MovieBar

Moviebar February 2012 Postscript

2012-02-07T15:56:00.001-08:00

Moviebar's 2012 started with a jam-packed line-up of 9 shorts. Whaddaya mean you missed it?! Here's how it went down...

Trapped
Kicking things off was Gemma Clarke's drama about London teens desperately trying to realise their dreams...

Gemma was unable to attend but you can find out more about the making of Trapped in this interview.

Backspace
Next came a tense encounter with a twist from director Mark Stevenson and writer Gabriel Lesmoir-Gordon...

Thanks to Mark and Gabriel who came along to chat about making Backspace.

Grai
A documentary from Upneet Kaur-Nagpal looking at Romany Gypsies in Worthing and the place of horses in their everyday lives. Upneet came along to talk about making the short which was cut from hours and hours of interviews.

Peanut Albinos – ‘To Be a Number’
Simon Olivier came along to show his latest music video for his band Peanut Albinos which makes great use of various Brighton locations...

In Which a Wife Suffers a Loss
An unsettling drama from writer/director Cheryl White which unfolds from a single CCTV vantage point. Cheryl talked about the short which is the second in a series and you can find out more on her website.

The Bored Room
Up next was a dark comedy from Gavin Leary in which a floundering boardroom presenter starts having violent fantasies.

Wheels of Fortune
Next we had Tim Watchorn's comedy about two wheelchair-bound actors competing for a role. The filmmakers couldn't make it along but had a little message for us - “On behalf of the entire cast and crew would like to thank you for screening Wheels of Fortune. We filmed this with the support of the British Film Institute and also ran a training scheme to train 10 physically disabled children in the art of film making. We are all incredibly proud of it and hope that you enjoy watching it. You can find us on twitter and we would love to know your thoughts. @Wproductions and @prouddavid. Thanks again and have a lovely evening."

Wheels of Fortune can be viewed on the uScreen website.

Voices
Next was Ed Dallal's short Voices, a self-portrait told through the voices of other London citizens...

Mars
We ended our epic journey with a slick sci-fi animation from Joe Bichard and Jack Cunningham...

Phew! If you're still gagging for more then be sure to come along to the next Moviebar on Monday 5th March at the Caroline of Brunswick. For any feedback or submissions, you can email us at moviebar@ymail.com.

Gemma Clarke on Trapped

2012-02-07T15:50:00.000-08:00

Moviebar recently screened the short Trapped, an affecting drama focusing on two everyday London teens desperately trying to realise their dreams. Director Gemma Clarke was unable to attend but was kind enough to answer a few questions about the making of Trapped...

1) How did the film come about?

The film was part of a project with production company Chocolate Films and youth organisation Futureversity. They were looking for young people to pitch film ideas to them and were offering 5 winners a budget of £500 and mentoring and support from Chocolate Films. I had this particular idea for sometime so decided to give it a shot and pitch it to them. Luckily I was one of the chosen 5 and received mentoring and guidance on getting my script together, organising the production and getting the film made. I took the role of writer and director whilst my mentor, Ben Clough took the role of producer as well as being a help in hand with all other aspects of the production.

2) How long did it take?

I started working on the script in August 2010, was shooting in October and finished editing in November so 3 months all together. The actual shoot was 2 and a half days.

3) Are there any particularly difficult moments you remember from making the film?

The most difficult moments I remember was trying to get access to certain locations on such a small budget. These obstacles taught me the important of thinking creatively in all aspects of a low budget film production and resulted in me having to change a few scenes - the last scene being one of them - however after the production was finished i felt the new scenes worked much better than the original scenes would have done.

4) What part or element of the film are you most happy with?

If i had to choose what part i was most happy with i would say the story line as i was particularly happy with how real and believable the story came across as, as this was my main goal, to create something that people could relate to and feel reflects real life.

5) What are you working on next?

I am currently in post production of a short film called Without You, which i also wrote and directed. I am also working on new writing material as well as getting involved in other peoples productions to gain as much experience as possible.

MovieBar - 6th February 2012 Line-up...

2012-01-28T16:48:00.000-08:00

7.30pm Monday 6th February 2012

Brighton's monthly short film event returns to the Caroline of Brunswick in February with a robot theme…because we’re living in 2012 and there should definitely be robots! Also, we haven’t done robots yet.

We’re covering all the bases with our shorts for this event which includes animation, music video and documentary as well as some excellent short dramas and comedies. Here’s the line-up of films for the night…

Trapped

Two teenagers struggle to keep sight of their dreams in Gemma Clarke’s short drama.

Mars

A neat sci-fi animation from Joe Bichard and Jack Cunningham that explores what would really happen if we made it to Mars.

Grai

Upneet Kaur-Nagpal’s documentary follows a Romany Gypsy family based in Worthing as they explain the importance of horses in their culture.

Upneet will hopefully be coming along to talk about the film.

In Which a Wife Suffers a Loss

A silent drama from Cheryl White about a middle-class household in which nothing is quite what it seems.

Cheryl will hopefully be coming along to talk about the film.

The Bored Room

Gavin Leary’s black comedy has a disgruntled employee turning a run-of-the-mill presentation into a forum for the darker side of his imagination.

Wheels of Fortune

Two wheelchair-bound actors find themselves competing for the same part in Tim Watchorn’s comedy-drama.

Backspace

Mark Stevenson’s short drama shows an incident in a café with unexpected consequences.

Mark and writer Gabriel Lesmoir-Gordon will be coming along to talk about the film.

Voices

A documentary from filmmaker Ed Dallal which combines the opinions of various members of the public into a single point of view.

