Film Journalism Portfolio by Martin I. Petrov

Department of Film Theatre and Television Studies University of Glasgow, UK MLitt in Film Journalism Student ID: 2102696P Final Portfolio / Semester 3 Date of Submission: 25 August 2014 Word Count: 12 326

Table of Contents Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..3 Part 1: Practicing Film Journalism ........................................................................................................ 4 Article: The shame of colour blue: Trend or sub-genre? .................................................................... 4 Interview: Leah Meyerhoff: The girl who believed in Unicorns .................................................... 12 Interview: Jo Coates: Is hide and seek a funny game? ………………………………………………………………16 Interview: Sebastiano Riso: Darker than midnight (Piu buio di Mezzanotte)……………………………..18 Review: Sebastiano Riso: Darker than midnight……………………………………………………………………19 Review: Atom Egoyan: Captives……………………………………………………………………………………………21 Review: M. Amachoukeli, C. Burger & S. Theis: Party Girl………………………….…………………………23 Article: Iranian New Wave……………………………………………………………………………………………………………25 Article: Xavier Dolan Profile…………………………………………………………………………………………………………30 Part 2: A sample of organizing a film festival: The other side of the coin .......................................... 33 Press releases introduction ............................................................................................................. 33 Press Release 1…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….35 Press Release 2…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….36 Press Release 3…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….37 Press Release 4…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….38 New media Piece ......................................................................................................................... 40

Introduction

This portfolio is inspired by my personal work as an active film journalist and writer, festival goer and film festival planner. The main aim is to present the multifunctional character of the profession today. Being a film critic today is part of becoming a public figure and establishing ourselves in a competitive market not only as writers but adopting many other roles at the same time. Thematically, the portfolio follows my interest in film festivals, divided into two sections â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the one observing festivals as a film journalist and festival goer, and the other as festival planner and press/PR manager of the Commonwealth Film & Theatre Festival that took part with the support of the University of Glasgow between July 17 th and 27th. The first part of the folio includes film reviews, articles and interviews from various film festivals that I have recently attended, mainly the Berlinale, Cannes and Edinburgh FF. Starting with a 3000-word article on sexual liberation in social realist cinema and continuing with three interviews that match thematically the subject of the article, the first part includes also three reviews of recent films presented in Cannes this year. The last two pieces are a 1500-word article on new wave Iranian cinema and the recent representations of the social life in Iran; and a profile article on Canadian director Xavier Dolan. The two last pieces are put together in order to underline the two different cinematic worlds: the progress of an eastern country with rich art history, as opposed to the inspired work of a young, independent filmmaker in a contemporary western society. In the second part of the portfolio, I am presenting my passion for film festival through the prism of a festival organiser. Although the Commonwealth Film & Theatre Festival was just a one-off small event in the west end of Glasgow, it contributed a lot to the development of my skills, gathered from previous involvement with film festival planning. This part of the folio includes several news pieces in the form of Press releases written for the festival and accompanied by some paragraphs where I explain the method and the idea behind their composition. Finally, a digital media piece presenting a journalism workshop that took part during the Commonwealth Film & Theatre Festival concludes the portfolio, giving an indepth focus on an event also featured in the press releases presented in the beginning of the second part. 3

Part 1

Pitch: The New Yorker The shame of colour blue: Trend or sub-genre?

When in 2011 director Steve McQueen made Shame everyone was talking about a film that explored new territories in the cinema of sexual liberation, disconnection from conservativism and constructed aestheticism. Three years of countless films and directorial debuts after, this cinematic scope seems to be expanding into a brand new sub-genre which sets various perspectives and identifies with social realism of a new kind. In days of rapid social reforms in the sector of personal liberation and sexual equality, along with the strong emphasis on uniqueness in a culturally homogenized global society, it is certainly worth looking at new forms of cinema as reflections of the needs of a new generation of directors, artists and the world they constantly interact with. It is still indefinable if this sexual liberation, as presented in the new social realist independent dramas should be closely attached to a new generation of directors that seem to represent the awakening of the so far suppressed exploration of sexual identity or if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just the result of recent socio-political movements and developments that occurred in the past few years. It is a fact that the indie film directors who decide to make a step further, and explore eroticism by experimenting with new forms of relationships, sexual rediscovery and youth liberation belong to the latest generations and are now making their first steps in the industry. At the same time, in the past few years, the movements and progress around the deconstruction of the traditional family, the introduction into new types of social companionship and the elaboration on the rights for homosexual marriage is another card that filmmakers decided to play on the table, contributing to a whole new wave of cinema focusing on youth liberation. Sex sells, as it has always been in cinema, art and mostly in mass media. But are we already used to get exposed to raw sex in cinema, so that we cannot appreciate the new forms of pure eroticism? There was always a more conservative party that remained distanced from selfliberation through the art of film, feeling offended, insecure or even ashamed. Especially in

the US, there are still audiences that ostensibly support indie productions but never make their way to the cinema for one of Lars Von Trierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disturbing sex dramas. Not to mention that films belonging to the independent European or American festival circuit scene never make it to smaller towns and cities across the US, shown in selected theatres in big megapolises only for well-trained audiences. Director Leah Meyerhoff, whose debut I believe in Unicorns entered the festival circuit recently, points out that sexuality and sexual liberation in cinema is much more taboo in her native US than it is in Europe. Screening a film on this subject outside the big cities is an exciting experience for the directors as they usually receive sarcastic comments from older audiences who feel offended or at least concerned. In many places in the States seeing teenagers having sex is still unacceptable and numerous scenes are being cut from TV series and films produced outside Hollywood where the budgets are short, the audiences are targeted precisely and mistakes and not allowed.

Even on the other side of the ocean, in the UK which holds one of the biggest shares in European film production, some parts of the audience are still hesitant about these new forms in cinema. The British director Jo Coates, whose debut Hide and Seek also focuses on selfexploration and sexuality divides his audiences into two main categories. Those who tend to be open-minded and forward-thinking, and the old guard who conceal their conservativism until the end of the screening when sex is accused of being a distracting force in films, a force that becomes banal, exploitative and at times even boring.

European cinema, starting from France and the UK, set the standard for this new social realist genre with Italy, Germany, Greece and the US following shortly after. Two great masters of French realism, Francois Ozon and Alain Guiraudie introduced to the film festival society two experimental sex dramas – Young and Beautiful (Jeune & Jolie) and Stranger by the lake (L’ inconnu du lac) respectively – dealing both with excessive exploration of the sex life of their protagonists, leading them into the paths of a 21st century interpretation of love and relationships. Cannes Film Festival awarded in 2013 Abdellatif Kechiche’s Blue is the warmest colour (La vie d’ Adele: Chaptitre 1 & 2) that started a long discourse around the exploitation of female sexuality in experimental queer cinema. Although, the film was warmly accepted by the gay audiences, and was used as a symbol of art-support in the homosexual right movements that took part in France at the time of its release. In the last year, the number of films zooming on sexual liberation, teen sex life, adulthood and relationships of a “new kind” has risen phenomenally, claiming a big part of the festival circuit and making their way even to the multiplex cinemas, next to the surviving Hollywood romantic comedies. Jean-Luc Godard created a 3D collage / journey to talk about the gap in communication and the language of love in Goodbye to Language (Adieu au langage). Even Lars Von Trier released one of his most raw erotic feasts Nymphomaniac: Vol. 1 & 2, completing the trilogy of Antichrist and Melancholia on female psychology sexual exploration. Although the above cannot serve perfectly as examples of social realist dramas, they are indicative of a general wave that has reached even the most controversial auteurs of contemporary cinema who sometimes are able to foresee massive cinematic movements, contributing with their personal touch for their development. Looking closer into at US entries, there are three bright examples that fit to the canon of this new cinematic genre, I believe in Unicorns by Leah Meyerhoff, X/Y by Ryan Piers Williams and Uncertain Terms by Nathan Silver. I believe in Unicorns follows the path of a young girl who starts a road trip with an older boy, trying to discover her sexual identity and to emancipate from her single mother and her routine life that start to become an unbearable weight for a 16 year old teen. Meyerhoff explores female sexuality from the perspective of a young American girl and deals with the challenge of first relationships, of becoming independent and setting priorities. As it seems, though, American audience’s conservativism, based on film age classifications as well, restricted the director’s ability to open up further development for her character and become 6

