★★★★ Directed by@ #OisinOReilly Starring: #SamuelJames, #LizzieStanton Short Film Review by: #TomGriffiths Hindsight is an effectively told story about a drug addict called Tony (Samuel James) who is trying to overcome his inner demons whilst in prison. Failure to do so will cost him the relationship with his daughter and now ex-partner, Nikki (Lizzie Stanton). Directed by Oisin O’Reilly, both James and Stanton provide marvellous performances as the cracked couple. Samuel James manages to pull off an intense balancing act as he portrays both sides of addiction. Earning and maintaining the support of the audience with a poignant fragility, whilst the darkest and most abusive side of his character comes to light through flashback. It is certainly no easy task, but James makes it look easy. The cinematography from Dylan Adams and Tallulah Self was strong throughout, technically competent and sometimes challenging even despite the film’s limited setting. The use of different colour grades and mise-en-scène were effective in separating the non-linear events and the use of centralised close-ups that break the fourth wall proved extremely effective at involving Hindsight’s audience in the story, helping them feel more emotionally attached. The most effective moment of the film is the final shot, a haunting image of a picture drawn by his daughter, Tilly (Mia-Rose Lightfoot). The innocence of childhood is something that is precious, and with that innocence comes a somewhat natural naivety to the harsh realities of adult life. However, Hindsight manages to successfully strike a very important chord with its audience with its closing shot. It is a statement that highlights how children, although naive to an extent, do know when something is not right and it ends the film on a powerful and an unexpectedly profound tone. This propelled Hindsight from being just a good film to a very good one. The only thing that really holds Hindsight back from the upper echelon of great independent #shortfilms is how it lacks a more in-depth exploration into Tony’s personal battle with addiction. The audience is never taken to an intimate moment where he is faced with the personal choice of throwing everything away for just one more high, finally, give in to his inner demons in the process, or staying strong for his partner and child waiting for him on the outside. It is these small but important missing moments that deprive viewers the opportunity to truly worry about Tony’s own actions and therefore slightly hinders our ability to root for him to overcome his addiction. An albeit brief yet hard-hitting insight the life of a family that is on the verge of falling apart, Hindsight is a very impressive short drama both in terms of substance, performance and visuals. It crafts it’s characters well, leaving a sense of emptiness and hope inside your heart, as you find yourself really wishing that these people can figure it all out eventually, even after the credits roll.

Film Festivals > Press Releases Last Frame Club presents WALTHAMSTOW SMARTPHONE FILM FESTIVAL In association with Cheap Cuts Documentary Film Festival Friday 23rd November, The CentrE17 1 Church Hill, E17 3AB Tickets HERE The first ever Walthamstow Smartphone #FilmFestival is fast approaching! WSFF promises to be a showcase of the best shorts under 5 mins, all shot exclusively with smartphone technology. The festival will debut with a programme that includes 20 films in competition, a discussion panel with industry professionals on how to use new technologies to tell original stories and a showcase of community led projects by Rainbow Collective and Last Frame Club. This celebration of community-focused #shortfilms will be followed by an after party bringing together esteemed professionals, aspiring filmmakers and local film fans. Prizes will be awarded for Best Professional Short Film, Best Amateur Short Film, and, in a special competition we champion the best in the 'Women & Community’ category. Focusing on low budget #filmmaking, WSFF aims to encourage people of all ages in different communities to get involved and tell their stories with the equipment they have access to. We are committed to making filmmaking accessible for all audiences and backgrounds. As an international festival we showcase films from all over the world from emerging and professional filmmakers and represent a variety of genres such as documentary, animation and fiction. Our jury panel is a group of successful professionals that are dedicated to achieving diversity in the film industry. These judges are: Rainbow Collective, Marta Genova (London Feminist Film Fest), Nuala O'Sullivan (Women Over 50 Film Fest), Liza & Paul Fletcher (Walthamstow International Film Fest), Richard Clarkmac (Radiant Circus). Last Frame Club and WSFF are supported by Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Supported by media partner UK Film Review

