Independent Cinema Office Blog

The Bechdel Test rating (now in use in Sweden) explained.

News

• The @EuropaCinemas Annual Conference took place this weekend - if you didn't make it to sunny Athens to discuss the issues of the day, check out the event's Storify and this piece on the discussion on young audience development.
• It's not exactly news, but it's newsworthy! Mark Kermode praises our friends @Saffronscreen in his new book, Hatchet Job.
• John Smith recently won the 2013 Jarman Award. See this list of his work available to book from @LUXmovingimage and gain insight into his work here.

Calls for submission/training opportunities

• @sheffdocfest has launched Fast Track to Features 2. A seven month programme of workshops, mentoring and networking for regional documentary filmmaking talent, it also offers participants a delegate pass for Doc/Fest and an opportunity to pitch at the event. Not bad.
• And @BirdsEyeViewFF has launched FILMONOMICS, a skills-based training programme for filmmakers who want to gain industry insight and effectively position and market their films. Sponsored by @SkillsetSSC.
• Our friends @flatpack are calling for submissions for their 2014 festival - deadline er this Friday 29 Nov (eek!).
• I've been to Tampere, and it was a delight. Submit your short film to @TampereFilmFest and you too might have an excuse to visit the Moomin Museum. 
• The @UKJewishFilm Fund needs submissions for its Pears Short Film Fund.  The scheme will see two lucky winners awarded £10k each to produce a short film on a theme significant to both Jewish and general audiences.
• @screenyorkshire is looking for UK-wide writers, directors and producers for the 4th edition of its talent development programme, Triangle 2014.
• @BristolFilmFest 2014 will run from 3 to 9 March next year and will include a dedicated short film strand. Are you a maker of films radical in topic, content or form? Submit away or if it's festival experience you need, they're also looking for volunteers.
• One for artist filmmakers, @artexpogroup is calling for artists' films for a screening at Nottingham Playhouse in Jan 2014 entitled BORDERLAND - The entropy of identities. Think you can interpret this visually? Submit by 7 Dec.
• @IdeasTap are offering free filmmaking advice sessions for ages 18 to 30 with directors @wearehalcyon in December. They'll feed back to you on shorts, music videos, art films, docs - you name it. Apply by 2 Dec.
• Filmmaking students! @Screentestfest is seeking submissions for its 2014 edition so get yours in, by 31 Dec.
• @KINOFILM Manchester Short Film Festival has extended its applications deadline to 31 Dec and @norwichfilmfest is now open for submissions for its 2014 edition.
• And, are you a poetic soul? Make a short film based on a poem and submit it to Berlin's @ZebraFestival.

Good reads

• A touching tribute to the late Ian White by his friend and collaborator Emily Roysdon.
• Show your support - the Rivoli Cinema on the Isle of Wight needs your help and so does @CUBECINEMA in Bristol with The Film That Buys The Cinema (also a fab example of innovative fundraising).
• While you're in supportive mode, check out @ArrowFilms' Kickstarter campaign to restore Walerian Borowczyk's masterpiece, Goto, l'île d'amour.
• A lovely piece by Jackie Brett-Holt, one of @BFI's projectionists, evoking the practical magic (yes) of projecting 35mm.
• Sweden introduces a rating based on the Bechdel test to address gender bias in cinema in a provocative and semi-brilliant move that's energised the discussion of women on film.
• @Screendaily explains the complicated launch plans for Von Trier's latest controversy-fest, Nymphomaniac, in perhaps slightly too much detail.
• Slightly surreal reading, this: a transcript of a discussion of government policy on indie cinemas in the House of Lords.
• And finally: good to see @guardianfilm asking the important questions.

The excellent trailer for the recent Uppsala Short Film Festival 2013.

A bumper autumnal edition, written in a post-Screening Days haze! It was a fantastic event - with the highest number of delegates for our autumn event ever - so, many thanks again to all the exhibitors who attended, the distributors who lent us their films, and the alarmingly efficient staff at Watershed for all their help (projection, I'm talking about you!).

If you missed your chance to attend, and you're an exhibitor based in the South East, we're running Screening Days South East in a couple of weeks' time in collaboration with the newly established Film Hub South East. It runs over Fri 22 to Sat 23 November @dukesatkomedia and passes are free - yes, FREE! So what are you waiting for?

Now on to business...