even slightly provocative, certainly desirable in films that are meant to prepare the new generations for the future and not serve them another embellished side of teenagehood. In X/Y Ryan Piers Williams goes further down the road, exploring the more grown-up side of big city relationship complexes and even creates a richer ground for looking at homosexuality, friendship and unemployment as integral parts of his 30-year-old protagonists. Throwing on the table the lives of four New Yorkers, Williams successfully pulls out his youth enthusiasm and without setting up pretentious or provocative characters, 80 minutes become enough to point at contemporary pursue of sexual liberation in a vanity-dipped social realism. At times, the four characters may seem obsessed or superficial, which actually is not much far away from what the 25-35 year olds moving to big cities to find the perfect partner and the perfect job are looking for. More open and recreational X/Y is exactly the opposite of what I believe in Unicorns tries to achieve. The first is certainly more believable, vibrant and shocking while the latter makes an attempt to prove that romanticism in cinema and in contemporary teen relationships can still be looked for. Uncertain terms, as another paradigm of independent American cinema, introduces a rather cruel and devastating reality for contemporary teens that are unable to escape the American countryside lifestyle. Gotten early into intimate relationships or married life, women in rural cut-off areas struggle to survive economically and get through accidental pregnancies. Director Nathan Silver explores a limited version of female sexuality in the US, creates though a social experiment that adds another perspective to the widely examined version of city girls on the hunt for desirable partners, spoiled teens that enter adulthood on a pre-mature stage or 25+ professional career obsessed women who defend their emancipative instincts with potentially outdated feminist outbursts. Simultaneously, Uncertain terms is extremely one-sided and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go far with suggestions on decision making or the possibilities of personal choice. Certainly, what needs to be considered is not only the social and political status of each country where this new form of cinema appears, but also the geopolitical position and the cultural interactions at all stages. The US is a vast and culturally diverse community where changes cannot be applied with a paintbrush overnight; it will definitely take more time for the new trends to be absorbed and to reach even the more distanced or hesitant audiences. In European cinema though, this new social realist sub-genre seems to be emerging with a higher

potential with the UK, France, Poland and Italy to be in the epicentre, continuously dragging into this direction smaller film markets as Spain, Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia.

During the Edinburgh International Film Festival this year, Jo Coatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; awarded debut Hide and Seek and Mark Cousinsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; new cinematic journey Life May Be attracted massive attention with their liberating spirit. The first experiments with four young people who leave the city landscape and venture to the English countryside where together, cut-off from the entire world they begin a game of partner shifting, testing their ability of attachment and resistance to closeness. Coates decided to combine her idea of experimenting with both male and female characters that co-exist in an isolated environment with her source of inspiration from Ingmar Bergmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relationship presentations in film. She describes the audiences of the film as enlightened and perceptive that cannot be surprised by sex as a method of exploring human nature in cinema or pulled back by outdated prejudice and complexes. In Hide and Seek it is easy to discover another aspect of this new social realist genre, this of accessibility for the viewer, in terms of emotional engagement with the plot, the characters and their choices. The natural flow and the portrayal of everyday life create a visual path for integration into the storyline, allowing the audience to experience the believability of a constructed social experiment.

Life May Be on the other hand is more of an internalised, personalised conversation based on female sexuality and acceptance. The film cannot be deliberately squeezed in only one category or genre because of its nature as essay film. It automatically creates a fertile ground for everyone to embrace the subject in their own way and opens new paths for public discourse. Mark Cousins exchanges video letters with London based Iranian director Mania Akbari uncovering line by line the secrets and the shame of exposing the human body both in cinema and in real life. A meeting point for two cultures, the film becomes itself a celebration of the human body, a unique pilgrimage that methodically lifts all the borders and the cinematic messages between the two filmmakers are the only way to communicate, interpret and feel. Another important characteristic of this new wave in social realist cinema is exactly the comfort with human body. All these films do not aim to prettify the body and present its ideal form for an audience that sees it as “the secret object of desire”. Instead, it becomes the liberating symbol for everyone who can embrace it, who feels safe, comfortable and encouraged to share and communicate personal memories and experiences that identify with the image on screen. In the last few years Italian and Polish cinema have carefully entered this zone of producing social dramas with an outstanding focus on homosexuality and teenage relationship experiments, contributing to a more general social movement taking place in these countries. This year Cannes Film Festival’s Critics Week opened with Sebastiano Riso’s debut Darker than midnight (Piu buio di Mezzanotte), a film exploring the childhood of Davide, the boy who transformed into the most famous Italian drag queen of today. For a country that still preserves extremely strong ideas and taboos around homosexuality and sexual liberation, it can be considered a success that the film opened widely in theatres right after its premiere in Cannes. But, can a country’s film production help towards the mentality reshaping of its nation? Director Sebastiano Riso points out that the main problem in Italy is that many people remain uneducated, either because of personal choice or because of the circumstances they find themselves in. In addition to that, the legal system is systematically blinded and jostled to serve the powerful and rich, while the national television is simply unable to educate the new generations in any kind of way. Surprisingly many people now turn towards art and cinema to find answers or a clearer idea of the world. The same applies to the Polish example, where 9

Floating Skyscrapers (Plynace wiezowce), a film on modern relationships and homosexuality that became one of the biggest successes of Polish national cinema in 2013, along with In the name of… (W imie…) focuses on the relationship of a young priest with a boy raised up by a small parish in the countryside of Poland. Filled with controversies, new polish cinema has set new dynamic bases to step upon, challenging other European national cinemas and its own audience at the same time. In Spain, love and eroticism in cinema is way more than the familiar Almodovarian style. Of course, Almodovar’s work has influenced most of the national directors and has contributed towards the cultural presentation of a nation to the global audience. Simultaneously, Pedro Almodovar has experimented a lot with social constructivism, introducing complex family models and extreme circumstances that are aesthetically perfect, but go beyond the borders of social realism. Recent example of pure social realist cinema in Spain is Beautiful Youth (Hermosa Juventud) with storyline based on sincere, original and fragile reality about relationships and family in crisis-struck Spain. The film crosses the borders of its country not only for its art values but for its actual power of addressing millions of people in Europe and beyond. A boy and a girl – young, innocent and passionate for life, aspired for greater future – and a reality totally ruined by a country which can offer only unemployment and misery. A porn film, a pregnancy and a separation following up will change their lives and impose an undesired future.