Film Festivals interview by #ChrisOlson Who are you and what is the Beeston Film Festival? I am the Festival Director and creator. The Beeston Film Festival is the biggest international short film festival in the East Midlands. It aims to celebrate both film and filmmakers through providing a platform in the community for global cinema and offering a warm welcome to all filmmakers that attend in person. Who is your #filmfestival aimed at? It is aimed at the East Midlands region to entertain the community with high quality, diverse, risk-taking short films from around the world. What is planned for your 2019 event? This year the key categories of films will be #Drama, #Horror, #Animation, Non-fiction, #Comedy, Local Films, and Women’s Voices. Each year we expand the scope of the festival and this year is no different. A new category called, A Better Place, has been established for films that challenge the status quo and aim to make the world a better place. These films could be driven by human rights, environmental or any other issues, whether fiction or non-fiction, but at the heart of what the filmmaker has created is the dream of making the world a better place to be. Are you currently looking for submissions and/or volunteers? Yes we are, so please get in touch if you have particular skills you have to offer or wish to be part of the event team during the festival. Furthermore, our programming team is always looking for more support, however, to be in the review team you do need to live in Beeston. What do you think is the most challenging aspect of running a film festival? Making selections for the festival is the hardest aspect of running the festival. Each year we receive more and more entries challenging our scheduling, making the final decisions tougher and tougher. When the announcements are made it is a day of great joy for some and disappointment for many. If you could have a new film from any filmmaker submitted to you, who would it be and why? #DarrenAronofsky because that guy is always full of surprises.

★★★ Directed by: #MarleyJaeger Starring: #JohnnyPozzi, #TalleyGale, #LucasBrahme, #TimothyJCox Short Film Review by: #AlexSpencer Despite having been around for decades, it is only in recent years that #LGBTQ cinema has begun to make more regular appearances in the mainstream. From the sublime beauty and heartbreak of Moonlight and Call Me By Your Name to the landmark high school flick Love, Simon, gay characters in film are slowly becoming accepted in the spotlight rather than as a camp stereotype used for comic relief or emotional support. Gaining acceptance in society is one of the main themes successfully explored in the amusing yet thought-provoking #shortfilm Simon’s Quest, which follows the daily life of Simon Blair (Johnny Pozzi), a young gay man and closeted #werewolf struggling to come to terms with his new “affliction”. Simon spends the film followed by a #documentary crew (Talley Gale and Lucas Brahme), seemingly aiming to help him integrate back into society and improve the public perception of “monsters” who have only recently begun to “come out” to the rest of the world. The #mockumentary format works well, adding humour to the story without straying from the more sombre themes of homophobia and living with HIV. Jaeger takes good advantage of the format through her directing, the camera is often set down on the side filming the three main characters interacting and bonding on the sofa or close up on Simon’s face to highlight the invasion of privacy he is facing in his small apartment. Pozzi’s performance in particular stands out and creates a solid base for the film. He gives Simon a shy and withdrawn demeanour, but with glimpses of the sociable, contented man he used to be. The discussion regarding Simon’s favourite video game as a child was particularly resonant – casting a light on the ignorance many of us will have been exposed to (or have been guilty of) while growing up. While the dialogue is sometimes a little unnatural, the delivery is well done, with all the actors avoiding overacting these scenes which could have emphasised some of the flaws in the script. The sound editing of the outdoor sequences lets the film down somewhat while some of the jokes fall flat and risk derailing the metaphor – the fetch scene, for instance, seems particularly out of place. It is in the more intimate moments where the film is both at its most relatable and at its most comical – Simon deliberating over his Tinder profile, discussing his passion for gaming and (baby eating aswangs aside) the scenes at the self-help group. Although cutting some of the sillier scenes and employing more of a “show-don’t-tell” approach with the script would have hugely improved the film, it is, on the whole, a success – there is a clear and relevant message, assured direction and strong performances all round. The cliffhanger ending reminds the viewer of the challenges Simon is still to face, yet I was left with a sense of optimism for his future – accepting who he is and regaining some confidence were only the first steps for Simon, the rest will follow.

