★★★★ Directed by: #MichelleBeck Written by: #MichelleBeck Starring: #CarraPatterson, #StaceySargeant & #NilajaSun Film Review by David Richards Set in the near future as it seems with nods to a not so unrealistic Mark Zuckerberg presidency, ‘The Snakes’ focuses on the oppression of the female minority by using a string feministic political news headlines and local kidnappings to drive the protagonist Erica in her emotional journey of where she stands in the rise of feminism. Director Michelle Beck does a great job of exploring modern feminism in showcasing the day-to-day struggles and insecurities which all women face in this day and age. Beck’s script has little to no discrepancies with a strong structured narrative with a clear act progression through the protagonist discovering the political uprising, her opinions of said uprising and then her actions in accordance with this. The direction of actors seems well aimed by allowing them to pull through their own artistic flare such as Jacob Ming-trents poetic performance on the subway. The blocking of said actors comes across as well constructed rehearsed as is the fluid camera tracking along side some of these moments. Nona Catusanu’s cinematography is neat bringing the city streets to life with subtle vibrance in an almost constant night-based script. Although the colour temperature changes throughout the dream like cutaways are appreciated, I believe those particular scenes could be emphasised on furthermore with a heavier and dramatic change in cinematography. However, all shots are well executed and successful with plenty of coverage, which as many know, is vital to a successful post-production process. Cecilia Delgado’s editing is fluid and well-constructed adding to the pace of each scene as we journey through the narrative. The snakes score is at an epic proportion by using the sound of a singing choir to add emphasis to the importance of urgency and drama within the screen. This score could also be seen as using a traditionally horror themed sound from the likes of Richard Donner’s ‘The Omen’ to display how Horrifically unsafe our protagonist and many like her feel in such situations. The sound design is fully capable of building the atmosphere needed for the audience to feel at one with the scenes locations as well as being clearly captured. The acting is suitable throughout with Patterson’s performance being strong enough to carry her characters emotional thread within the narrative. However, her performance can at times can be lacking the flare to match her characters developing sense of angst and rebellion. The supporting roles from other cast members such as Sargeant and Ming are very strong and help aid Patterson’s performance to an overall satisfactory cast ensemble. The cutaway scenes from the protagonist’s imagination serves as an unnecessary element to the film. This is not because it doesn’t add anything to the characters development but simply because it doesn’t add enough. The scenes in my view should be darker and more extreme in capturing Erica’s deepest desires as well as matching the darkness of its climax. Although it is clear that the filmmakers are aiming to send a social message to unite people to fight against misogyny, the climax in my opinion seems too dark and perhaps the wrong message to send into a political and social issue. However, I understand that it is not my place to question nor argue the political standpoint of the filmmakers, even if I do agree with its core message. The main issue with this climax is that there was no factual evidence that the driver is the antagonist she believes him to be and yet herself and others proceed to resort to violence to find their justice. This issue could be resolved simply by adding a small glimpse of evidence to suggest the driver’s involvement and therefor giving Erica the correct and moral motivation to carry out the following actions. In conclusion, the filmmakers of ‘the snake’ have accomplished a well-formed piece with a strong message to back it up. Director and writer Michelle Beck should be extremely proud of this piece and its success in translating its message to rise up against misogyny.