This new sexual liberation movement in cinema is dominated but not preoccupied by Europe or the US, of course. Great expectations and bets are set for the promising attempts of eastern cinemas, especially Iranian or for several Latin American countries like Brazil, Chile and 10

Argentina that make solid steps towards securing a place in the global film industry scene. The way he looks, a Brazilian teenage drama that premiered in this year’s Berlinale focuses on the story of a blind young boy who discovers his homosexuality when he falls in love for the first time with one of his new classmates. This example of youth cinema in Brazil is quite telling concerning deeply rooted conservativism and prejudice in the Latin American communities, even in developed urban environments, where street sexual violence and attacks against homosexuals are still an everyday-occurring phenomenon. Portraying the characters in the best possible way, the camera is afraid to follow their need for self-discovery and sexual exploration all the way down. The atmosphere is lively and vibrant but at the same time it lacks what the above examples can offer in terms of integrating the audience in the story. On the contrary it rather makes the viewer feel insecure, distant and ashamed from what is going on on the screen. To kill a man (Matar a un hombre) from Chile seems even more attached to tradition and although it looks into the importance of the family institution in the teenagers’ fearful transition to adulthood it remains superficial and rather incomplete. At the same time, up north in Canada, Xavier Dolan performs a deep research on human psychology with his first four films exploring teenage love, homosexuality and bizarre contemporary relationships. One final look at collaborative productions, gives predictable answers in terms of the cinematic and aesthetic representation of modern relationships and sexual liberation in film. Comparing examples that belong to Brazilian, Chilean or even Greek national cinema to coproductions of these countries with the French, German or British film industries reveals a weakness of these countries to keep the pace with the new trends on their own. Brazilian director Karim Aïnouz’s last film Praia do futuro is a Brazilian-German co-production exploring the relationship of two gay men, initially in Brazil and on a second phase in Berlin. In opposition to films produced only in Brazil, the European influence can be sensed as the story develops and the same reality is seen through two different scopes. Similarly, in Xenia by Panos Koutras, a Greek-French-Belgian co-production, although set in Greece the notions of homosexuality, liberation and family ties are presented in quite more atmospheric way than the usual stiff, phobic approach that recent examples of Greek national cinema, like Miss Violence (dir. Alexandros Avranas, 2013) or Dogtooth (dir. George Lanthimos, 2009), have used. It is potentially very early to talk about a new genre in modern cinematic culture, even if it belongs to the more general movement in social realism that includes the multifarious elaborations on modern social issues, either they have to deal exclusively with determinations 11

of sexual orientation and liberation or more openly with the context of surviving and adjusting to contemporary lifestyles. Some important factors appearing in the films above and in many more examples testify the beginning of a new era for the representation of eroticism in cinema where sex is not used as an attention-pulling motive. Instead, it becomes a generative technique that deconstructs the discourse on experimental social realist cinema in the age that human nature is challenged and renegotiated, in a social lifestyle where the ‘what if’ is not an option but a prerequisite for survival.

Pitch: CinEuropa (Multilingual Portal for European Cinema) - www.cineuropa.org Leah Meyerhoff: The girl who believed in Unicorns The 68th edition of the Edinburgh International Film Festival was already at its fifth day, full of film screenings, enthusiastic film talks and countless sidebar events when I arrived to meet my first interviewee for the festival, Leah Meyerhoff. When I arrived at her hotel’s lobby, Leah was already there, waiting to reveal some interesting facts about her first debut I believe in Unicorns, which received its European premiere at the Edinburgh festival. “This place is really lovely. Can’t wait to go to the Highlands next week!” were the first words I heard from the American director.

After a short walk in the garden where we discussed Leah’s first steps as a filmmaker in New York and her award winning short films we moved in again to start a longer talk on her first 12

feature film, a love story between Divina, a teenage girl who lives with her disabled single mother and Sterling, an older boy who takes her on an exciting and passionate journey to discover love and personal liberation. Believing herself in Unicorns (!), Leah decided to become a filmmaker at a very young age, because the cinema in the US wasn’t fulfilling her completely and she didn’t feel connected to any of the characters as shown on the big screen. “…when I was growing up as a teenager there weren't a lot of films, and especially American films, that I could relate to or that I could see a bit of myself in, so I wanted to make a film with a complex, imaginative and intelligent female lead.” She decided to start writing the script including many personal elements and stories from teenagers she was teaching at the high school, experience that makes the story even more believable and more unique to the viewer’s eyes. Leah saw Divina as a carbon copy of herself as a teenager and taking care of her disabled mother. Reliving her real life story while shooting the film made the personal connection even stronger for the director. She used her mother’s house to film most of the scenes in the film but did not want to limit the film to the frame of her personal experience. “I, kind of naturally, run through memories of my own childhood. So although the film is set in the past, I would like it to be somehow timeless for the contemporary teenagers.” It is not easy for a teenager to grow up rapidly and to take heavy responsibilities and make lifetime decisions at a very early stage. Meyerhoff manages to balance the ephemeral and joyful side of the youth with the dark side of Divina’s story as a milestone for her family. Independently of the issues that teenagers have to deal with nowadays they all seek ground for liberation and personal expression, thing that the director tries to point out in her debut. It is definitely not the easiest to let go from all the fantasies and the childish foolishness and to become an adult overnight and I believe in Unicorns wants to show this gradual process of personal discovery and identity formation. As the director describes her character, Divina, she underlines how long it actually takes to find her own voice and emancipate from all a difficult childhood that kept her always a step behind. “There is a theme of breathing throughout the film. She [Divina] grew up with the irrational fear that her mother’s disease is contagious and she was always holding her breath, in the sense that she wasn’t able to do with her life what she desired at every moment. She is still a child in many ways, of course, she is still trying to discover herself as an artist as well, and by the end she is finally finding her way.” 13

I believe in Unicorns was shot on an 8 and a 16 mm film. Leah Meyerhoff wanted to have a more artistic approach by using in-camera effects like light leaks and flash flames, giving the scenes an eerie, imaginative and simultaneously a more naturalistic touch. With her old camera at hand, the director experimented with organic colours and animated components and carefully selected soundtrack to accompany the visualisation of Divina’s story. “The entire film is like an outlook in Divina’s mind; it looks like something she could have created. I wanted to have this fluid reality and shift between what she actually lives and what is part of her imagination.” Leah’s goal was to engage as many young people as possible with her story, making them connect to Divina’s personal discovery and process of liberation. In a society where everyone, and especially youth, gets preoccupied with images and information from the media, we need to put much more effort into prioritising our lives and setting our boundaries and limits. Many contemporary artists, even from the music scene like Lana Del Rey and Florence and the Machine, try to escape the mainstream movement and draw their own unique way that involves a nostalgic connection with the past. The vintage, the unknown for the new generations is an unexplored area that always attracts attention and according to the director, it will never lose its originality. “…there is something really special in the escaping into this nostalgic, dreamy, fluid, old fashioned, vintage feel. There is something magical about moving into a place that feels timeless and where you can lose yourself.” The liberation of the main character doesn’t stand only for personal expression and values but for the exploration of her sexuality as well. As for every teenager, Divina’s feeling of freedom and independency is strongly connected to the discovery of her sexuality and the beginning of a first relationship with Sterling. When I ask Leah Meyerhoff if sex is still taboo in American independent cinema, she admits that screening the film outside the large cosmopolitan metropolises is always a challenge and an interesting experience as well. The director cast real teenagers for the film, because she wanted to capture the perfect atmosphere in real dimensions and not with staged authenticities. “My own perspective is that sexuality is not taboo at all. Teenagers have sex all the time, that’s what they do.” she says smiling. On a deeper stage I believe in unicorns explores contemporary social life and the consequences of rejection, loneliness, self-sacrifice and dependency. The main character, Divina tries on different personas and expresses herself through her passion for photography 14

until she becomes capable of defining her strengths and personality. As it becomes more and more difficult for new generations to go through this process, the dangers of losing ourselves somewhere between real life and our imagination’s constructions of the ideal are vastly growing. We find ourselves relying more or fantasies and dreams than on real facts in life. Meyerhoff hopes her character is an example for all the teenagers aspiring to find the balance and bridge dreams with reality. “…As part of Divina’s progression she learns how to let go of the childhood fantasies and to find beauty in her reality. By the end of the film she is relying less and less on these imaginations and she feels more secure with reality.”