★★★★★ Directed by: #ZgjimTerziqi Written by: Zgjim Terziqi Starring: #MakfireMiftari, #MayLindaKosumovic, #ShengylIsmajli, #LuanJaha, #IrenaCahani, #RinesaQeriqi, Short Film Review by: #ChrisOlson A devastatingly thoughtful family #drama from Kosovo based on a true story about a blind woman called Ana (Makfire Miftari) who moves around each month living with a different sibling based on a pact between sisters. Each of the residences present various joys, hardships, and challenges for Ana, who is often, tragically, treated as a fragile burden. Written and directed by Zgjim Terziqi, A Month captures a terrific balance between sombre #storytelling and brilliant characterisation. It would have been fairly tempting to paint most of the family members as cartoonish villains or heroes depending on their behavior towards Ana. And whilst that is certainly an aspect of the characters, they are far more convincing than that, especially against the backdrop of a broken albanian economy where unemployment is rampant. Ana is our focal point throughout the #shortfilm and we glimpse the splintered reality she experiences, where her reliance on the goodwill of others can be painfully apparent. During one sequence in a supermarket the loud crunching of a packet being grasped by another shopper across Ana's face is like a spray of bullets coming out of nowhere. This vulnerability is key. Similarly, there are euphoric moments in the movie, such as a dancing scene in the living room of one of the nicer sisters, or a sequence where Ana peacefully masturbates on a sofa. Few short films are able to conjure such a satisfying narrative that feels as rich as a feature length but as potent as a short. This is a movie that lines up all of its elements to engulf the audience into an emotional atmosphere, one that discusses themes of family, hardship, responsibility, and kindness in beautiful clarity. We travel to each of the houses that are supposedly charged with the care of Ana hoping to receive a better standard of life. What we discover is a range of humanity that is regrettably unsurprising in its selfish tendencies but also laced with tenderness, particularly amongst the younger characters. Heartbreaking in all the right places, Terziqi is majestic in his use of emotive cinema. He delivers a powerful story in a way that feels totally personal and nuanced without resorting to extremes that would undermine the message. Watch the official Movie Trailer for A Month below.

★★ Directed by: #AjitThorbole Starring: #SawanKoul Short Film Review by: #BradyClark Can’t is a #shortfilm from director Ajit Thorbole that attempts to tap into the very current issues of addiction and mental health. In the opening shot, we are presented with Nitin (portrayed by Sawan Koul), a 19-year-old student living in Mumbai, India. Made fairly clear from the eerie introduction, our main character is emotionally fragile and in trouble with drugs. Thorbole has done an effective job of immediately creating a clear atmosphere with the arrangement of the room where Nitin spends the entirety of his time on screen. The drug den nature of the scene is apparent and the initial black and white tone of the shot complements this well. Thorbole also uses some nice camerawork throughout and the continual close-ups of Nitin are powerful in many places. The layout of the entire film gives us no doubt of the difficulty Nitin is experiencing. However, there are many elements to the film that are quite jarring. Thorbole’s transitions between shots, particularly in the first half, are poorly executed, particularly when it comes to the sound editing which is uneven in manner and volume. The end result is a likely unwanted #horror tone being added to the scene which takes away from the core issues that Nitin is experiencing. The start noises on the recordings of Nitin’s parents, meant to be representing what he is hearing in his mind, tamper with the effectiveness of the scene. Koul’s acting struggles to bring the emotional audience response sought as he alternates between sad face and smile the whole way through. Although he is convincing when it comes to his issues with marijuana, the rest of the performance is a bit too forced and obvious. Can’t has a misplaced focus on objects – the plant, bottle, joint and drawing – that fails to provoke enough association with deeper meaning. Nitin’s relationships with these objects is difficult to attribute to any part of his story in particular. This is especially strange when the shot changes to colour as he is fiddling with the plant. Although this effect is clearly there to demonstrate a change in mood, the timings and lack of reasoning once more fail to engage. There is a lack of clarity on exactly what story is trying to be told here, since the write-up for the film sounds like something entirely different with a much larger backstory. Although this can be hard to portray in detail in a short film, in Can’t there isn’t enough to satisfy the audience with a strong, lasting connection to this story. The strange element of Nitin throwing his own family drawing directly at the camera is almost comical. Can’t ends up being a fairly confused short film that perhaps should have focused on either addiction or Nitin’s backstory with his family – the combination leaves for a rushed and unemotional tale with a misplaced focus.

