: Caring for the Recently Deceased, One Word, The Split, Him Ustairs, The Fly
Sue Johnstone’s ‘Majoram’ makes good use of her dead husband, Manchester director Caleb Shaffer hits us hard with a relevant refugee story, Gwen Taylor and Ricky Tomlinson reminisce, Edward Hogg talks physics and circumstance over a pint, while a very annoying fly bothers Jack Doolan. All of this pretty much sums up a sensational bunch of UK shorts which premiere here at the inaugural Manchester film festival.
INTERNATIONAL DRAMATIC SHORTS SESSION 2 | 74 mins - Screen 9 Sunday 12th July - 12:45pm
Featuring: Cart, Del Ciego Desert, Unbelief, 8 Aranas, Samma Som Du
UK SHORTS SESSION 2 | 76 mins Sunday 12th July - 4:30pm - Screen 9 Featuring: Gasping, Into the Surf, The Hook, Beverley, 7.2.
Frankie Boyle goes cold turkey, Greg Austin tackles the emotional surf, Ed Caruana works on his not so good boxing skills, Vicky Mcclure is in the midst of 80’s racial tension and Cheryl Burniston simply kicks some school girl Ass in the finale of our UK shorts official selection.
A wheel barrow, a pair of cross eyed gunslingers, ‘Saw’s’ ’Jigsaw’ goes gangster, spider problems and preparing for a different life are the eclectic themes that conclude our first class international short selection of 2015. Manchester Film Festival
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FOCUS ON CARING FOR THE RECENTLY DECEASED “Not another Zombie film?!...”
With quotes from their all-star cast like these…
Was the very thought that passed through both Director Henry Davies’ and Executive Producer Martin Payne’s mind. “ Luckily, the script was funny to carry the genre and attract the interest of an amazing all-star British cast”: A mum of ‘The Royle Family’, a ‘24’ star, an ‘Inbetweener’ of sorts, a Gavin & Stacey lead, one of Johnny Depp’s pirates, a on- time Miss Moneypenny and a Tim Burton regular.
Alex Ferns: "First class script and first class treatment all the way. It was a pleasure to be attached to this award winning production"
The concept for ‘Caring for the Recently Deceased’ presented itself to director Henry Davies while he was in line at a supermarket checkout, watching the older couples accepting their lives and carrying out their daily chores: “It dawned on me that retirement can lead to a reversal in the power dynamic of a relationship. When the husband retires he enters a phase where he has no role. He doesn’t know how the house runs, where to buy the groceries, where to find the best deals, what kind of polish or soap or dishcloths they use. He’s best at reaching high shelves, opening jar lids and killing spiders. He becomes a resource to be exploited.” – “In Caring for the Recently Deceased, we push it to a logical -- if somewhat grim and definitely absurd – conclusion”. The team behind the ManIFF’s brilliantly funny UK Premiere are Henry, Martin, Chris, and Lisa, who have been colleagues and friends for many years. “We love film. We love great stories. We believe that film has power: the power to make people laugh, to make people cry, to make people forget about where they are or what they’re worried about for just a little while. We dreamt up Stick & Rudder Films to create original, exciting, and, on occasion, outrageous content for a worldwide audience. A high-flying goal, but what else would you expect from a company with a name like ours? Caring for the Recently Deceased is our first movie and we are very proud of it.” 20
Melanie Walters: "I loved the character of Alice from the moment I read her. The script was dark and funny and to be able to spend two weeks with such a lively crew was a treat." Abigail Thaw: "It was wonderful to get a strong script populated by great female characters and with a title like "Caring for the Recently Deceased" you know you're in for something offbeat! A thoroughly enjoyable experience " David Schofield: "There were a thousand ways I could have played the part I was given, the script was a riot like that; a playground for an actor. It also didn't hurt that we were all treated so graciously, a real pleasure to be a part of it." Sue Johnston: "Roles like Majoram don't come around very often and when I read the script I just knew I had to do it. It can be a gamble working with an independent but Stick & Rudder Films are very safe hands: creative, fun, supportive, accommodating."
…somehow we think it will be the first of many great films from Stick and Rudder productions.
Caring for the Recently Deceased’s UK Premiere will be on Saturday 11th June in Screen 2 at 6 pm.
Spinningfields
Spinningfield’s first Indian Restaraunt Authentic street food Unique cocktails and mocktails VIP area Private dining Outside Riverside lounge (coming soon)
Outside Veranda with Shisha area (coming soon)
indian street kitchen Manchester Film Festival
4a Leftbank, Spinningfields, Manchester M3 3AN
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FILMMAKERS STUDIO AND PARTIES MANIFF2015 PRESENTS INSIDE THE FILMMAKERS STUDIO... In the style of the great James Lipton, ManIFF2015 will be hosting several informative and specific filmmaking workshop shows which will delve into the minds of directors, writers, producers and other industry professionals, who will share their experiences and processes within their chosen fields. A stones throw from the AMC Manchester these events will be happening throughout the festival at 235Live in the Great Northern Warehouse’s Manchester 235, where audiences will be entertained and informed by our special guests. Matthew Butler and Tori Hart Writing and Directing as a Partnership Saturday 11th July @ 11.00 am
Gareth Jones Independent Film Finance and Trends in International Sales Saturday 11th July @ 1.00p.m
Mark Hudson Acting for film and getting the best from your actors Saturday 11th July @ 2.00p.m
Erin Derham Documentary film making and History oration Sunday 12th July @11.00 am
Jane Anderson CDG Casting for Independent film
Emiliano Galigani From Stage to Screen
Sunday 12th July @ 1.00pm
Sunday 12th July @ 3.00pm
Exclusive ManIFF2015 parties will take place every evening over the 3 day weekend, ending with the closing night award ceremony... Friday 10th July 8pm - 2am 235LIVE Champagne reception welcoming party (Filmmakers and VIP Pass Holders) Saturday 11th July 8pm - 2am - All Star Lanes Exclusive VIP lounge (VIP pass holders and Filmmakers) Sunday 12th July 10.30pm - 11.00pm 235 LIVE Champagne Reception Awards Ceremony (Smart Casual dress) (VIP pass holders and Filmmakers) 11.30 pm - 2.00 am 235 LIVE - Closing party (VIP pass holders and Filmmakers) Tickets for all the parties are limited. Full Festival Pass holders need to book into the parties early to avoid dissapointment. everyone attending the festival are welcome to come and enjoy live entertainment and drinks at Manchester235, no ticket necessary. 22