★★★★ Directed by: #SaulAbraham Written by: #CallumCameron Starring: #HimeshPatel, #SaraStewart, #JonathanAris, #MaddyHill, #TomSweet Short Film Review by Taryll Baker Progressive muscle relaxation, Lycra, spoken word. As Michael seeks novel ways to halt his spiralling depression, a moment of hope arrives via an unexpected source. Enjoy, a fantastic new short from Saul Abraham, shows depression and the way someone must cope with overcoming it. Michael (Himesh Patel) is a struggling musician who is taking up a second job as a “doctor.” Being tasked with supporting a young teen who also seems to be struck with blues and potential depression, Michael tries to find the root of his problems and make a change. In a short and sweet 18-minutes, Abraham’s return to filmmaking after a few years is a delicately sensitive one. Enjoy finds time to sit with characters as they figure out who and what they are, what they can accomplish and how they affect other people. But it also makes some comfortable room for some laughs in between all of this. The small cast, consisting of Patel, Stewart and Sweet, is a wonderful one that takes great care with the delivery of some pretty touchy subjects. Depression is explored more and more in film and while this one in particular doesn’t really change up the execution, it is presented rather well. The cinematography is somewhat bleak but beautiful in its own right. The popping blues represent the feeling of “being blue” within oneself, and the brighter colours that other characters wear around Michael show the more positive affect they have on him. There are scenes where he’s surrounded by light yellow tones, and others where he’s almost completely absorbed by the same blue tones that he wears himself. This is either intentional or plain luck, but it’s something that contrasted well for me, nonetheless. I think Himesh Patel is on a cracking roll. He’s picking roles that ask something different from him, and his progression from his days on TV soap opera EastEnders to now is admirable. It feels as if he will be furthering his career by delving into a colourful array of projects much like Robert Pattinson has over the years. If there’s a Patel train, I’m jumping on right now. Both genuine and heartwarming, while grasping themes of mental health, Enjoy triumphs in its small-life story. It’s soft and gentle, but charming and light as well. If you’re looking for something that will ask for just a little of your time for a good cause, look no further than Enjoy. - #TaryllBaker

★★★ Directed by: #HelenaBergström Written by: #HelenaBergström, #DenizeKarabuda Starring: #MollyNutley, #FredrikQuinones Netflix Film Review by: Emily Davison A year and a half after losing her mother, young aspiring dancer Dylan Pettersson (Nutley disguises herself as a man to perform at the struggling drag club Queens, after her natural talents are accidentally discovered by the club’s star dancer and choreographer, Victor (Quinones). Dancing Queens (2021) is a Swedish comedy/drama Netflix original, released on the streaming service June 3rd and currently appears to be receiving mixed reviews from critics and audiences. The film takes a unique and refreshing subject matter by focusing on a group of drag queens and takes a slow, meandering pace to tell its story with a surprising lack of attention given to many of the queer characters. The film begins strongly with our introduction to the likeable, chirpy lead and her tragic loss of her mother combined with her supportive family and passion for disco dancing making her instantly endearing and a strong underdog character to root for. However, once she becomes acquainted with the drag group, the pacing does begin to slow and becomes choppy, with a noticeable lack of development given to her co-stars. Despite successfully building an optimistic tone with a positive message of following one’s dreams and never giving up, the film does flounder with many clichés still present despite all the heart it has to offer. For example, when Dylan’s true gender identity is discovered, she is briefly cast out of the group before they quickly reconcile with her and she eventually manages to become the professional dancer she always dreamt of after one successful audition. The big drag performance also features the uplifting, yet overplayed song ‘I Will Survive’, which does cause the drama to feel rather stale and unearned as the queer characters appear to have taken a backseat in favour of the lead’s journey. There are also some underdeveloped romantic subplots woven throughout which do not add much to the story and could have been explored more for a greater emotional impact. Although the movie does have its flaws, there are still redeeming qualities which result in an entertaining, enjoyable and moving watch. Molly Nutley gives a fantastically nuanced, standout performance as 23 year-old Dylan, causing her to feel grounded and relatable as a young woman trying to find that driving force in her life to move on from the death of her mum. All of the dance sequences are very well choreographed, with our first introduction to Dylan’s talent demonstrated through an effective montage of her transcending her raw grief into a charged dance