★★★ Directed by: #WillFranken Starring: Will Franken Documentary Film Review by: #TomGriffiths Will Franken presents Red, White & Blake, a #documentary that explores the life and work of William Blake, an English artist who became revered by critics after his passing and is now regarded as one of Britain's greatest creative minds. The film strives to introduce and explore William Blake to audiences that are both acquainted with his philosophies and those, like myself, who are yet to discover them. Red, White & Blake works to develop our knowledge of William Blake’s moral view on life, building the portrait of a man and his art. Franken travels all over England, visiting historic sites to help further immerse audiences into Blake’s story. It is a well-researched piece, informing the audience on all manners of the story, spanning all political, economic and religious contexts of the time too. The decision to accompany William Blake’s work with a voice was a brave one, and it works well, helping bring his words to life amongst a new generation of people. The art, poems and portraits throughout are occasionally mixed together into a wonderful ballet of madness, and the segments when this occurs over Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture are especially magical. It is obvious that Red, White & Blake is a labour of love for the famed artist, created out of nothing else but pure passion, admiration and respect. It screams both grand ideas and ambition, however, it is consistently hindered by questionable creative decisions and failure to properly execute them. Transitions implemented to help guide the audience throughout show encouraging signs, preconceived ideas in hopes to tell the story in a more creative and visual manner, however, Scott Ambrose’s #cinematography is poor throughout. From shots being out of focus, shaky or overexposed, the film is not visually pleasing to watch unless second hand B-roll footage, Blake, his contemporaries or their work are on screen. The rushed, clunky style of filming does not suit the subject matter, it feels out of place amongst the edit and suspiciously as if most of it was filmed secretly. Unfortunately, as the viewer progresses into the latter half of Red, White & Blake the overall tone shifts… for the worse. Seemingly forced comedy skits, expletives and nudity all make an appearance, with each one of these feeling dreadfully out-of-place. Although Red, White & Blake does originally draw interesting comparisons between the work of Blake and our society, such as capitalist exploitation and how we are deprived of the world by being invested in our phones too much. However, in the film’s self-imploding final half an hour, Franken stumbles into a very problematic territory. In an attempt to exemplify one of Blake’s ideas, he uses an example of Russell Brand discussing his substance addiction and then proceeding to label his mental illness as “manufactured victimhood” in order for the celebrity to appear relevant. This kind of problematic attitude shuns celebrities from speaking out about their mental health, adding to the stigmas that we have done well as a generation to start reversing. He then continues to play devil’s advocate, mocking feminists for their claim to equal pay. These examples are infuriating due to obvious, much less provoking ways to show this to the audience. Red, White & Blake makes a loud and ambitious roar but, unlike the work and memory of William Blake, will soon to fade into a distant noise. It is a project that evidently comes from the heart but ultimately collapses in on itself due to technical shortcomings and questionable storytelling devices, losing its seemingly unique voice, vision and message along the way.