Peanut Albinos – ‘To Be a Number’

Simon Olivier directs this quirky music video for Brighton band Peanut Albinos.

Simon will be coming along to talk about the video.

If you have any questions about the event or have a film you would like us to consider for screening please e-mail moviebar[at]ymail.com

MovieBar - A monthly film screening and networking night for filmmakers and film lovers.

1st Monday of every month at the Caroline of Brunswick in Brighton.

Join our Facebook group.

Follow us on Twitter.

Moviebar December 2011 Postscript

2011-12-06T15:10:00.000-08:00

Moviebar saw out 2011 with mince pies, extra special pressies for quiz winners and, of course, a sackful of quality shorts. Here's how the last Moviebar of the year went down...

Slash-in-the-Box

We started off with a short and sweet shocker from US director Nick Everhart. A couple play with a harmless looking jack-in-the-box but it gives them a nasty surprise.

You can find out more about Nick at his site Pop Goes the Evil.

Contact

Another short from the US, Contact is a surreal, Lynchian glimpse at the world of drug addiction. Largely dialogue free, the short is a vivid descent into paranoia from director Jeremiah Kipp.

Rubberneck

An argument ends in tragedy for a bickering couple on their way home. Director Dominic Pillai joined us to chat about improvising the dialogue with his girlfriend and how he kept the ending deliberately ambiguous.

The Lift

The Lift was made as part of a Brighton Film Coalition challenge by directors Jason Davison and Dick Douglass and sees a driver regretfully picking-up a crazed hitchhiker. Jason and Dick came along to talk about how they worked together and the logistical nightmare of filming the car in a cramped garage.

The Joke

A room with three people waiting for a job interview, the pressure to know what's happening gradually building and each candidate vents their frustration in different ways. Tim Pieraccini directed a script from Gary Mepsted and both filmmakers talked about going from script to screen.

Act of Faith

We closed the night with another film from director Tim Pieraccini, this time a haunting ghost story about a woman plagued by a blindfolded spirit. Tim talked about coming up with the idea and filming it in and around Brighton.

There won't be a Moviebar in January to give everyone a chance to recover from their holiday hangovers so the next one will be Monday 6th February. See you all in 2012 (barring any apocalyptic disasters). For any feedback or submissions, you can email us at moviebar@ymail.com.

Christmas MovieBar Trailers...

2011-12-05T16:12:00.000-08:00

Due to a technical hitch (i.e. my increasingly unreliable DVD writer) I couldn't show any trailers tonight, which was really annoying because this time there were some really amazing ones. So I've posted them here instead.

Imagine you're at MovieBar, chatting excitedly about the amazing films on the line-up or maybe having a go at the quiz. Suddenly the lights are dimmed and this explodes onto the screen...

I obviously had to include this one...

And here's a modern classic...

I saved the best for last. This is possibly the strangest Christmas film ever (make sure you carry on watching after the teaser - there's a lot more!)...

Hopefully next time I'll manage to actually screen the trailers on the night!

MovieBar - 5th December 2011 Line-up...

2011-11-22T14:47:00.000-08:00

7.30pm Monday 5th December 2011 – Film line-up

Join us in December for a vaguely Christmas-themed MovieBar! None of the films we’re screening are even slightly Christmas-related but there will be a Christmas film quiz and festive prizes!

Here are the films we’ll be screening on the night…

Slash-in-the-Box

Nick Everhart’s horror short is about a couple who come across a vintage jack-in-the-box with a few extra surprises inside.

Contact

If David Cronenberg and David Lynch decided to collaborate on a film about drugs it would probably look a bit like this really rather disturbing short from Jeremiah Kipp.

Rubberneck

A typical argument has severe and unusual consequences in Dominic Pillai’s effective existential drama.

Dominic will be coming along to talk about the film.

The Lift

Part ghost story, part road movie, The Lift is an innovative take on the creepy hitchhiker subgenre from directors Jason Davison and Dick Douglass.

Jason and Dick will be coming along to talk about the film.

The Joke

Tim Pieraccini directs Gary Mepsted’s script in this comedy/drama about what happens when three very different candidates are kept waiting at a job interview.

Tim and Gary will be along to talk about the film.

Act of Faith

We close off the evening with another film from Tim Pieraccini, this one a classic ghost story about a troubled girl haunted by mysterious blindfolded figure.

Tim will hopefully still be there to talk about this film as well!

If you have any questions about the event or have a film you would like us to consider for screening please e-mail moviebar[at]ymail.com

MovieBar - A monthly film screening and networking night for filmmakers and film lovers.

1st Monday of every month at the Caroline of Brunswick in Brighton.

Join our Facebook group.

Follow us on Twitter.

Bonus Feast of Hammers Q&A...

2011-11-07T14:25:00.000-08:00

Feast of Hammers director Dominic Stoate couldn't make it to MovieBar last Monday but did write a few words about making the video.

'I was lucky enough to stumble upon Birdeatsbaby while on the hunt for music on an unsigned musicians website for use in a corporate training film. It was upon listening to them and realising how completely inappropriate for the commercial video they were that I decided these were the sort of people I simply had to work with if I wanted to produce anything worth looking back on and remembering. There was just a wildness and glaring originality to their material that I wanted to help perpetuate visually and, as it turned out, they were probably the most creatively accommodating and generally nice people I could have hoped to break into the world of music videos – which is always nice.

"Feast of Hammers" was definitely the video that illustrated to me the importance of preparation. We’d never been exactly unprepared in other videos but we were so keen to do justice to the films we were trying to emulate that it was going to take a whole new level of care if we were going to achieve it convincingly. For instance, a surprisingly large amount of effort was required just to undermine the quality of the technology we have at our disposal to achieve the underwhelming visual style of the films we wanted to pay tribute to.