Leah Meyerhoff lives and works in NYC. She has a BA in Art-Semiotics from Brown University and is the Dean’s Fellow in Graduate Film at NYU.

Pitch: Indiewire Jo Coates: Is Hide and Seek a Funny Game? In times of recreation, sexual liberation and social realism movements in contemporary indie cinema, British director Joanna Coates bets on a bizarre, smart and captivating experiment. A day after receiving the award for Best British Feature at the 2014 Edinburgh Film Festival, Jo Coates shares the enthusiasm of creating a successful debut feature. Hide and seek is not only a film, it is also a social experiment. Four people move together to the English countryside and begin a sexual game of relationship swapping while pursuing recreation, self-exploration and sexual liberation. Through the characters’ eroticism we are able to explore in depth their personalities and to engage better with their interpretation of life. “…Many people still think that sex in cinema is reductive, which is totally not true anymore. I really welcome that especially young people understand that sex is part of our human nature and it reveals different things at different times in the film.” As sex and personal liberation become the symbols of a new social realist genre, Hide and seek is not using explicit scenes to shock or impress rather than to express melancholy or joy and to establish connections with these four different characters. This is why the film can actually target so many different audiences and have something for everyone. “The majority of people today tend to be more and more fore-thinking. There is of course the old guard of people who have strong ideas about what avant-garde is and how sex needs to be explored in art. Though, I think it’s more of a conservativism dressed up as being more fore-thinking than it actually is.” Most of the films that deal with similar subjects, for example X/Y that was also presented during the Edinburgh Film Festival this June, tend to be settled in urban landscapes where the experience of being part of a cosmopolitan social jungle creates dead-ends and becomes the reason for liberation seeking. Hide and seek doesn’t go with the flow and isolates the four characters in a rural environment, away from any potential distractions of the city landscape. “Definitely I wanted to achieve some sort of emptiness in the film, space that becomes play ground for the characters. I wanted to take them from the everyday space, where time doesn’t

really matter. There is a stage in the film but the countryside becomes a bigger stage for their personal inspiration.” In the world of rapid changes for the romantic relationships, the film aspires to start a conversation comparing existing models of life and questioning their limits. The goal Coates sets from the beginning is to invite more and more people, and not only youngsters, to test these new grounds before resorting to the solution of disgrace or cynical judgment. Hide and seek offers a journey in emotional realities through non-realist filmmaking in a sense that everything is settled enough to make the constructed reality believable. As in Michael Haneke’s Funny Games “…the viewer is kindly invited to participate without enforcing any kind of emotions.”, the director comments.

Joanna Coates is a BAFTA nominated filmmaker. Hide and Seek is her debut feature film following the recent short Where are they now?

Pitch: NISI MASA (Nisimazine) : www.nisimasa.com (European Network of Young Cinema)

Sebastiano Riso: Darker than midnight (Piu buio di Mezzanotte) Italian director Sebastiano Riso’s feature “Darker than midnight” debuted at Cannes’ Critics Week recounting the early years of Davide Capone, the boy who later became Italy’s most famous drag queen. Coming from the most dangerous areas of Catania, Sicily, just like his character Davide, Sebastiano found a personal connection to the story and returned to his hometown to shoot the film.

“You would be surprised by the acceptance and understanding that many people have. During the Second World War the biggest homosexual community in entire Italy was the Catanese.” Despite the conservatism of the locals, the director remembers his grandmother’s stories telling that that there were men dressed in women’s clothes and walking freely on the streets of Catania about 75 years ago. Finding inspiration in Truffaut and Rossellini’s work, Riso uses strong references to the auteurs by using moving camera and panoramic shots to avoid explicit sexual scenes with his young character, 14 years old in the film. “…there are many ways to create emotion without exposing someone. We played a game; I wanted to be honest with everyone. Showing everything for me is immoral, not showing it at all is pretending. Like in Haneke’s Funny Games the viewer feels very involved and feels the violence, but at the same time it doesn’t feel insulting.”

Pitch: NISI MASA (Nisimazine) : www.nisimasa.com (European Network of Young Cinema) REVIEW: Darker than midnight (Piu buio di Mezzanotte) by Sebastiano Riso (Italy) – 67e Festival De Cannes / 53e Critic’s Week (La Semaine de la Critique) Painfully tender and compassion-generating, Sebastiano Riso’s debut Darker than midnight powerfully rips the emotional surface to reach the core of sensitivity from its very first minute.

The film depicts a short period in the early adolescence of Davide, a fourteen year old boy who is confronted with his sexuality for the first time. Bullied by his own father, who demands from the boy a more masculine behaviour, Davide leaves home and enters the dangerous world of Catania’s famous park Villa Bellini. There he finds the support he was always looking for, in the company of youngsters living on the margins, ignored and mistreated by the locals. Sebastiano Riso shows Davide’s transformation through the gradual loss of innocence and an abrupt transition to a dark and unexpected adulthood. For the young protagonist, the streets of Catania feel more secure than home. He seeks liberation through his love for music and his overflowing need to share – feelings, dreams and visions for a future that always seemed blank and unknown.

The dark and mundane atmosphere of Catania, combined with the bursting youth around Villa Bellini lead to a perfectly accomplished smoothness in the flow. The characters’ feelings are 19

communicated through a constantly moving image that follows every step but simultaneously keeps the distance, leaving them space to untangle their personalities. The strength of Davide’s choices and the resulting independence and personal acceptance are the basic lines that cut through each other to build the boy’s enigmatic rebirth. His mother, caring but simultaneously trapped within the patriarchal conformities of her husband and La Rettore, Davide’s new friend and protector from the park, are the two main figures that guide his emotional metamorphosis running smoothly through the entire film. The young boy’s apprehensiveness gradually finds a way to leak his feelings through the communication and the integration in a community, which now becomes synonymous to his atonement. Dealing with homosexuality and violence, Sebastiano Riso frames his characters in their dayto-day life and yet does not expose them at all. Taking advantage of their uniqueness, the director digs into their personal desires, beliefs and even talents, making them oblivious of societal ignorance and at the same time brave and devoted in their rebelliousness. Following the paradigm of his idol Jean Luc Godard, the Italian filmmaker decides to protect his characters, and especially young Davide, behind a glass of morality and an angelic veil that surrounds his vulnerability.

Set in one of the most conservative regions of Italy, the story uses the past aiming to critique the vanity of modern society, still in denial of the difference. Darker than midnight is a strong statement of a parallel world that remained in the shadow for years and it’s now finding its way to the surface.

Pitch: Indiewire REVIEW: The captive by Atom Egoyan, Canada â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 67e Festival De Cannes Competition

The master of psychological thrillers Atom Egoyan returns to the Croisette with a rather stiff and mostly predictable story based on true events from his native Canada.