★★★ Directed by: #KaranChoudhary Written by: #KaranChoudhary, #MichaelAnastasio Starring: #KaranChoudhary, #TamaraFine, #KyleMcIlhone Film Review by: #DarrenTilby New York’d is a film about having ‘one of those days’; you know, the ones were everything that can go wrong does. And whilst the film suffers from a clunky script and having generally unsympathetic characters, this has quite obviously been a labour of love for the writer and director, Karan Choudhary. One we can all relate to on some level because if we’re honest, we’ve all had days like this. We’re introduced to Sean, a typical New Yorker, and our lead after he wakes up late in bed, surrounded by takeaway boxes, a buffering porn film, empty beer bottles and what looks to be marijuana paraphernalia. Narration from Warren M. Smith swiftly follows; defining for us what it means to be New York'd: “There are days when New York City seems to open its doors to you and every single piece falls nicely into place supporting the dream that brought you to that big wonderful city. Then there are the other days...the days when those same pieces become ill-fitting sharp-edged shards ganging up against you and any goals you may have. Those are the days when the cruel heartless city itself seems to be conspiring against you. Those are the days you know you’ve been...New York’d.” It’s a well-written introduction and leads us fluently into the film which begins in earnest. After waking up and finding no food in his apartment, Sean decides to call a takeaway and get breakfast delivered. It’s this decision that sees Sean’s fortune take a turn for the worse: leading him to become locked out of his apartment with no money and running late for a date. And things don’t get any better from there. It’s in the character writing that the film comes a cropper. It’s not that the performances are bad, on the contrary; Karan Choudhary as Sean, Tamara Fine as Jenna and Kyle McIlhone as the Delivery Guy all give fine performances in their respective roles, whilst Smith’s narration is beautifully delivered. The problem instead comes from character development – of which there really isn’t any – and dialogue; which, unlike the unfolding of the film’s inconvenient events that lead to Sean becoming New York’d, never really feels genuine. But it’s only because the events of the day play out so well and so realistically that this stands out as a big a problem as it does. And that’s where the film really shines. In the naturalistic flair with which these things happen. It’s all wholly believable and often all too familiar. The film also does a great job in its demonstration of how one man’s bad day can impact upon those around him; resulting in several of the cast being New York’d by the film’s end. Under-developed characters and a contrived script set-back what is an otherwise entertaining, well-put-together and intimate piece of #filmmaking. And while the film’s issues aren’t prevalent enough to scupper it entirely they are very noticeable. Nevertheless, New York’d is an enjoyable way to spend 12-minutes and well worth your time.

★★★★ Directed by: #ArronBlake and #DariusShu Written by: Arron Blake and Darius Shu Starring: Arron Blake and #PhilipBrisebois Short Film Review by: #ChrisOlson Cranking the atmosphere to eleven, short #filmmakers Arron Blake and Darius Shu treat audiences to a smorgasbord of tension and drama with no dialogue to act as relief. The result is a compelling and piercing mystery-thriller. Blake stars alongside Philip Brisebois as two men, one younger and one older, engaging in a completely bizarre encounter, whereby they perform sensual acts in front of the other that seem to escalate and become increasingly disturbing. The intensity of the behavior, which can range from stirring a teacup or putting on earrings to performing a Dexter-esque bathroom routine, is utterly engrossing. The viewer is gripped by these visceral visuals, leaving them a silent third partner in this dramatic exchange. To create and maintain such an atmosphere, the audial elementals needed to be spot on and they are. Chas Langston delivers a remarkable sound design that knows when to strike and when to lay dormant. The result being an unnerving experience for the audience. There are also some splendid visual moments in His Hands, Shu turns in some excellent #cinematography as well as some clever framing, such as the back of Blake's head as he dons the earrings. The performances are really strong, Blake presents a formidable on screen presence that is loaded with palpable vigour. As he stares at the man across the table the viewer has a thousand and one questions as to the nature of their relationship but Blake is the picture of stoicism. Brisebois, contrastingly, conjures a delicate balance between terror and terrified, all without words. Together the two performances are terrific watching. Numerous ideas and themes present themselves during a viewing of His Hands. It's a #shortfilm that benefits from a richness in ambiguity in the storytelling and bold creativity in the filmmaking. That being said, it can be hard to penetrate any further than an experience movie. The journey is nerve shatteringly entertaining and it has superb cinematic appeal but it can definitely be argued that the lack of clarity in the plot could potentially be disappointing. It's possible we are witnessing only one character's journey, perhaps at different stages in life, where the identity he has assumed has become his greatest nemesis. The introspective nature of the movie and the eschewing of traditional dialogue cement this idea, establishing an environment that is wholly personal and affecting. Equally, it is just as possible that the film is about the differing generational attitudes towards sexual identity and masculinity. Either way this is thought-provoking cinema, well crafted and superbly delivered.