A lot of people talking about the video have referenced films like “The Hills Have Eyes” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and while those are certainly influences, I also found inspiration in some of the lesser-known films to emerge on video after failing to get a cinema release. Small “video nasties” such as “Blood Rites” and “Driller Killer” - which often had little in the way of budget and virtually no promotional campaigns to support them - relied on their depictions of violence for publicity, often juggling their compulsion to push the boundaries of “taste” with the problems of not having the funds needed to accomplish it. This sometimes resulted in the creators’ ambitions of violence outgrowing their budgetary limits, with the seams of the low budget production on show to often comic effect. For the more violent aspects of “Feast of Hammers” I hoped, with a somewhat facetious emulation of this humour/horror juxtaposition, to stay true to the dark humour Birdeatsbaby’s fans have come to expect from their material at the same time as doing justice to the sinister and violent imagery of the song. It wasn’t just because we too had no money for effects beyond melons and mince!'

Thanks Dominic! And while we're on the subject, Birdeatsbaby released Feast of Hammers as a single today - you can find out how to get it here.

MovieBar will return on Monday 5th December - hope to see you there!

Moviebar Halloween Special - Postscript

2011-11-01T16:50:00.000-07:00

Monday was a very special Moviebar, a collection of the macabre and the grostesque. A Halloween celebration of that spine-tingling genre known as horror and we packed in over 15 blood-soaked shorts. Watch them again, if you dare...

Welcome to Moviebar, Halloween style...

Wilhelm the Dwarf Vampire (Carsum Dim)

Don't Let Him In Trailer (Kelly Smith)

End of the Line (Rob Curry) - More about Rob can be found over at his production company Fifth Column

Vermes (Marc Burton) - More about Marc can be found over at his site Bubble Snake

Little Snaps of Horror (Graham Rathlin)

Slip (Joe Rosen)
Slip can be viewed over at Shooting People

Collar (Stuart Dunlop & Dan Birt)
Collar can be viewed over at Propeller 4 Film

The Baby Watcher & Fear View (Keith Eyles)
Part of the Urban Chiller Tales, trailer below...

Keith Eyles discusses Urban Chiller Tales

Feast of Hammers - Music Video for Birdeatsbaby (Dominic William Stoate)

Birdeatsbaby singer Mishkin

Theatre of Souls (John Hoye)

Director John Hoye talks about Theatre of Souls

ZombieZ Promo (Matt Watering)

Deathilating Machine : In The Flesh (Matt Watering)

Steadicam Operator Andy Nicholls talks about working on Matt Watering's shorts

Squirrels Of Doom (Anthony Carpendale)

Revenge Of The Information Point (Anthony Carpendale)

Death Carts (Anthony Carpendale)

If you survived that and still want more then the next Moviebar is Monday 5th December at the Caroline of Brunswick in Brighton.

HALLOWEEN MOVIEBAR - 31st October 2011

2011-10-19T13:29:00.000-07:00

HALLOWEEN MOVIEBAR
7.30pm Monday 31st October 2011

The November event has been moved back a week to coincide with Halloween! Which is a perfect excuse to dress up as movie monsters and show horror films all night!!!

We'll be starting the first screening at 7.30pm as we've got loads to fit in!

In addition to the films there will be a Halloween themed quiz with prizes as well as a prize for the best Halloween costume (so you pretty much have to dress up!)

In the spirit of the best horror films I’m not going reveal the full line-up of films until the night as I don’t want to give too much away.

However you can expect spooky clowns, masked killers, zombies, ghosts, freaks, at least one decapitation, unnameable horrors, wormholes, ghouls, mutilation, possessed shopping trolleys and blood...lots and lots of blood.

We will also be screening a film so terrifying we dare only show you the trailer!

You’ll find us upstairs at the Caroline of Brunswick, entry is free as always.

MovieBar - A monthly film screening and networking night for filmmakers and film lovers.

Monday 31st October at the Caroline of Brunswick in Brighton.

Join our Facebook group.

Follow us on Twitter.

Q&A with Terminus Producer A.M Esmonde

2011-10-05T15:02:00.000-07:00

Sadly, horror novelist and producer A.M. Esmonde couldn't make it to the screening of Terminus at October's Moviebar but he did leave us this little message...

...and took some time out to answer a few questions about adapting his stories for the screen with the help of US-based filmmakers...

How did the film come about?
I’d written Blood Hunger and was keen to adapt it. However, knowing it would be impossible to have it made as a feature at the time, I wrote a zero budget 2 minute short - Revamped - based on one of the characters from the book. But as a showcase to get Blood Hunger made I needed something on a larger scale. By chance, Innerface films based in the USA contacted me about adapting my work.

How did you get in touch with the director Sean Parsons?
Sean P. Parsons and his business partner contacted me in 2009. Sean had a special effects background in LA and he’s a good writer and cinematographer. They sent me some shorts, writings and some SFX stuff.

How much input/involvement did you have with the script and then later with the production?
Having already made Revamped from the UK with Milden the director in Michigan, I knew it could be done and get good results without having to leave the UK. Innerface were based in Olney, Maryland and so we got a contract in place and it was done over the internet and via post. With Revamped I wrote it and supplied specific story boards, they’d send it to me and I edited it. With Terminus again I communicated over the all powerful internet. It also allowed Parsons freedom to a certain degree. It was Sean’s baby, he’d send me script and we’d go back and forth until the shooting script was locked down. Same with the editing and the rough cut.

