UK Film Network

The Times sponsored BFI 53^rd London Film Festival 2009

 

Published by Tremayne (Potter)

 

THE FINAL DAY OF THE FESTIVAL: 29 October 2009

Starsuckers

UK 2009/100 min

 

A docu-film by director Chris Atkins, who was BAFTA-nominated for his Blair-baiting documentary, Taking Liberties.  

‘Starsuckers probes various aspects of celebrity culture with a scathing wit and sense of mischief, from the pushy parents who seek recognition for their children to the established public figures who use their position to gain political influence. It illustrates how truth has become devalued by the modern news media.’

 

Chris Atkins made an unexpected appearance yesterday at The Vue Cinema, Leicester Square on the final day of The BFI 53^rd London Film Festival after the 13h00 screening of the film Starsuckers, allowing for a 10-min window where people could ask questions.

 

1)Where did you get your inspiration from for the film?

“A critique has never been done before on media companies.  I got the inspiration for it about two years ago.

I thought, if you can make someone laugh, you engage them a lot more. That’s why it took two years to make. There’s no central character, so I

invented the personage of God of the Starsuckers, who helps  to create media concepts that are all around us.”

 

2)On your own Blog it mentions the £5,000 grant you were refused by The UK Film Council.  Your film exposed the media and its spin doctors, how can we believe that this isn’t just another hoax?

“Of course, there’s a circular pattern of cynicism on this subject and this week we’re up against James Cameron film Avatar and Michael Jackson movie – This is it.  You’re rightfully meant to be given a £5,000 grant from The UK Film Council but instead they gave us a £5,000 fuck-off!”

 

3)What were your reasons for making the film?

“Because these people are conning us out of money and I wanted to expose them for what they really are!”

 

4)Why is your narrator’s voice American?

“It wouldn’t have worked with my own voice, an Oxbridge graduate, especially when the main media swaggering has come from America, and I wanted to create something that was unique.”

 

5)The film doesn’t offer any solutions to the problems.  Why is that?

“If you’re not careful you run the risk of being like Live8 where more coverage was devoted to the stars themselves. I believe that all gossip columns should attach the tag ‘probably not true’ to them!”

 

6)What resources would you recommend to prevent this media juggernaut from catapulting out of control?

“Stop your children from watching T.V. It hasn’t done me any harm.  And stop buying trashy magazines.”

 

7)For the scene in the shopping centre where you asked parents’ permission to allow their child to take part in an infomercial, explaining what happens to an animal after it has been taken to the slaughterhouse, using a rubber chicken and a toy axe, did many refuse?

“2 out of the 42 we asked.”

 

8)To reach a television audience how would you have to alter the film?

“It would have to be massively edited, cut down by half and most probably be only shown on More4 after midnight.”

 

9)Have you noticed any recent changes in the world of the Media?

“Yes, the circulation in magazine sales is dropping.”

The difference with today’s Journalists is that they’re not given time to sift through news, casting aside the bad from the good, with the exception of Private Eye whose information doesn’t go out to press until two weeks later.”

 

 

Starsuckers is released on October 30^th by City Screen & Curzon Screen.

THE TIMES BFI 53^RD LONDON FILM FESTIVAL 14-29 October 2009

Published by: Tremayne (Potter)

 

Saturday 24 October

Don’t Worry About Me

dir.: David Morrissey (his debut feature length film)

London lad David travels up to Liverpool to hunt down the girl from last night’s one night stand.  After he’s told where to go, he finds himself wandering the streets until he comes across a betting shop where a shy and slightly reserved Tina gives him a tip on which dog to place his bet on.  On his win, David invites Tina out for coffee and encourages her to take the rest of the day off work.  She shows him the hot tourist spots but behind those smiling eyes of her’s, lies locked-up pain.

 

Q & A Session at the end of The World Premiere

 

David Morrissey gives some background in to the film.

“Don’t Worry About Me is an independent film which I raised the funds for myself.  The film couldn’t have been made without the help of its producer John Maxwell.