The Captive takes us to an undisturbed, rather boring small community living around the Niagara Falls. The idyllic atmosphere is smashed in a moment when the nine year old Cassandra disappears without any trace from the back seat of her fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (Ryan Reynolds) car.

Covering eight years of exhaustive research, Egoyan follows his well-established technique of going back and forth in time to tell his story. Sometimes is even unclear if these numerous flashbacks are there to confuse or shed light on the storyline. For two hours he adds and matches details to the puzzle of events that lead to the untangling of the mystery behind the young girls' disappearance.

Egoyan introduces one by one his characters, starting from the passionate and obsessive private investigator Nicole (Rosario Dawson) and her impulsive colleague Jeffrey (Scott Speedman) and concluding with Kevin Durand as a paedophile kidnapper, in probably the most noticeable performance of the film.

Touching on various issues the film is potentially an interesting observation on the phenomenon of paedophilia that remains common in great parts of Canada and the US. What 21

is achieved though is a totally flat narration that persists on obvious details instead of digging deeper into the characters' psychosis, thing that makes them look demotivated and bizarrely out of time and space. The image is probably the only captivating part of the film, with breathtaking landscapes and perfectly shaped spherical angles that create the controversial feeling of hostile and engaging at the same time. The Captive is a carbon copy of Egoyan’s 1997 thriller The sweet hereafter. The snowy landscape, the eternal winter - although in The Captive the story covers eight consequent years – and the plot itself, the two films are the same card played twice - thing that obviously doesn't look good outside of the Hollywood blockbuster genre.

All in all, Egoyan creates the atmosphere of a well executed thriller, especially in the second hour where the tension is kept on higher levels. However, both acting and directing seem over-polished and extremely staged, throwing the film totally on the other side of the river this of non-festival films. The characters remain isolated and unapproachable and no matter how much one tries to connect to the story, there is always a sudden push-back.

With a digestible scenario that almost no one could hate, The captive does not contribute to Egoyan’s career as a distinguished filmmaker but it certainly is an alternative to an overall heavier Competition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Pitch: The Guardian

REVIEW: Party girl by Marie Amachoukeli, Claire Burger, Samuel Theis / France - Un Certain Regard

Three young directors portray the life of Angelique - a girl that likes to party, a girl that adores life.

In an unusual social realist drama with touches of documentary, the first of the three directors Samuel Theis sets a close-up on his mother Angelique Litzenburger, rewinding her life and creating a web of memories mixed with a certain dose of fiction. With most of the cast acting real-life, the lines between reality show, documentary and fictitious extravaganza are blurry, though this detail rapidly fades away as the story starts to unfold. When we enter her world in a seemingly â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;from god forgottenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cabaret bar on the FrenchGerman border, inevitably our body is forced to follow the rhythms of the music - classic jazz, 80s top hits and contemporary hip hop swing down the road to signify the presence of a protagonist.

Angelique has learned to be the protagonist in a life full of joy, colourful nights, music, dance and love affairs. A bohemian woman, strong and self-confident, Angelique lives for the moment and seems designed to extract every drop out of it. She spends her nights in the old cabaret where she used to perform and attract powerful and wealthy men. Her last remaining client, Michel, who has fallen in love with Angelique, proposes her a marriage and for the first time the heroine is tempted to leave her old life behind. 23

Angelique introduces her four children, her girls and her rich past. She enters the latter with strong determination to fill the gaps that have been left uncovered the first time. She failed to create a family, to be the desirable mother and to stand by anyone else but herself.

Angelique's dilemma takes her to unknown paths, and her psychological ups and downs are closely monitored in order to transfer the emotional crash she experiences. We witness her furious outbursts in the cabaret and her clumsily covered fear when she faces her four children but at same time she desperately seeks compassion and support, though the way of requesting it definitely eludes her.

As she tries to recover and stabilise her relationship with her younger daughter who grew up in a foster home, the tones become slower, the party stops and behind the caricature of a glamorous persona, the human character is being pulled from underneath. The three directors unite to harness their characters while at the same time pursuing a cinematographic style that fits realism without deforming it. Smart close-ups and travelling cameras that speak the body language create a joyful atmosphere and the eye follows the touching hands, the sparkles and the feelings and move from scene to scene with the almost unnoticed transitions.

Party girl does not force deliberate messages but allows them to flow and take personalized forms as we identify with characters or situations. In the ephemeral and superficial reality of today, the story of Angelique redraws the guidelines of grown-up decision making where conformities end up vague and outdated and dreams have no expiration date.

Pitch: Sight & Sound Iranian New Wave Is the new Mecca of independent realist cinema bringing Iran closer to the public?

National cinemas - forgotten, rebranded or just emerging â&#x20AC;&#x201C; pop up like mushrooms in various parts of the world giving food for thought to film critics, film festival planners and academics. Sometimes it is just a trend that fades away after a while, but other times itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a rebirth meant to bring new air in art and improve it with time. Beyond the European borders, Iranian cinema seems to be the talk of the continent in neighbouring Asia. And not only. Post 1979, the new wave in Iranian cinema reached rapidly the film society in Europe and the US gaining plausible recognition through prestigious film festivals. Abbas Kiarostami, Asghar Farhadi, Marjane Satrapi and Jafar Panahi followed by Bahman Ghobadi, Mania Akbari and many other contemporary artists and filmmakers formed a stable ground for the expansion of Iranian cinema beyond the reach of the Islamic republic. Iranian cinema frequently experiments with mixing up reality with fiction, creating an amalgam of real life and art. Focusing mainly on social realist, personal and family dramatic stories Iranian films set their scope on the westernizing urban landscape of Tehran with touches of traditional history and lifestyle. The biggest question that always remains, even considering the fact that many Iranian filmmakers work out of their country is: Does this Iranian new wave in cinema reflect the social status of those living in the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s urban landscape? The new Iranian wave, right after the revolution, was mainly influenced by French and Italian national cinemas, zooming on the lives of middle class Iranian families and exploring characteristics of the post-revolution social life in the countryside. Among the main noticeable elements at this stage was the use of non-famous actors and mainly of children protagonists, which made it easier to examine the socio-political implications at the time. The ethnic and class differences and the forced non-happy endings were also on the line of constantly reappearing factors of the Iranian new wave at its start. In the past few years, more recent examples of the Iranian new wave realist cinema showing stronger potential seem to really transfer the focus on different strands. Directors like Abbas 25

Kiarostami, Asghar Farhadi, Jafar Panahi and Marjane Satrapi have established new territories in Iranian cinema, all of them producing, shooting and releasing their films out of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The main point of interest is probably re-localization as most of the films presenting the social reality of the country are shot in urban environments, mostly in Tehran,

ignoring

entirely

the

previous trend of focusing on the life in rural and sparsely populated environment in films like Makhmalbaf’s Gabbeh. Abbas Kiarostami’s The White Balloon and both Asghar Farhadi’s A separation and The Past are set in contemporary Tehran, exploring diverse social circumstances in the Iranian capital. Seeing different variations of the Iranian family institution – from single mothers and separating couples to more western types of independent single parent families – the focus point has slightly moved from having children protagonists to exploring childhood and family ties through a more mature, stable and polymorphic prism. While watching middle-class Iranian families uncovering their lifelines on screen, it becomes inevitable to wonder if this is actually how life flows in the Far East. One of the most prominent examples is the Islamic tradition wanting women to wear scarves, covering their head and shoulders when in public. When at home it is very unusual for women to keep their scarves on; thing that doesn’t happen in the films that are shown to wider public and most importantly those that cross the borders of the country. Obviously, speaking of tradition and respect to the national identity and regulations, it sounds reasonable and acceptable. At the same time the reflection of Iranian culture and lifestyle through its cinematic representations goes far beyond reality. Another example, not far from the first, is the strictness around the tradition of head-covering for women in everyday life. While in films like Farhadi’s A separation actress Leila Hatami is presented wearing a tight veil around her head, neck and shoulders, real-life Iran is much different, where most of the women, and especially the younger, use just a simple scarf that falls freely and covers just the top of heir head. Not to mention that in contemporary Iran many women tend to follow the fashion trends and wear a scarf according to their personal fashion statement and taste. 26

When Bahman Ghobadi made No one knows about Persian cats the government did not allow him to show the film in public as it presents the Iranian sub-culture and underground scene, which is something against the image of a tradition-preserving society the governments wants to present in the media.