Are there any major departures from your original material?
Yes, I didn’t want to single out chapters and in effect pull apart Blood Hunger. Also Blood Hunger is theatrical in nature and I wanted to make it more grounded which would have taken too much time. It would be like doing L.A. Takedown on a tiny indie scale knowing that Heat could be made in the future. So it’s an original story with the spirit of Blood Hunger. Sean had already outlined a story that I liked called ‘Acrylic’. From Blood Hunger is Terminus’ main character Anushka, in the book she’s an important part of the Serbian plot. Marquise, played by Stacey Jackson, is the character Monica in Blood Hunger. Through development, Acrylic became Terminus.

Has the film been screened anywhere else?
The film, after spending money on a lot of entry fees, did not get a showing in the States and is now modestly successful Video on Demand in the USA. I think it’s too visual, and not gory enough to appeal to horror festivals. It’s really a character drama and the vamploric stuff puts drama festivals off so it’s hard to categorise. In addition, due to the 42 minute length we didn’t feel it would be right to put it on DVD, hence the V.O.D. Moviebar really has an exclusive first showing. We could have got a feature running time but it would have been padded with stuff that really needed to be cut. Most of the cast were experienced theatre actors. They were getting use to film. Bruce Allen Dawson, known for his film roles and Theo 'Rick Vick' Johnson is a singer/model and really good bloke. Hello Rick! This is a UK exclusive.

Are there any plans for a follow up, or are you planning on collaborating with Sean again?
I’d love to work with Sean again and he’s keen too but to get a grant here you have to have the UK key crew. If I could I would though. But it boils down to money. That said, I’d love to make a film here rather than the USA. Terminus is Americanised. Its finding the right dedicated people to do it, especially on low/no budget when you want a big budget look. It has to come through love of the craft with hopefully a financial reward in the future.

What are you working on next?
I’m midway thought a third book and working on getting Blood Hunger adapted - tentatively titled Crimson Women. I’m trying to secure development finances to get the feature made.

Moviebar October 2011 Postscript

2011-10-05T14:32:00.000-07:00

How it went down at this month’s awesome Moviebar...

Terminus

The night kicked off in epic style with Terminus from director Sean Parsons. This US/UK collaboration is based on characters from Welsh horror novelist A.M. Esmonde and it’s a meditative take on the vampire genre as a brooding, blood-sucking assassin crosses paths with a wayward human. A.M. Esmonde couldn't make it along to the night but he did take the time to do an email Q&A about the making of Terminus.

Terminus (Trailer)

Terminus Official Site
A.M. Esmonde’s Blog

Creak

We then screened the short horror Creak from Moviebar veteran Luther Bhogal-Jones. Luther answered questions about paying tribute to classic John Carpenter movies and creating his own version of the 70s slasher monster. You can find out more about the production of Creak over at Luther’s blog Wars of Attrition.

Have You Seen This Girl?

First-time director Jonathan Luke then screened his comedy Have You Seen This Girl? which was filmed in Brighton. Jonathan talked about coming up with his simple but effective story and casting his likeable but quirky lead.

Watch Have You Seen This Girl? on Shooting People

House Trafalgar (Trailer)

Writer Simon Messingham then showed off the latest trailer for his action short House Trafalgar which is currently in production. Simon pitched the film as an attempt to bring action cinema to the short film format with a twist on big budget movies like Master and Commander.

Escape

To round things off what better than a good ol’ scrap? Director Ross Boyask finished the night with a breathless fight sequence shot in the snow with two fearless stuntwomen. Ross talked about choreographing the short and the possibilities of turning it into a feature.

Don’t forget the next Moviebar is a horror extravaganza and falls on Halloween (Monday 31st October) with prizes for the best costume! For any feedback or submissions, you can email us at moviebar@ymail.com.

MovieBar - 3rd October 2011 Line-up...

2011-09-22T15:36:00.000-07:00

7.30pm Monday 3rd October 2011 – Film line-up

Brighton's monthly short film event returns in October with more short films, filmmaker Q&As, daft trailers and the usual quiz with prizes. The screenings will take place at our new venue, upstairs at the Caroline of Brunswick.

This month we’re theming the night around vampires in honour of…

Terminus

Directed by Sean Parsons and based on a story by Welsh horror novelist A.M. Esmonde this existential vampire epic successfully crosses violent supernatural hijinks with an arthouse aesthetic to produce a new take on a worn-out genre.

Whiff Whaff

Kathryn Beaumont and Ian Keir Attard play a dysfunctional couple striving for normality in this superbly written and well performed comedy.

Kathryn will be coming along to talk about the film.

Creak

Luther Bhogal-Jones returns to MovieBar with a short horror film about a young couple who learn why you really should be afraid of the things that go bump in the night.

Luther will be coming along to talk about the film.

Have You Seen This Girl?

Jonathan Luke’s Brighton-based romantic comedy has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing in this quirky tale of a man crossing continents for love.

Jonathan will be coming along to talk about the film.

Escape

Most people stay indoors when it’s snowing, the more adventurous among us might build a snowman. Ross Boyask makes two women fight to the death and films it. This is the result

Ross will be along to talk about the film.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT NEXT MONTH: The November MovieBar is traditionally Halloween-themed so this year we’re moving it back a week - the Halloween Moviebar will actually take place on Halloween - Monday 31st of October. We will be screening horror films all night and as well as a horror-themed quiz we will also have prizes for the best costumes!

If you have any questions about the event or have a film you would like us to consider for screening please e-mail moviebar@ymail.com

Enlist Now! Join the Crew of House Trafalgar

2011-09-07T13:34:00.000-07:00

ENLIST NOW! Become a crew member on the HMS Trafalgar, she will set sail 17/18th September, don't delay!