★★★ Directed by: #EmilySchooley Starring: #AngelaMartin, #ArianaLeask LGBT Film Review by: #TomGriffiths Life and the Art of Lying, written and directed by Emily Schooley, was refreshing to watch, as a production featuring a majority female cast telling an #LGBTQ+ story, it is a nice change from the heteronormative system that’s in place in what is still sadly a white, straight male orientated industry. It is a drama that focuses on a queer artist called Charlie (Angela Martin) as she struggles to express her feelings towards Mara (Ariana Leask), the girl she loves, whilst trying to deal with her terminal cancer battle in secret. Throughout the film, the emotional subject matter is complemented beautifully by Stephen Schooley’s score, the director’s cousin. It’s an often subtle yet comforting accompaniment that truly helps the tone of the film, and is very effective at evoking emotion within the story. Emily Schooley does a good job at building this small and intimate world of friendship, and the art department has done a fantastic job at creating a surrounding at draws the audience into the film, really helping to make these characters and their situation more believable. The cinematography flourishes with its compositions and visual storytelling shines at certain times too, but sadly this excellence varies from scene-to-scene. Where Michael Cameron and Rodney V. Smith may excel in composing particular shots, the standard of creative, detailed compositions drops at various points throughout. Shot selections were occasionally questionable, closing in on particular characters during lines where it has failed to benefit the story whilst almost feeling shy to be intimate with the characters during some emotional moments, missing opportunities to draw the audience's eyes to vulnerable mannerisms and character interactions early on during the film whilst also allowing for the subtle sexual undertones between Charlie and Mara to suffer in the process. Some of these choices felt unintentionally jarring at times and result in the audience being pulled out of this well-crafted world that they are trying to immerse themselves into. The relationship between the two lead actresses feels genuine and heartfelt, their chemistry is noticeable immediately and despite their flaws you still want them to have each other. Their flaws help humanise them and this makes Charlie and Mara much easier to empathise with. However, performances throughout the cast do suffer from the same issue as the #cinematography and this inconsistency risks losing the viewers investment. The narrative earns a well-executed pay off towards the end of the film, although, unfortunately, this high point was then almost immediately tarnished. The signing off of Life and the Art of Lying seems to force a message into the film. This message comes seemingly out of nowhere, crammed in at the last minute (quite literally) in an attempt to give an already progressive film a somewhat deeper meaning, one that it does not really need. Unfortunately, it is the lack of consistency within the film as a whole which proves to be the main underlying problem with Life and the Art of Lying. It does have moments where it shines brightly, but it ultimately hinders itself and holds itself back from becoming something greater. The seemingly forced closing message is just one example of how this film, unfortunately, taints its own moments of magic. This type of issue can be frustrating as it shows just how much potential the cast and crew have, however, it also provides audiences with something to be excited about as these talents develop further and they produce more work in the future.