The new Iranian wave, though, is taking a turn presenting now more multi-stranded aspects of the everyday life in the country, cutting away some deeply rooted characteristics of the early post 1979 Iranian cinema. Happy ending is one of the things Iranian cinema seems to have forgotten. Deliberate or not, recent samples of Iranian new wave tend to conclude either with a bizarre, single shot scene leaving the viewer free to fire up numerous interpretations or it just appears as more reasonable solution to sum up with a family tragedy, a loss or an unexplained disaster. Still frames are more of a trend in Iranian national cinema; they have become a trademark for recent Iranian masters like Kiarostami, Farhadi and Ghobadi. This is rather a stylistically embellished choice for the aesthetic approach of the stillness in Iranian everyday lifestyle. A separation and The past by Asghar Farhadi and Rhino Season by Bahman Ghobadi are very similar in terms of using single-frame shots to prolong tension, give the viewers time and space to gather together the story in their mind and mostly state that life changes in Iran are slow, even unnoticed most of the time. Going even further on this it cannot pass unnoticed that Farhadi decided to use for his female protagonist in The Past a female with French origin who migrated to Iran, played by BĂŠrĂŠnice Bejo, as opposed to the full Iranian cast he used in A separation with Leila Hatami as the female lead. Apparently, dividing the story between two countries contributes to a richer plot, but at the same time, the director wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to

conform to national identity norms that restrain Iranian independent productions that want to sail to international festivals and hope on global distribution. The films that deal with immigration and split scenario between Iran and another “world” become more and more frequent, presumably sending a broad message for the future of Iranian film production. Mostly that it wants to interact with national cinemas and rebrand the identity of the Iranian new wave, addressing immigration, social conflict and the regeneration of the country’s social reality in a sharper and more effective way. Directors like Marjane Satrapi and Bahman Ghobadi have collaborated with other Asian or European film industries, bringing new air to the Iranian new wave. These interactions have given them the opportunity to travel with their films to acclaimed international film festivals and establish stable connections for future support. Along with that, foreign producers, actors and crew have made their way to Iran, country that remains poorly accessible by the public sphere in the film industry. This year’s Venice Film Festival’s Critic’s Week will open with an Iranian film, also focusing on immigration and family struggles. Melbourne is the first feature film of Nima Javidi, director of numerous short films and TV commercials and tells the story of a couple that decides to leave Tehran and move to Melbourne, but their trip is sabotaged by an unfortunate event. In 2012 Mania Akbari in her film From Tehran to London gives a magnificent example of “migrative” filmmaking. After the government arrested some members of her crew halfway through shooting, Mania abandoned Tehran and seeked asylum in London where she continued the film. Being one of the most controversial documentarians and filmmakers she vigorously fights for the women’s rights in her country as they are usually sidelined in Iranian cinema that presents their lives from an archaic perspective. In a similar way, Bahman Ghobadi in 2009’s No one knows about Persian cats follows the dream of a youth band that wants to migrate to London for expressing free art creativity; and Asghar Farhadi in The past plays with this negotiation of national coordination by putting his Iranian character living in Paris and his French wife being a permanent resident of Tehran.

On the most theoretical aspect of examining Iranian new wave, there has been the anthropological and the philosophical approach in the films of Makhmalbaf and Kiarostami respectively, whereas nowadays a more journalistic perspective can be discovered in the works of Panahi and Ghobadi. The socio-political background, the methodical, less fragmented editing and storytelling and the explicit, factual character of contemporary Iranian life are samples of a whole new spectrum. As Iranian cinematic culture is moving forward, it shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be surprising that filmmakers, artists and academics are relocating and transmitting their knowledge on national identity through a third, external eye - the one observing the world from outside Iran. Because it is not only censorship or tradition we need to talk about in the Iranian case, it is mainly the process of consuming and digesting the western stereotypes in cinema along with their adjustment to a culture with strong temperament and nurtured respect for aesthetic values.

Pitch: Indiewire Xavier Dolan A storyteller, a wunderkind and a generation’s filmmaker

An 18-year old boy is sitting with his film crew in the back of a van after a long filming day in Canada. He listens carefully to a story that one of his crew members about her partner’s decision to change sex. Then puts his headphones on and for the rest of the journey he invents characters and scenes in his mind, scenes that the same day become 30 pages of script written in one night and about four years after are turned into his third feature film named Laurence Anyways. And there he is now, Xavier Dolan, at his 25 standing in the middle of the crowd in a packed Grand Théâtre Lumière in Cannes. It is not a random crowd though, they scream of enthusiasm, they clap and whistle to declare joy and admiration. And the reason is Xavier’s fifth film Mommy that just premiered at the 2014 festival granting him the first admission to the Competition section after years of receiving just un certain regard. Born in Quebec, Dolan started his acting career at the age of four with advertising campaigns and small parts in TV shows and Canadian film productions, following his father’s steps, who is a successful actor and singer in the country. When at the age of 17 he wrote, directed and performed the main part in his first film I killed my mother (J' ai Tué Ma Mère), he received an 8 minute long standing ovation from the tough film critics in Cannes. At this stage he was

unable to realise the massive success, he only wanted to tell a story because cinema for him means sequence, a smooth line that everyone can follow. Xavier Dolan never tried to hide that his films have a strong autobiographical context. His first film was inspired by his adolescent relationship with his mother. At the time he was going through harsh times as a teenager while discovering his sexuality and being openly homosexual. He still keeps bits and pieces of his character back then. Although a developed personality, or even a persona in his case, he remains shy and many times absorbed by his thoughts, losing his words at press conferences and trying to avoid being the epicentre of attention when being surrounded by his colleagues. He was only 8 years old when Titanic appeared in the cinemas and yet he was struck by the visual narration of the story, a fascination that remains with him even today, as he admits. Xavier Dolan watched a lot of American cinema before entering teenagehood; then he became obsessed with the French nouvelle vague, which infused his work with a sense of liberation and aestheticism. Jane Campion’s The Piano inspired him how to create strong and emotionally brave female characters. A friend journalist once told me in Cannes “he is child of marketing. So kind and shy and yet so mechanically adjusted to execute a role, even when giving a private interview.” Sometimes it is really hard though to separate the icon from the person, especially when a child enters the competitive film industry business at the age of four and obviously needs a protection “bubble”.