Contact: messingham@virginmedia.com or mark.tew@talk21.com for further details.

House Trafalgar - a tale of adventure, courage and duty, whatever the cost.

Six months away from home and with an un-tried crew, Captain Aubrey Nelson and his crew are put to the test as an enemy house hunts them down. Both he and his men must keep their wits about them and hold their nerve. They must hold fast to win the day - and the prize.For fans of adventure, heroics and men in battle. 'England expects' and House Trafalgar delivers.

COMING SOON

Moviebar September 2011 Postscript

2011-09-07T13:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came along to this month’s stonking Moviebar! Great audience, great guests and a fantastic line-up of films made for another hugely entertaining evening. For those who missed out, here’s how it went down...

Revolution
We kicked off with a music video featuring a hip green puppet from director Pete Regan. The film was originally for a competition to produce a video for the band Flogging Molly but Pete was on hand to tell everyone how it wasn’t exactly plain sailing.

Find out more about Pete over on his blog No More Ghostly Games.

Personality Aid
Next up was the quirky comedy short Personality Aid from director Nathan Cook. Shot in the Leeds, the film sees a guy looking for a way to improve his social status via mail order. Nathan came along to talk about making it for nothing and getting together such a talented bunch of people.

Billboard (Trailer)
Writer-director Jamie Paterson showed off the trailer for his second feature film Billboard, a not-so-romantic comedy. Jamie answered questions about how he came up with the idea, which he based on a real-life relationship that started to go wrong when his girlfriend said “they were in a rut...” Luckily, the violence that follows in the film is strictly fictional.

Billboard is available on DVD but you can watch it online over at Jamie’s Jump Start Distributions.

Woolies
The penultimate film of the night was Woolies, a poignant drama from writer-director Nick Hilton centred around the staff of a Woolworths on its last day of trading.

Jenny Ringo and the Monkey’s Paw
Finally, Moviebar’s very own host Chris Regan unleashed his long-awaited short Jenny Ringo and the Monkey’s Paw, an off-beat comedy about a wannabe witch, her slacker flatmate and a parade of things both weird and unusual. As writer-director, Chris has been working on the film for over year and he talked about how he took an idea he had at uni and turned it into a big screen production with a musical number and everything. Moviebar is about getting filmmakers together and it’s fantastic to see that so many of the Moviebar regulars had a hand in helping Chris get Jenny Ringo made.

Chris has written extensively about the whole process over on his blog Writer By Night.

The next Moviebar is on the 3rd October and we hope to see you then at the Caroline of Brunswick! For any feedback or submissions, you can email us at moviebar@ymail.com.

MovieBar - 5th September 2011 Line-up...

2011-08-16T14:47:00.000-07:00

7.30pm Monday 5th September 2011 – Film line-up

Brighton's monthly short film event is back in September with another eclectic mix of awesome shorts and an opportunity to quiz the filmmakers afterwards. The screenings will take place at our new venue, upstairs at the Caroline of Brunswick.

Revolution

Pete Regan's quirky music video gets its big screen debut and proves that a short film about two people in a flat is infinitely improved when one of those people is a furry green puppet.

Pete will be coming along to talk about the film.

Personality Aid

Nathan Cook's Faustian comedy tells the story of a teenager who discovers a shortcut to popularity via a device that increases his wit and intelligence.

Nathan will be coming along to talk about the film.

Billboard trailer

Jamie Paterson describes his second feature-length film as ‘a dark, twisted tale of two young suicidal characters who through a series of unfortunate events come together for one crazy night. A violent, sexy twist on your average romantic comedy'

Jamie will be coming along to talk about the film.

Woolies

Nick Hilton's film follows the staff of a well-known high street store as it closes its doors for the last time.

Hopefully Nick will be along to talk about the film.

Jenny Ringo and the Monkey's Paw

Postponed from last month - A horror-comedy about a witch whose flatmate made some very bad wishes with a magic monkey's paw and now needs her help to undo them. This will be the first ever screening of the film which was filmed last summer.

Writer and director Chris Regan really will be there this time!

If you have any questions about the event or have a film you would like us to consider for screening please e-mail moviebar@ymail.com

MovieBar - A monthly film screening and networking night for filmmakers and film lovers.

1st Monday of every month at the Caroline of Brunswick in Brighton.

Join our Facebook group.

Follow us on Twitter.

Moviebar August 2011 Postscript

2011-08-02T16:15:00.000-07:00

It was a new venue for August’s Moviebar and we settled in nicely, we found the play button on the DVD player OK which got us off to a good start. We had a fantastic turnout so thanks to everyone for coming along and we think the Caroline of Brunswick will be the perfect home for Moviebar for many months to come.

Kicking things off was the thriller Get Well Soon from directors Ian Baigent and Jack Burnford and writer Michael Woodman.

Get Well Soon (Trailer)

The short is a tense, unflinching portrait of a relationship in a downward spiral with beautiful cinematography and gruesome effects. For more screenings check out Michael Woodman’s blog Punchdrunk in Matalan.

Next was the comedy Straight Out from writer/director Andy Nicholls who subverts the coming-of-age genre by setting it in a world where gay and straight stereotypes have been flipped around...

Straight Out (Trailer)

For more info head over to the Straight Out site.

Then we screened writer/director Mark Moynihan’s Little Things, a quirky drama about the tiny interactions that make up life...

Little Things

Sadly Mark couldn’t make it all the way from Wales but he did send a nice little video message. You can find out more about the film over at Little Things Movie.

Finally, after being delayed from last month, we got to show the three trailers made by Anthony Carpendale and Helen Kennaugh for the Brighton Film Coalition’s 48 hours challenge...