It was originally a play called ‘The Pool’ and was written by the two principal actors you saw in the film tonight.”

 

Did you find it easy to give up your story to a film production company? (directed at principal actors, Helen Elizabeth & James Brough)

“It was originally a 2-man show we took up to Edinburgh, written in rhyming couplets.  It was easy to let go of, having started off as a little play we had made no assumptions about what it might turn in to.”

 

How did you achieve the look you did in the film?

 “James Wright, the cameraman.  It was also shot on Sony, HD.

Right now, in Liverpool, a modern city is immerging from out of the older part of the city and I wanted the film to reflect that.

What took its time was being granted permission to shoot in different locations but people were most accommodating which lent to itself.”

 

Were you looking for a project that would be shot in Liverpool?

“Yes, or at least the North West as that’s where my production company is based.”

 

Can you tell us about the leap from T.V. to film.

“With the film there was no financial help. All of it had to be raised by my own means, which meant constantly doing deals, which, of course, uses up a lot of time.

The advantage I had, however, was there was no executive producer getting in the way of my own creative vision.

I also had to keep within a budget.”

 How did you come to write together? (directed towards Helen Elizabeth & James Brough).

“We both knew each other from Drama School and came up with the story when we were poor.”

 

 What would you advise any one coming in to the acting profession?

“I would advise those just starting out to watch all of their footage as much as possible as what they think they’re doing, can come across very differently on screen.

You won’t get much rehearsal time in your career but it’s something

I made sure there was enough of in my own film, two weeks in all.”

 

What transformations did the characters have to go through to make that shift from theatre  in to film? (directed at actors, Helen Elizabeth & James Brough).

“On stage we played for caricatures.  Whereas with David (David Morrissey) he would say to us ‘I can see what you’re thinking.  Change your thoughts.’ ”

James Brough adds: “They are very real, flawed characters. 

David (David Morrissey) helped us to see the good and the bad sides of each character.”

 

How was breaking in to acting relevant to when you came round to direct?

“The director of ‘One Summer’, my breakthrough movie, gave me a great grounding.  It was from then on I knew I wanted to focus on acting.  I learnt about lenses, set-ups, cameras and, the fact,

that it’s not all about the actors but the whole team.”

 

 

 

 

 

Supporting the THAFF in this special scary screening as co-presenters are two rising entities in the field of horror: Crypt Club Productions Inc. from Toronto and Latin Horror from New York City.

The aim is to showcase the best in Spanish/Latin American independent horror filmmaking so that THAFF fans can get some more red in their salsa.

Spread the word, and send in your feature and short indie horror films. There is no fee for submissions to the THAFF's "Noche de los Muertos". That's right, it's a FREE Submission.

Feature films and shorts eligible for THAFF screening must meet at least ONE of the following requirements:

• A film in which either the producer, director, writer, or other key talent is of Spanish or Latin American background.
• A film dealing with subject matter that concerns the Spanish or Latin American community.

Please Note: Films not originally in English must have English subtitles. All English language films must have Spanish subtitles. Exceptions may be made for Short Films.

FILM SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Screener DVDs (NTSC, Region 1 or 0) must reach the THAFF office by end of day on Friday October 16, 2009.

SUBMISSION FORMS: THAFF Submissions

ABOUT THAFF
The 12th edition of the THAFF runs November 2 to 8, 2009 following the traditional Latin “Dia de los Muertos” festivities. These festivities, held in Mexico and throughout Latin America, honour the departed with gifts of the departed's favourite food, drink, and music.

The THAFF is Canada's largest and longest-running Spanish/Latin American culture film festival with a spectacular selection of feature film dramas, comedies, and documentaries from Spanish speaking countries.

Come share the culture, excitement and emotion of Hispano-American cinema at Canada's largest and longest running Spanish language film festival: The Toronto Hispano-American Film Festival!

Now with added scares thanks to the new "Noche de los Muertos" screening event.

LINKS:
Toronto Hispano-American Film Festival(THAFF)
Crypt Club Productions Inc.
Latin Horror