Training/Opportunities/Submissions

• Have you signed up for an ICO One-to-one yet? Did you fancy approaching us at Screening Days but were too busy inhaling films? We've still got slots available for a couple more weeks, so if you want an hour's chat with one of the team for the miniscule sum of £12, whether you're seeking expert advice on programming, audience development, funding, digital marketing or upgrading your digital equipment, get in touch.
• Documentarians, do you want to get your film made and build your audience? Sheffield Doc/Fest and Crossover Labs, in partnership with Creative Skillset, are running Connecting the Docs - a training & networking event aimed at doc makers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Deadline for apps: Fri 22 November.
• That came round quickly! Submissions are now open for @edfilmfest 2014.
• The 30th Nov deadline for submissions to the 4th @alchemyfilmfest is coming up. Entry is free and the 2014 theme is 'Dreamland'. 
• The Strawberry Shorts Film Festival 2014, held in Cambridge annually, is open for submissions. Enter and you could win the seductively named 'La Fraise d'Or'.
• The @BFI Film Academy is looking for 25 articulate, cinematically impassioned 16-19 year olds for their Residential Programme in Screenwriting, to be held at @tynesidecinema from Jan-Feb 2014.
• And in addition, @tynesidecinema will host a symposium, "The Kids Are Alright? Young People and the Future of Audiences for Specialised Film in the UK" on Thursday 12th December, addressing the fact that young cinema audiences continue to be vastly skewed towards mainstream releases over specialised film.
• Are you a video artist with your very own digital projector? Get thee to Birmingham on Friday 29th November and be a part of the @VIVID_ Bring Your Own Beamer Birmingham event which will 'explore the medium of projection by creating a collaborative happening of moving light, sound and performance'.  
• One for short filmmakers, the @reedfilm Short Film Competition 2014 is now open for entries on the potentially ambiguous theme of 'Family Business'. You could win £10,000 with your 3 mins max short! Not too shabby, so don't forget to submit, the deadline is 22 January 2014.
• @bbcthree Fresh Online is looking for shorts, too - short documentary films between 2-10 mins long, made in the UK in 2013. Check it out.
• @berwickfilmfest & @BerwickVA are accepting proposals for their annual moving image residency programme, a fantastic opportunity for artists working with moving image to create a new work in response to the 2014 festival theme of border crossing. Deadline: Monday 25th November.
• And the coolly named Artist's Cut from @northernmedia seeks two exceptional artists interested in developing and producing a short narrative film. Even if you don't make the cut (sorry) you can attend some of the workshops on such topics as cinematography, story and distribution. Deadline noon Mon 18th Nov.

Read this...

• A great piece on how to be savvy with social media, and use it to benefit customer experience and create a real community around your venue.
• An inspiring read from the founder of LA's Echo Park Film Center on how they got started.
• A passionate response from Russ Collins of @arthousenow to the controversial recent comments by Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos.
• I hope this doesn't spell the eventual end of popcorn. Distressing research for cinema advertisers - and possibly, film directors - if also a joyful tribute to the power of chewing.
• @FilmAfrica curator Suzy Gillett talks about programming the 2013 strand currently screening across London venues.
• Congrats to our friends @RFT_Cinema who recently won funding for their new digital projection set-up from @BiffaAward! Here's how they did it.
• Pixar comes to the aid of Ken Loach in a PR masterstroke (and also, genuinely nice act).
• Tips on how to be innovative with archive footage for filmmakers from @IdeasTap.
• A fascinating and slightly heartbreaking list of unrealised films from @FilmComment.
• Go to this: our own Kate Taylor @sheshark presents Why Are So Many Film Festival Directors Women? for @underwirefest on 23 November.
• And listen to this: why be an artist? Grayson Perry explains, as part of his recent Reith Lectures series.

Big Monday morning yawn.

Serious News Headlines

• As we prepare for the London Film Festival fizz-bang, @BFI have announced that the premiere screening of ‘Captain Phillips’ will be beamed via the wonder of satellite to 30 towns and cities across the country #hitechfuturefilmfestivals
• WOAH! Curzon Film World has penned a deal with BT to host their VOD service. Vertically integrated much!
• @IconFilm is returning to the UK distribution sector. What can we expect from the production powerhouse? How about horror ‘Demonic’ starring Maria Bello and, um, ‘Postman Pat: The Movie’ for starters; a dangerous mix.
• For those in Scotland looking to ‘map, measure and grow audiences’, @Culture_Public has launched; a bridging of the Culture Sparks and The Audience Business divide.
• @Close_upFilm reports from the 10th Anniversary of the Sahara International Film Festival (@FiSahara), which Javier Bardem calls “a miracle”. Fair.
• Does the exhibition sector (and film industry in general) need its own Steve Jobs? Nigel Sinclair of @ExclusiveEMG thinks so. Perhaps he is that man! Or perhaps not. Or perhaps you are!
• New @IMAX set for Manchester – KAPOW!