Close Up

Lick My Crutch

The Man Who Shouts at Seagulls

Anthony and Helen came along to tell us about turning pub banter into three proper trailers shot over a weekend in Brighton. In-case you were wondering, Lick My Crutch would be first they’d turn into a feature.

You can see more of Anthony’s work over on his Vimeo channel.

Unfortunately we couldn’t show Chris Regan’s hotly anticipated Jenny Ringo and the Monkey’s Paw but we will, watch this space!

We hope to see everyone again for more movie madness on Monday 5th September. For any feedback or submissions, you can email us at moviebar@ymail.com.

MovieBar - 1st August 2011 Line-up...

2011-07-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

7.30pm Monday 1^st August 2011 – Film line-up

This month MovieBar is relocating to its new home - upstairs at the Caroline of Brunswick. This means we're that little bit closer to town and we'll have a separate screening room to show films in. There will be some changes to the format but I can confirm we'll be screening the following:

Close Up, Lick My Crutch and The Man Who Shouts at Seagulls

Postponed from June - Filmmakers Anthony Carpendale and Helen Kennaugh made these three very different and very well-produced film trailers as part of the last Brighton Filmmakers Coalition film challenge. They also made all three in 48 hours!

Anthony and Helen will be coming along to talk about the films.

Get Well Soon

This beautifully shot and perfectly realised psychological horror/drama about a troubled couple features fantastic performances, a haunting score and some rather disturbing visuals.

Writer Michael Woodman will be coming along to talk about the film.

Straight Out

Andy Nicholls' incredibly ambitious short film follows a young man discovering his sexuality in a world where the usual stereotypes have been switched around.

Andy will be coming along to talk about making a film with a list of locations, actors and crew members longer than most features.

Little Things

Mark Moynihan's debut short film features a neat, twisting plot worthy of a feature and really shows what you can do with three actors, two locations and a lot of imagination.

Mark will be coming all the way from Wales to talk about the film.

Jenny Ringo and the Monkey's Paw

A horror-comedy about a witch whose flatmate made some very bad wishes with a magic monkey's paw and now needs her help to undo them. This will be the first ever screening of the film which was filmed last summer.

Writer and director Chris Regan will have to come along as he also runs MovieBar and will therefore have nowhere to hide.

If you have any questions about the event or have a film you would like us to consider for screening please e-mail moviebar@ymail.com

Moviebar July 2011 Postscript

2011-07-07T16:02:00.000-07:00

This month’s Moviebar marked the end of an era. Since it began, Moviebar has been faithfully held each month at the Cornerstone pub but from August we’ll be in new digs nearby at the Caroline of Brunswick. So Monday was a chance to say a big thank you to the Cornerstone for all their help and support over the years. And it was a great send-off, a full house of old and new faces with some fantastic shorts on show...

Starting the evening was The Big Sleep by director Katrin Magrowitz. This simple, affecting short deals with a lone woman’s grief on the cliffs of Hastings. Katrin came along to talk about the making of the film and how she captured the mood of the story.

Next up was Gaz Westman’s Beth, a violent thriller about a troubled man and his imaginary best friend...

Beth (Festival Trailer)

Gaz was in attendance to discuss the inspiration for his thriller and how he was influenced by the likes of Taxi Driver.

Then we had two shorts from director Tom Kelly. The first, And now for Something Quite Familiar, was the result of a Brighton Film Coalition Challenge in which Tom and his crew had to do Robinson Crusoe in the style of Monty Python...

And now for Something Quite Familiar

Tom’s second film was the much darker O Dusky Beauty of Mine, a love story with a gruesome twist...

O Dusky Beauty of Mine

Tom came along to chat about the challenges faced by both productions and the techniques used to get a realistically dead-looking actress.

This was followed by another double bill, this time from actor Stephan Silver who lent his dancing skills to the offbeat stop-motion short Les Trois Objects from director Dan Childs...

Les Trois Objects

Stephan also starred in Between the Stones, another Brighton Filmmakers Coalition exercise about a man frustrated by his hobby of metal detecting and his discovery of dancing. Stephan talked about the work and the intricacies of filming stop-motion.

Between the Stones

We ended with a new trailer for Ross Boyask’s action movie Warrioress. Moviebar regulars will have already seen glimpses of the movie but this all-out trailer, cut for Cannes as a sales promo, shows off even more sword-swinging and bone-breakage...

Warrioress (Cannes Trailer)

Ross gave us an update on the film and it sounds like the finished product will be coming very soon. Watch this space.

The next Moviebar is on the 1st August. Don’t forget the venue change, see you all at the Caroline of Brunswick (www.carolineofbrunswick.co.uk)! For any feedback or submissions, you can email us at moviebar@ymail.com.

MovieBar - 4th July 2011 Line-up...

2011-06-24T08:02:00.000-07:00

8pm Monday 4th July 2011 – Film line-up

It’s summer, which nowadays means superheroes! And while it’s tough to find superheroes in modestly budgeted Brighton-based short films we will be making up for that with a superhero themed quiz!

The event takes place at the Cornerstone pub at the bottom of Elm Grove in Brighton. The quiz starts at 8 and will be followed by screenings of the following short films (and possibly a couple of extra ones still to be confirmed!)…

The Big Sleep

Postponed from last month - Katrin Magrowitz’s beautifully shot film follows a woman on a journey along the cliffs of Hastings towards an unexpected destination.

Kat will be coming along to talk about the film.

Beth

Gaz Westman screened the trailer for his psychological thriller Beth at MovieBar last year and this month we’ll be showing the whole film in all its disturbing glory.