Many have accused Xavier of being way too egocentric to allow another person in front of the camera, keeping the protagonist parts in his films for himself. When he read a strong and opinionated article at the Hollywood reporter on Tom at the farm (Tom a la ferme), his fourth feature, he tweeted them: “You can kiss my narcissistic a**”, considering the story a personal attack. He never expected people over 35 to treat his work without the bias of their generation. It is just impossible for a 25 year old filmmaker that wants to put en face his homosexuality and his young, fresh interpretation of life. Somewhere between drunken Cannes parties, red carpets and the vibrant, colourful world of his art-house cinema, a timid and sensitive little boy hides in the backstage, revealing one by one sides of his personality. For Xavier, as he stated from his first interviews, filmmaking for the sake of filmmaking means nothing if your stories are soulless and you’ve got nothing to tell. In 2009, Xavier went through three agonising moths and finally decided to turn down a proposal from Brad Pitt’s production company to collaborate on future projects, following the success of I killed my mother. He dislikes identifying himself as a Quebecois or Canadian or Francophone filmmaker, but certainly his roots are deeply expressed in his filmography so far, with all five features shot in Canada and with Canadian cast. His filmmaking may be eclectic in terms of audiences, though it represents a whole new generation of 20 something youngsters that want to walk freely on the streets and feel proud of themselves; just like in one of the most famous scenes from his second feature Heartbeats (Les amours imaginaires), bizarrely dressed with a remastered version of Xavier’s fav “Bang Bang” by Dalida. While returning to Toronto IFF in September with Mommy and Charles Biname’s Elephant song, Xavier Dolan prepares his next project, this time in the English language. He also plans his return to school soon, because as admitted in Cannes, he misses mingling with his peers and it’s about time to get some proper rest. But from the wunderkind of youth cinema, you could never know what to expect…

Part 2

Introduction Film Festival Press releases can have various forms and uses. They can be an announcement of the official programme or for an official section of the festival, news regarding the annual festival’s activity, its guests and audience, its partners etc. as for example Cannes, Berlin and other International film festivals do. Press releases can also be issued as obituaries for acclaimed festival guests or members of the film industry or as a congratulatory letters for great achievements. The main purpose is to inform audience, press and anyone interested in the festival’s activity regarding any changes, additions or information that is important for the organisation and its events. As a press and PR manager of the Commonwealth Film & Theatre Festival I composed several press releases before, during and after the festival which were uploaded on the official website: www.commonwealthff.wordpress.com and some of which are part of this portfolio. The main aim was to inform the potential audience of the festival about the programme, the film selection, the sidebar events, and the festival’s day-to-day activity. Taking into consideration that it was the festival’s first edition, which meant that it was building its audience for the first time, and that it was an event supported by the University of Glasgow and sponsored with public funds, it was essential that the press releases were always carefully constructed, sharp, to the point, and informative. For example, in the first press release, used to announce the festival to the public, I included references to our main sponsors and supporters to point out at the same time that being host at the university does not mean that the festival targets exclusively audiences from that area (university students and stuff), but it is open to all film lovers and cinemagoers in Glasgow’s metropolitan area. Furthermore, every press release was underlining that all events are admission free, important detail for a new film festival hosted in non-central venue and focusing on specific themes around inspired by the selection of films from various Commonwealth nations.

After the launch of the official selection of films and theatre performances for the festival, a series of several press releases focusing on single events were posted prior to the beginning of the festival. The selection of the films that were featured in official press releases was based on various facts, such as exclusivity, personalisation, cultural proximity etc. For instance, the opening film Sixteen by Rob Brown was featured in an independent press release because of the exclusivity of the event - opening night of the festival, presence of the director, Q & A after the screening, wine reception – and of the screening itself, as it was the Scottish premiere of the film and the third festival that it screened at, after London FF and Karlovy Vary IFF. Another example is Workingman’s Death, a documentary by Michael Glawogger, who died tragically while shooting in Africa, shortly after the film was selected and secured for the festival. Finally, The Lunchbox by Ritesh Batra, because of the popularity of the film among the film festival circles and the large Indian community in the city of Glasgow. As the film was already a success in the film circuit and one of the most widely known recent films in the festival’s selection, the press release was an important medium to promote one of the screenings with the largest audience anticipation. One of the sidebar events of the festival, a film and theatre journalism workshop in collaboration with the media partner NISI MASA: The European Network for young cinema was also given additional attention and promotion on the website and social media. The press releases for it included one for the announcement / description of the workshop and a “call for participants” press release. Using both the Festival and NISI MASA’s online platforms and social network accounts, the call for participants finally reached the desired four participants coming from Scotland, England, Sweden and France. Targeting various audience groups, mainly 18-26 and 26-40, the social media reproduction of press releases was the main platform to reach them. Most of the press releases were posted on the Facebook and Twitter feed accompanied by a shorter introduction text which is more attractive and eye-catching on social networks. Finally, the press releases were reproduced and reposted on various websites and media partners such as People Make Glasgow (www.peoplemakeglasgow.com), What’s On Glasgow (www.whatsonglasgow.co.uk), The List (www.list.co.uk) and forwarded to broadcast media (STV, Channel 4) for an inclusion on their web culture news-bulletin and culture shows.

Note: All press releases as published on www.commonwealthff.wordpress.com

Press Release 1 Commonwealth Film & Theatre Festival Press Release / 1 May 2014

The department of Theatre, Film and Television studies of the University of Glasgow, with the support of Celebrate, would like to announce The Commonwealth Film & Theatre Festival. The Festival will take place from the 17th to the 27th of July 2014 including performances, screenings and events to celebrate cultural diversity and the spirit of international collaborations that the Commonwealth games bring this year to Glasgow. Aiming to bring the local communities closer to distant realities from the Commonwealth world, our programme will include films from Africa, South-East Asia, the Caribbean Region, and the UK. The palette of social, environmental and economic factors creates fertile ground for the national cinemas to blossom and efficiently present various perspectives of these countries to the global spectator. In collaboration with Africa in Motion Film Festival we will hold a preview screening on the 10th of July at the Andrew Stewart cinema, Gilmorehill Centre with the films Rain by Maria Govan (Bahamas, 2009) and Beach Boy by Emil Langballe (UK/ Kenya, 2013). The full festival programme, including theatre performances and parallel events, will be available in the beginning of June. All screenings, discussions and events surrounding the main programme will have free admission.

For details, enquiries and press: Kathi Kamleitner & Martin I. Petrov, Press Office: +44 7598 019538 / +44 7543 829874

E-Mail: commonwealthff@gmail.com Website: www.commonwealthff.wordpress.com Connect with us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/commonwealthfilmfestival

Press Release 2 CFTF to open with British drama Sixteen

Glasgow, 22 June 2014 The Commonwealth Film Festival opens on July 17th with UK drama Sixteen with director Rob Brown attending the screening.

Seize films production Sixteen, directed by Rob Brown and starring Roger Jean Nsengiyumva and Rachel Stirling will open The Commonwealth Film & Theatre Festival on July 17th. The film takes us to developing suburb neighbourhoods of contemporary London, where young Jumah lives with his foster mother Laura. Still remembering his violent childhood as an African child soldier, Jumah accidentally witnesses an event that revives the memories of his old life. Trapped between two colliding identities, Jumah confronts adulthood for the first time. British director Rob Brownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s debut film premiered last October at London Film Festival and 36

generated a wave of positive reviews. Sixteen is a contemporary social realist youth drama that collectively deals with the political conflict in the background and the tender story of adoption, love and life-twist that remains on the front line. Director and scriptwriter Rob Brown will be attending the screening of the film which will be followed by a Q&A. The screening will be held in our main venue at the Andrew Stewart cinema at the Gilmorehill Centre (9 University Avenue, G12 8QQ) on the 17th of July at19.00. Screening and Q&A are not ticketed and admission free. For press materials of the film and more info check the press section on the webpage http://www.commonwealthff.wordpress.com a few days prior to the beginning of the festival or email commonwealthff@gmail.com. The screening of Sixteen will be accompanied by the short film Scotland for Fitness from the Scottish Screen Archive, film partner of The Commonwealth Film & Theatre Festival.

