A small percentage of everything we'd like to see at BEV 2011

Just a couple of weeks to go until this year's Birds Eye View Film Festival, 8th to 17th March.  So much going on at the festival - with fiction features, docs, shorts, fashion films, restrospectives, music vids and training events - that we've done a little pre-digesting for the Branchage Blogage.  Just picking out some of the little gems we're looking forward to....

Starting off with DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE on Friday 11th March - Birds Eye View have commissioned the wonderful Blue Roses (aka Laura Groves) to write a soundtrack to John S Robertson's 1920 version of the famous Jekyll and Hyde story.  This film is just everything that was utterly brilliant about the very early horror movies, tremendously and freakily acted by John Barrymore.  We can't wait to see it on the big screen with Blue Roses' live score.  Here's her myspace to get a feel for her brilliance. 

Brilliant range of documentaries showing as well, and we're looking forward to catching these three in particular: SELF MADE - Turner Prizewinner Gillian Wearing's debut feature follows members of the public using Method acting to access personal memories and experience.  It's been called 'startlingly original' and was the talk of the town at London Film Festival.

BEV have also managed to score a special preview screening of the new doc by Oscar-nominee Lucy Walker (nominated for WASTE LAND, which is out in the UK this week).  New film COUNTDOWN TO ZERO (at BEV on Weds 16th March) is an investigation into nuclear arms - the history, the politics and the risks.  The screening is followed by a masterclass with Lucy Walker. 

And then there's GUILTY PLEASURES - bit lighter maybe, but we can't wait for this UK doc all about Mills & Boon readers around the world.  And they said romance was dead!

Great fiction features too of course - we'll definitely be watching Susanne Bier's IN A BETTER WORLD, Kelly Reichardt's MEEK'S CUTOFF and Lena Dunham's TINY FURNITURE, but also looking forward to the UK Premiere of NIGHT CATCHES US, starring Anthony Mackie, on Weds 9th March.  'Searing' is a word that's being used a lot to describe this drama about the legacy of Philadelphia's Black Panther movement.  And a 'pounding' new score by The Roots.  Watch the trailer, just watch this trailer.  Great, huh?

Deep breath - there's also... Bloody Women, their season of horror films including seminal silents by women pioneering the genre, recent classic horror movies made by women, and a panel discussion on women's role in the genre.  It's going to be HORRIFIC.

Then there's music videos, fashion film, innovation, training...

That's quite enough for now though.  We need a lie down.

Good old YARN

We've spent the last happy hour wallowing around the excellent programme for YARNfest 2011 coming up in mid-February and it looks like it's going to top last year's brilliant debut festival.  So much good stuff.  If we ever diarised anything, we would undoubtedly diarise this...

YARN celebrates storytelling - through film, theatre, music, illustration and literature.  That means you get a company of actors improvising randomly-selected films, you get live illustration to spoken word, you get a crash course in making your own zine. YARN somehow manages to feel totally grounded and unpretentious and just filled up with really interesting, unusual, creative and fun events.

Here's the top three events that have really piqued our interest (but all the rest looks ace too, honest!)

Lights! Camera! Improvise! The Improvised Movie Live On Stage

Sunday 20th Feb 5pm-6pm // The Book Club // £3

The audience suggest a genre, location, theme and title. The company improvise the whole movie; complete with action sequences, captivating plot and a thrilling live film score. There's even DVD extras. www.thescatpack.co.uk

 

Illustrationarium – LIVE!

Sunday 20th Feb 6.30pm-8.30pm // The Book Club // £3

Hear the words and see the story illustrated live. Authors, storytellers and illustrators, include Chris Cleave, Helen Smith, Rachel Rose Reid, Neil McFarland, Carlos Garde-Martin, and, Luke Waller.

And this one, oh my, this is a sure sell out right? 

Cover Wars – The Buddha of Suburbia

Monday 21st Feb 7.30pm-10pm // The Queen of Hoxton // £5

Four illustrators representing illustration networks across London will pit their pens, pencils, brushes and glue against each other in a battle to create the best book cover for Hanif Kureishi’s ‘Buddha of Suburbia’ live on the night. Hanif Kureishi will read excerpts on the night as well join Jon Gray of Gray318 on the judging panel.

Super Henry Cavill - I believe he can fly

Henry Cavill has been cast as Superman for the new installment of the superhero saga scheduled for release late 2012.

Did you know Henry Cavill is from Jersey? Which explains why he has such super qualities, like being really good at acting, and the whole being able to fly thing.  Those are the two main reasons he got the role.

It's all to do with drinking milk from Jersey cows. 

Being cast as Superman means Henry Cavill's career will soar to great heights, and we think he's brill and thoroughly deserving.  There will be a lot of school friends, family and neighbours in Jersey waiting with excitement to see Henry in his tights and cape.  Exciting times!