Gaz will be coming along to talk about the film.

And now for Something Quite Familiar…

A Monty-Python inspired romp that came about as the result of a Brighton Filmmakers Coalition challenge, followed by…

O Dusky Beauty of Mine

…something completely different - a dark psychological drama about a relationship gone very badly wrong.

Director of both films Tom Kelly will hopefully be coming along to talk about them.

Les Trois Objets

Dan Childs animates live performers in a theatrical setting in this quirky and innovative short.

Actor Stephan Silver will be coming along to talk about the film.

Warrioress (New trailer)

MovieBar regulars will already be familiar with Ross Boyask’s female-centric fantasy action film. This time we’re showing an all-new trailer as the finished film edges closer to its release.

Ross will be coming along to talk about the film.

If you have any questions about the event or have a film you would like us to consider for screening please e-mail moviebar@ymail.com

MovieBar - A monthly film screening and networking night for filmmakers and film lovers.

1st Monday of every month at The Cornerstone Pub in Brighton.

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Moviebar June 2011 Postscript

2011-06-12T12:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who made it along on Monday. We had a few technical gremlins so the line-up was rearranged slightly (The Big Sleep and the trio of shorts from Anthony Carpendale and Helen Kennaugh will be shown in July) but it was still a helluva night...

Kicking things off was Rob Hurtt’s drama I Remember April about a man down on his luck who has a frank and revealing conversation with a charity shop worker...

I Remember April

You can find out more about Rob on his MySpace page

Next was a trio of films from director Ben Barton; Getting Ready, Initial Prospect and The Lighthouse. Each was part music video and part visual poem on the subjects of loss and dreams. Initial Prospect and The Lighthouse also make use of iconic Dungeness landmarks. More about the films can be found on Ben’s web site.

Another trilogy, this time from filmmaker Damien Wasylki who worked behind the scenes on 28 Weeks Later and decided to use the resources around him to make several shorts. 28 Seconds Later is a visceral action set-piece while 77 Days Later and Rage look at other people’s stories during the infection...

28 Seconds Later

77 Days Later

Rage

You can find out about Damien’s work over at his blog

The next Moviebar is on the 4th July. The Americans celebrate their independence, we celebrate our independence... from Hollywood... because we make the films we want to make! Yeah! For any feedback or submissions, you can email us at moviebar@ymail.com.

MovieBar - 6th June 2011 Line-up...

2011-05-29T08:19:00.000-07:00

8pm Monday 6th June 2011

This month at MovieBar we’re showing a record eleven films, which sounds like loads but most of them are really, really short. There will also be the usual quiz and filmmaker Q&As.

We've already done monkeys so this month the quiz will be themed around the second best movie creature - dinosaurs!

The event takes place at the Cornerstone pub at the bottom of Elm Grove in Brighton. The quiz starts at 8 and will be followed by screenings of…

The Big Sleep

Katrin Magrowitz’s beautifully shot film follows a woman on a journey along the cliffs of Hastings towards an unexpected destination.

Kat will be coming along to talk about the film.

I Remember April

Rob Hurtt's drama is an interesting character study of a lonely man who finds solace in his conversations with a charity shop assistant.

Getting Ready, Initial Prospect and The Lighthouse

Stories of love, loss and dreams presented as visual poems in three films from Ben Barton.

28 Seconds Later, 77 Days Later and Rage

Damien Wasylki was working behind the scenes on big-budget horror sequel 28 Weeks Later when he decided to use the resources available on set to make these shorts, presenting an alternate perspective on the events shown in the feature.

Close Up, Lick My Crutch and The Man Who Shouts at Seagulls

Filmmakers Anthony Carpendale and Helen Kennaugh made these three very different and very well-produced film trailers as part of the last Brighton Filmmakers Coalition film challenge. They also made all three in 48 hours!

Anthony and Helen will be coming along to talk about the films.

If you have any questions about the event or have a film you would like us to consider for screening please e-mail moviebar@ymail.com

Moviebar May 2011 Postscript

2011-05-04T15:23:00.000-07:00

A big thank you to all the film lovers who shook off their Royal Wedding hangovers in time for May’s Moviebar. For those who missed it, here’s how it went down...

Up first was the surreal Mr Bradley Mr Martin, a collection of eerie visuals from filmmaker Greig Johnson that brings to life the William S. Burrough’s poem which is read by the author himself...

Mr Bradley Mr Martin

Greig has also posted a version with his own commentary about the influences behind the work on Vimeo. You can also read more about the film on Greig’s blog.

Next was the short The Games We Play from director Rhys Bendix-Lewis, a thriller about a vulnerable teenage girl with a darkly comic twist that was premiered at last year’s End of the Pier International Film Festival. Actor Dick Douglass talked about shooting in Worthing and working with other members of the Arc Film Network.

More information about the short can be found on the Arc Film Network site.

Then we had Overwhelmed, a violent short from directors Phil Meachem and Jordan Dawes about a man pushed to the edge. More can be seen from Phil over at his site Divided Productions and he’s also looking for funding for his next film, an all-out action blockbuster, via IndieGoGo.

We then screened The Poi Story, a documentary about Kate Wright and her personal journey to discovering the art of Poi. Director Daya Dodds talked about filming in Jersey and editing Kate’s tragic yet uplifting story into just 10 minutes...

The Poi Story

The night ended with the music promo I Need Motor Love from director Simon Messingham. The promo was created to help advertise Simon’s upcoming comedy show Disco, running at the Brighton Fringe from 11th – 13th and 19th – 20th May. Book your tickets now! Simon talked about creating the 70s look and feel of the video and the show itself...