routine, which is intercut with the warm memories of her mother. There is also a very good scene where she breaks down in tears when speaking about her family and mother to her housekeeper, which is played authentically by Nutley and emphasises the core theme of grief and loss in the narrative. Additionally, despite featuring an arguably mixed choice in pop music, the film does have a peaceful orchestral score which matches the scenic, natural setting of Dylan’s small hometown and the hopeful tone of the story very well. The score does elevate many scenes and involves viewers in the characters’ journeys nicely. Overall, Dancing Queens is a film which does have its heart set in the right place, but falls short in delivering on its advertising as a predominantly queer related narrative. It still has admirable elements, with a good cast and a wonderful lead performance, nice direction and a tranquil score, but some factors of the story unfortunately let it down. #EmilyDavison Dancing Queens (2021) Trailer:

★★★★ Directed by: #PaulStainthorpe Written by: #PaulStainthorpe and #SimonJefferson Starring: #EllieBindman, #RhiannonJones, #CharlotteFenton Film Review by Lucy Clarke One has to be very careful with a social-realist drama. Go too far in one direction, and you’ll end up with films devoid of nuance, like those that are played in a PSHE GCSE class, and direct children exactly what to abstain lest they be cursed. On the other hand, the other unfortunate direction is forgotten Oscar bait à la 2018’s Beautiful Boy, which has slipped from the memory of even those who saw it. A nuanced performance and tight script are enough to save a promising film from either of these two fates, and Floppy Toast with Drippy Butter is positively delicious. Initially, it seems as though this short will go down the school-film route, but it thankfully swerves this destiny. We follow Chloe (Ellie Bindman), who is sixteen years old. She’s recently moved to a new area to live with her mum and her granddad. As the new kid, she’s been bullied by a pack of girls whose taunting, abusive behaviour fills them with glee. Chloe’s phone buzzes with spiteful messages from the ring leader, and she’s roughed up and cornered at school. Finally, it has all become too much, and she lingers by a bridge, like George Bailey in Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life and contemplates ending it all. This premise is nothing new – as the comparison to the iconic Christmas movie suggests - but Ellie Bindman’s portrayal of a desperate young girl is extraordinary. Bindman brings such warmth to Chloe that in the short sixteen minutes, the viewer does not just know Chloe as a character but as a younger sister who we crave to protect. Alice (Rhiannon Jones), who features as Chloe’s guardian angel, albeit in human form, is an empathetic character who feels truly drawn from life. Although she is there to guide Chloe towards a brighter future, her actions are never stereotyped as a kindly maternal angel figure. Floppy Toast with Drippy Butter occasionally threatens to fall into uplifting melodrama, where everything seems to be a grand metaphor for a positive way to think about life. However, these moments of over-cooked warmth are so well-balanced with the script and the nuanced performances from Bindman and Jones that the story feels neither too fake nor too gung-ho. Although the film ends neatly, with Chloe’s worst days behind her, there’s no hint that the ending wasn’t the result of trying to sweeten up the reality. Paul Stainthorpe’s short expertly avoids the potential potholes that it could easily fall into. Instead, the audience is left thinking about the gravity of their own personal actions. In the end, it reminds you that whatever plagues you, there is always another day just around the corner with floppy toast and drippy butter.

★★★ Written & Directed by: #LeeChambers Starring: #RobertBrynMann, #HoytRichards Short Film Review by Taryll Baker Dale Borger, a lonely research scientist in the Arctic, struggles to maintain his solitary existence. With the world failing from a global pandemic, all hopes fall on Dale’s shoulders as he represents the last stand for humanity. Make way for another short film made within the crippling tight-grip of a global pandemic. Hell in a Handbasket implements said pandemic into its story; a research scientist is working by himself at a small stationary lab with little to no contact from the outside world in the distance surrounding him. Cold, sparse and covered with snow, the Arctic is quite the place to be stuck in on your lonesome. Dale (Robert Bryn Mann) is a clumsy, quite frustrated man who seems bogged down by the pressures of his position. We’re introduced to him as he meddles with a gas gauge before he receives a live call from another scientist (Hoyt Richards) alerting him to ensure data is backed up as London, Rome and New York stations are down. The COVID vaccine couldn’t be in more slippery hands as Dale’s clumsy mistakes prove to be worrying for the fight of humanity’s fate. It’s hard to tell exactly what tone this film was aiming for. In some moments it seems genuine, like a thriller. In others it comes across as comedic thanks to the sort