Press Release 3

Glasgow, 22 June 2014 Michael Glawogger’s Workingman’s Death at the Commonwealth FTF

Workingman’s Death, the second part of Michael Glawogger’s documentary trilogy dealing with contemporary urban life stories about poverty, working conditions and prostitution will be screened during the Commonwealth Film & Theatre Festival, taking place in Glasgow from the 17th till the 27th of July. The Austrian director, who died tragically two months ago while filming in Africa, portrays the inadequacies of the urban jungle in the megapolises of Asia. Workingman’s Death goes to Indonesia, Pakistan, China, Nigeria and Ukraine to explore the working environment in various locations and professions. It creates a collage of the most characteristic elements of 37

the south-Asian grand production for worldwide export as opposed to the massive unemployment and the preservation of dying professions. The screening will take place at our main venue at Andrew Stewart Cinema, Gilmorehill Centre (9 University Avenue, G12 8QQ) on the 21st of July at 18:30. The screening is not ticketed and admission free. The screening of Workingmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Death will be accompanied by the short film Wealth of a Nation from the Scottish Screen Archive, film partner of The Commonwealth Film & Theatre Festival.

Press Release 4

NisiMasa and the CFTF collaborate on a film & theatre journalism workshop Glasgow, 06 July 2014

The Commonwealth Film & Theatre Festival is proudly announcing its collaboration with NisiMasa, the European network for Youth Cinema on a free film & theatre journalism workshop which will take place for the entire duration of the festival, from the 17th till 27 of July. NisiMasa, established in 2001, has been the patron of independent European cinema for the past decade, focusing on young filmmakers that make their breakthrough to the film industry on the stage of the biggest European film festivals like Berlin, Cannes, Venice and Karlovy Vary. Nisimazine, NisiMasa's official and widely recognised and respected publication on film festivals, celebrates special print and online editions on the biggest film events in Europe.

As part of the Commonwealth Film & Theatre Festival's media partnership with NisiMasa, one of the Nisimazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s editors will attend the festival and hold a free workshop for aspiring writers and film & theatre enthusiasts that are interested in writing on film & theatre and reporting on festival events. An special online edition of NisiMazine will be issued to present the collective work of the participants. The workshop will include journalism sessions and editorial meetings with the workshop initiators, surrounded by masterclasses with established film critics and professional writers. All journalism students, young journalists and professionals, film & theatre enthusiasts and everyone interested in writing on art is welcome to participate in the free workshop. The official call for participants is available on the festivalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website. (link)

New media piece: Video Introduction When a film journalist student is called to organize a film festival from scratch, many ideas, options and thoughts get lost in the vast pond of responsibilities and roles. Almost two months after the preparations for the Commonwealth Film and theatre festival had started, the idea of organizing a film and theatre journalism workshop struck me like a thunderbolt. Why didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t I think of this earlier? Given the fact that I had already participated in a similar workshop and it was constantly in my mind because of the magnificent experience. The contact was made in a few minutes, the biggest part was agreed. The only remaining thing was to present the idea to the funders and get the permission to do the workshop as part of the festival, task which was completed on the second day. Planning a workshop which involves not only organizational skills but also managerial experience, editor skills and much more was probably one of the most exciting and difficult tasks in the whole festival planning. When you put on the website the final call for participants and your heart beats rapidly in the expectation of enough film lovers who would like to be involved and make your idea a successful plan is unique. Two days before the start of the festival the group was finally formed and the things seemed to be finally rolling smoothly. A Swedish girl, two English boys that happened to be brothers and a French artist united their powers to create the perfect team we were looking for. The team that under the close supervision of the NISI MASA editor, visiting Glasgow from Paris for the festival, would produce five e-bulletins with articles, reviews, interviews and photos, covering all the events and the screenings of the Commonwealth Film & Theatre Festival. In the video that follows, I have managed to visualize in the best possible way the process of organizing, shaping and executing a journalism workshop which for the short time given became the most successful sidebar event of the festival. Selected photographs and video footage from the daily editorial meetings of the workshop team is accompanied by rich album of images that describes the workshop and the stages which took part from its start and towards its completion.

Step by step the short video (with an explanatory voiceover) shows the initiation of the workshop and familiarizes the viewer with the organization, NISI MASA, and its aim as a pan-European network for young cinema. Consequently, the announcement of the workshop and the call for participants, along with the search for the desired media coverage and social media presentation which would contribute towards the discovery of the participants, the promotion of the workshop and the five e-bulletins produced during it and towards the expansion of the Festival’s audiences in general. Social media feed from Facebook and Twitter is included to support the above. The script of the video’s voiceover can be found below:

Script The Commonwealth Film & Theatre Festival, a project initiated by the University of Glasgow and funded by Celebrate Scotland took part between the 17 th and the 27th of July in the west end of the city. As part of the festival’s activities and events, one of our media partners, NISI MASA: The European network for young cinema, held a free film and theatre journalism workshop which involved young aspiring writers, interested in film and art. NISI MASA was established in France in 2001 and in no time developed into the biggest cinema network counting today 31 partners, mainly film festivals and cinema organizations all around Europe. NISI MASA’s aim from the beginning was to give stage to the new filmmakers and film talents from all the European countries and to promote their work and independent cinema in general. As part of this errand, the editorial team holds numerous journalism workshops during the biggest European Film Festivals, giving the opportunity to new writers, bloggers and photographers to enter the competitive film industry and gather important experience in order to become the future film critics and festival and photoreporters. NISI MASA’s platform hosts all the news around the organisation’s activity, open calls for workshops, and all the publications that the editorial team publishes during the festival workshops in Cannes, Venice, Karlovy Vary and many more every year.

The first step for setting the workshop was calling for participants and promoting it on the website, on social media and on various event listing platforms in order to spread the word and find the perfect team. Also, the support from local film festivals and industry professionals was really helpful for promoting the festival’s activity and reaching a broader audience. Two days before the opening of the festival and the actual start of the workshop, four participants from Sweden, France and England – all living in Glasgow – united to demonstrate their writing skills and learn from the NISI MASA editor who travelled from Paris to attend the festival and hold daily editorial meetings with the participants. During the meetings, the whole team was going through the reviews, articles and interviews that the participants had written in advance. The feedback given from the editor was essential for them to improve their writing skills and correct their pieces according to the deadlines for the e-bulletins. They were published every second day of the festival, five in total and distributed through NISI MASA’s online platform as newsletters, published both on the festival and on NISI MASA’s social media. The five e-bulletins included film and theatre criticism and in focus articles, all selected and curated by the editor of the magazine in order to match perfectly the style of NISI MASA’s publications. Reaching more than 5000 readers in just a few days, the writers’ contribution was recognised and rewarded, giving them motivation for future development.

The video is on YouTube’s platform under the following link: Video