I Need Motor Love

For any feedback or submissions, you can email us at moviebar@ymail.com. The next Moviebar is 6th June, we look forward to seeing you there!

MovieBar - 2nd May 2011 Line-up...

2011-04-27T12:01:00.000-07:00

8pm Monday 2nd May 2011

Hey...Pete Regan here. Chris has been busy writing every script known to man this month so I thought I’d take this month’s line up off his hands. Although it’s still taken me this long to get it written up and released.

This month I unfortunately won’t be able to play a clip from the awesome Congo for the quiz as it’s taking a post-apocalyptic theme.

The quiz starts at 8 and will be followed shortly afterwards by the following selection of filmic joy...

The line-up…

Mr Bradley Mr Martin

Dark, atmospheric visuals help to bring to life the mysterious words of William S. Burroughs in his poem – Mr Bradley Mr Martin Hear Us Through the Hole in Thin Air.

The Games We Play

Dick Douglass brings us a film in which a school girl takes her life back from the oppression forced upon her, both at school and at home.

Actor Dick Douglass will be joining Director Rhys Bendix-Lewis on the night to talk about the film.

Overwhelmed

A short tale about a man who, down on his luck, let’s anger get the better of him.

The Poi Story

Daya Dodds short documentary about Kate Wright’s personal journey, taking her half way around the world, to eventually find solace in the art of Poi.

Daya will be coming along to talk about the film.

I Need Motor Love

Simon Messingham returns to Moviebar with this promotional music video for his upcoming Brighton Fringe show Disco.

Director Simon Messingham will be along to talk about his film.

If you would like further information or would like to submit a film to be screened at a future event you can e-mail us at moviebar@ymail.com

Moviebar April 2011 Postscript

2011-04-06T15:24:00.000-07:00

A huge thank you to everyone who made it along to April’s fun-packed Moviebar. We set a high standard with our quiz film clip from the award-winning (if you count The Razzies) Congo, how the hell could we top that?! Read on...

First up was Victoria Cameron-Mowat’s contemporary take on the story of Adam and Eve. It was filmed as part of a recent Brighton Filmmaker’s Coalition challenge to blend classic tales with different genres and cinematographer Leo Mumford talked about the arresting visuals.

Adam and Eve, along with more of Leo’s work, can be found on Exposure Room

Next up were two music videos from Brighton indie band The Badje. The director and lead guitarist Carlos Boellinger talked about the different approaches he took...

Shiva - The Badje

Ain’t Alone – The Badje

Check out more at the band’s official site.

Then we had a trilogy of slapstick shorts from Dave Packer (a.k.a. Sheep Films) and Dave was there to talk about his furtive imagination and camera trickery...

Camera Capture

Deckchair

Flip Flops

There’s lots more where that came from over at Dave’s Sheep Films site.

Next up was Karma Magnet, a dark drama about a celebrity chef who thinks he’s the luckiest man alive... and must kill himself. Martin Kemp directed his brother Gary and the short was written by Phill Barron who came along to talk about the twist ending and being the centre of the universe.

Karma Magnet

You can read more from Phill on his blog.

Then we had the first episode (or webisode) of Warren Dudley and Roger O’Hara’s internet series The Traffic Patrol Tapes. The pair talked about taking a simple idea of two coppers on the beat and turning it into surreal mockumentary.

The Traffic Patrol Tapes – Episode 1

Keep an eye on The Traffic Patrol tapes site for the latest episodes.

The night ended with Freshwater Clive, a sketch from comedian Matt Manning who tragically passed away after its completion. Editor Ross Boyask talked about working with such an anarchic talent.

Freshwater Clive

Phew! A lot of movies, and we can safely say they’re all better than Congo. For any feedback or submissions, you can email us at moviebar@ymail.com. We’ll see ya at the next one on the 2nd May, the perfect end to a lazy bank holiday.

MovieBar - 4th April 2011 Line-up...

2011-03-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

8pm Monday 4th April 2011

So my plan to choose a theme each month (and present a variety of films on that theme in the style of This American Life) lasted a whole two months. This month there is no theme, other than the fact that the films all feature humans. Therefore the quiz will be on...monkeys. Why not? Monkeys are cool.

The quiz starts at 8 and will be followed shortly afterwards by the following eclectic selection of awesome films...

The line-up…

Adam and Eve

The product of a Brighton Filmmakers Coalition challenge, Victoria Cameron-Mowat’s film is a visually stunning re-imagining of Adam and Eve in a contemporary setting.

Cinematographer Leo Mumford will be coming along to talk about the film.

The Badje – Shiva & Ain’t Alone

Brighton-based indie/rock band The Badje present two music videos that perfectly capture their psychedelic style and influences.

Director (and lead guitarist) Carlos Boellinger will be along to talk about the videos.

Sheep Films Shorts

Dave Packer returns to MovieBar with three short sketches combining classic slapstick comedy with eye-popping visual effects.

Dave will be coming along to talk about the films.

Karma Magnet

Martin Kemp directs his brother Gary in this suspense-drama about the luckiest man in the world who wants to kill himself for the good of humanity.

Writer Phill Barron will be coming along to talk about the film.

The Traffic Patrol Tapes

Double-act Warren Dudley and Roger O’Hara star in the debut episode of their new web-series about two policemen with an unorthodox approach to law enforcement.

Warren and Roger will be coming along to talk about the film.

Freshwater Clive

Matt Manning's short sketch pushes surrealism to the limit and is a fitting record of the anarchic comedy style of its late filmmaker.

Editor Ross Boyask will be along to talk about the film.

If you have any questions about the event or have a film you would like us to consider for screening please e-mail moviebar@ymail.com