Events

• AAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!! That was for you lot sleeping in the back, because @FestivalDinard, the beautiful Britannic seaside resort, is hosting the 24th annual British Film Festival. Short ferry ride, loads-a movies, French food. WIN!
• DING! DING! DING! Exhibitor Breakfast @RitzyCinema coming up during the London Film Festival – register your credentials here. I hope they’re doing eggs royale.
• @GreenHornFilm is a short film festival for emerging talent and it demands your attention, even Mike Leigh thinks so. Tickets on sale now!
• Full details of this year’s Jarman Award public programme, hosted by @_TheWhitechapel, have been announced and yep, you guessed it, this get’s my coveted Must See No Brainer Award!
• Longing for more psychedelic cinema? Well get ready to trip-balls with Tripoteca 2013 @HorseHospital – get tickets now!
• Here’s a thing: @ECA100 is hosting an event cinema networking, uh, event at the Cineworld in O2 Arena. Find out more!
• @LUXmovingimage has a round-up of all the must-go-to events in the world of Artists’ Moving Image. Find out more here.

Training/Opportunities/Submissions

• GreatBigPlug.com has announced that @ICOtweets has another training event coming up, this one @ShowroomCinema, and it’s on Audience Development. I mean, topical or what!

Good Reads/Viewings

• Want some ideas on how European cinema can compete with Hollywood? Head on over to Bits of Freedom for more.
• The beautiful people over at @BeaconHillArts, who promote the work of talented filmmakers who have learning disabilities and additional needs, have announced their film of the month – and it’s great.
• Winner of @WShed’s DepicT competition is a little ditty about being from the street. Sort of.
• @theartsdesk, my go to guy for opinion and comment hits, has a great piece on ‘The Wicker Man’, which – as you well know – is being reissued for its 40th anniversary, all uncut and suped-up...

• @BirdsEyecViewFF hosts an excellent and insightful interview with two of LFF’s finest programmers: Jemma Desai and Laure Bonville. Must Read No Brainer this.

The best things in life are-- oh, wait.

Serious News Headlines

• Are you ready for your mind to be blown? Okay, here goes: 24% of total internet bandwidth is taken up by piracy. Sheesh.
• With minds suitably blown, @BFI is splashing some cash: £3m allotted for ‘talent network’, which should help emerging filmmakers get their film-on.
• You’re going to be hearing a lot more about this one: ‘Borrowed Time’, in a cool marketing coup, has become the first British film to Tugg. You may wonder what ‘to Tugg’ means? Well wonder no more.
• Long awaited and greatly needed changes to VPF framework proposed by @BFI, changes that will hopefully benefit smaller distributors (note: "widest point release mechanism") and exhibitors (note: "complete transparency" over end of VPF terms).  Hurrah!

• Yes, the final line up has now been confirmed for the @_BFFS_ National Conference for Community Cinemas and the Film Society of the Year Awards 2013 (Saturday 21 - Sunday 22 September).
• Anyone that knows me knows I am a bit of an archive film geek, so I may have done a little squee when I found out that @Film_London has received funding from @HeritageLottery for their ‘London: Bigger Picture’ initiative. Sweet.
• @SkillsetSSC is asking for your feedback on their services. They’re good listeners.
• Forgive me, but I love Harry Potter. And so this got me quite excited. Wot.

Events

• Half-price ‘Lightning’ tickets now available for @SheffieldDocFest 2014... half-price tickets to the pre-eminent documentary film festival? And it’s longer from next year, by two days. ZAP!
• Book your tickets for National Youth Film Festival screenings and events. It’s the future people!
• @Film_London has announced details of the Jarman Award tour – great opportunity to see some great art near you. Must-see-no-brainer award!
• @LUXmovingimage has a round-up of all the must-go-to events in the world of Artists’ Moving Image. Find out more here.

Training/Opportunities/Submissions

• We have our ‘Business and Creativity of Programming Cultural Film’ course coming up, this year in Brum, and it’s a beauty. Trust.

Good Reads/Viewings

• @Cineuropa has got awwwl modern-like and has a VIDEO (!) interview with Clio Barnard, director of the best British film this side of We Need to Talk About Kevin. Yep.
• Great interview over @TheVoiceNews with Marlon Palmer of @KushFilmsBrum on fifteen years of promoting black filmmakers and culture; and their new boutique initiative - a must-read this.
• @theartsdesk lists what it believes to be ‘the best 20 movie songs’. Any that they missed? I’m thinking Llorando in ‘Mulholland Drive’:

• Ever wonderd why Paul Verehoven doesn’t make Hollywood movies anymore? Well wonder no more by heading over to @GeekTyrant.
• Did you know James Cameron was once going to direct another Alien movie? Did you know that Ridley Scott was going to produce? And DID YOU KNOW that it was going to be made for adult audiences? DO YOU EVEN CARE!? Well you should. Thanks to @theSciFiShow.
• 'The Sky I'll Be', a hugely imaginative and joyful short from Beacon Hill Arts, a group of filmmakers with learning disabilities, autism and other additional needs.
• Don’t upset Werner Herzog.