★★★★★ Directed by: #MattMorris Written by: Matt Morris Starring: #TravisMitchell and #MalikUhuru Short Film Review by: #RachelPullen Grief is like an ocean they say, deep and encompassing, swallowing you whole, and sometimes making you do crazy things, or just plain making you crazy. People are often driven to feel this way because they think they didn’t do or say enough when the person was alive, that they never got to say goodbye, or they could have played more games of Connect 4 with them, you know the usual, but what if you had a chance to talk to them one last time? So in this modern age we live in, where the government is stealing your information and tracking you daily though your smart phone, does it not come to surprise us that spirits have moved on up in the world also...the digital world that is. No longer are we confined to gabbing with the dead through the old Ouija board routine, oh no, this is the digital age and the spooky spirits know it. #Shortfilm Partitioned Heart is a ghost tale for the modern age, whereby a father, Rob, finds a computer program that enables him to talk to his recently deceased son, but sadly this is not as easy for the spirit as the father would hope, his son is still feeling the pain from the mortal world and so pleads with his father to delete him forever. The main focal point of the film is Rob, and the roller coaster of emotions we see him go through, we are so close to him it’s almost as if we can reach out and touch his face, as shots are set up like those of a Skype phone call or web cam chat. This choice also allows the audience a connection with the son, trapped inside the computer, with only one window to peer out of; his only connection is his father, giving the viewer a sense of isolation. Rob who is played by Travis Mitchell brings to the table a stirring and moving performance, often in these shorts we see acting that meets the bar, but often won’t surpass it, for they are actors in training, but Travis not only passes the bar, but throws it to the ground and sets fire to it. His ability to move from feeling positivity and joy while talking with his son, to utter despair and sadness at the news that he must shut him down in a matter of minutes is compelling to watch. You feel every second of his internal struggle, of his conflict to keep his son in his life, but at the same time not to let him suffer, and that touch you could almost reach out and achieve, quickly becomes the desire to give him a hug. Partitioned Heart does not bring much to the table in regards to complex drama, storylines or action sequences, but what is does bring is an amazing tale of unconditional love, of emotional conflict and the things we will do to keep our loved ones happy.

★★★★ Directed by #OrsonWelles Written by #OjaKodar #OrsonWelles Starring #JohnHuston #PeterBogdanovich #RobertRandom #OjaKodar Film Review by #HopeMadden The Other Side of the Wind—how pretentious is that title? It’s supposed to be, of course, because it’s an Orson Welles film and he’s a genius. His latest, released more than 30 years after his death, explores his genius and the changing paradigm of the Seventies film industry. Retrieved from hundreds of hours of footage filmed over 10 years, The Other Side of the Wind was meant to be a comeback or sorts from an idolized auteur whose funds were drying up in the face of a changing cinematic aesthetic. It’s about an idolized auteur with dwindling funds who’s trying to launch a comeback in the face of a changing cinematic aesthetic. Yes, Welles was meta before meta was even a thing. Esteemed director, Jake Hannaford (John Huston) is to screen his new film at his 70th birthday party to an audience of cinefiles, sycophants, film critics, hangers-on, freaks and industry insiders. The event becomes an ingenious satire of 70s moviemaking, and watching it more than 30 years after the fact gives the entire spectacle a time capsule appeal. It’s like a trainwreck you cannot turn away from. Welles pokes fun at the pretentiousness of then-cutting edge filmmakers and their neurotic relationships with self-loathing, arrogance and idol worship—usually using directors from the period, acting as stand-ins for, well, themselves. He doesn’t seem to have much respect for the films being made at the time, either. As Hannaford’s film unspools, one in-the-know viewer yells: “The reels are out of order!” To which the projectionist replies, “Does it matter?” Nope. It does not. Welles’s film-within-a-film is an unendurable, plotless hippie hallucination—a perfect parody of much of the arthouse output of the era. It’s as if Welles, by way of Hannaford, is asking: Is this what I have to do to get a movie made? As well and as wildly as the movie-making satire plays, at the heart of this film is humiliation on exhibition. Hero worship is hollow, commerce is still king and a man who can’t pay can’t play. The whole thing is just a big ball of Seventies.