of cartoon-like performances from Mann and Richards. When the film opens, Hell in a Handbasket seems to feel very grounded and crisp in its technical achievement. But then when the two actors converse and interact with each other via webcam from their respective stations, a flimsy cheapness fills the atmosphere. It’s tricky to pinpoint what writer and director Lee Chambers wanted to provoke from the audience with this one. Nonetheless, it is still pretty well crafted. The visuals look sharp, as do the visual effects in creating realistic snow covering the empty plains in the exterior scenes. The interiors feel more like independently made sets, which suits the weird tone created by Chambers’ writing and those previously mentioned performances. Ticking along with the story is a very “sciency” music score written by Charlie Fisher, who takes an ambient approach; slow burning airiness that builds and builds and then becomes something of an audible explosion as the film cuts to black. It’s a simplistic bed of music that is really only there to support the visual rather than add anything in particular that could assist the narrative. The camerawork is pretty solid also; I found the exterior scenes were the more enjoyable to look at visually. Very cold colours and the close up of Mann after fighting with the gas gauge was very nice. Hell in a Handbasket is entertaining, but it would have benefitted from a tighter script and a clearer execution of tone. The performances, music, locations and sets look and sound great, and the concept (though becoming tired already — perhaps because we’re all sick of the pandemic now) worked well enough. Certainly worth checking out, though nothing to rave about. Watch the trailer for Hell in a Handbasket below. - #TaryllBaker

★★★ Directed by: #FranklinGenoa Written by: #SteveMeredith Starring: #JoseJimenezCorrea, #NashalyVelez Film review by: Patrick Foley Even strong relationships can be tested by undiscovered revelations about a partner’s past. Accepting someone despite imperfections is an important part of maturity, and is a key theme of Franklin Genoa’s Why Do You Love Me? – a short film about a couple who decide to ask each other the synonymous title. Brian (Jose Jimenez-Correa) and Ashley (Nashaly Velez) are newlyweds enjoying their first year of marital bliss. Their relationship is strong, and talk of starting a family is on both partner’s minds. But when Ashley decides to ask Brian a question over dinner – ‘why do you love me?’ – the pair begin digging through each other’s pasts and exact reasons why they fell in love with each other when they did. But rather than a cute walk down memory lane, the discoveries each of the pair come across change their perceptions of each other, and threaten the foundation of their love. Why Do You Love Me? is a short conceptual film set over a dinnertime conversation between a couple who discuss their lives prior to meeting, and how their relationship came about. But Franklin Genoa’s short is really about acceptance, and the ability to forgive flaws or imperfections in order to attain happiness. Both Brian and Ashley uncover some unwelcome facts about one another’s relationship history, which change both their perception of their partner, and themselves. But the facts they find are confined to the past, not the present. Both are left with a choice to fixate on a history that they cannot change, or focus on a present in which they are happy. Making the right choice requires forgiveness, acceptance and maturity. The film’s concept and themes are strong, but the plot falls a little short of meeting them – seeming a little over-contrived and convenient. It’s hard to imagine the conversation we see would not have arisen previously given the couple’s ages and that the pair are already married – especially given that Brian seems to have an overview already of the elements of Ashley’s past that come to enrage him. Why he would not have previously wanted some elaboration is a little confusing. Similarly, Ashley’s jealousy seems out of place given her maturity and easy-going attitude the film establishes early on. It clearly is designed to show that even good people in solid relationships can be susceptible to jealousy and anxiety over their partner, but comes across as quite jarring and forced in practice. The two lead performances are convincing and believable. Jose Jimenez-Correa and Nashaly Velez have undeniable chemistry and were excellent choices to portray a happily married couple still enjoying their honeymoon period. Jimenez-Correa’s remorse following an angry outburst is a strong and emotional lynchpin of the film – the key moment of realisation of how insignificant their pasts really are. Crucially, audiences will root for the couple and hope they can work out their differences. The relatability of the actors is testament to this, and significant as most viewers will be familiar with their experiences and emotions. Anchored by two strong performances and relatable themes, Why Do You Love Me? is an interesting exploration of a question too few couples ask themselves, which despite contriving its drama, effectively highlights that even strong relationships are rarely straightforward.

★★★★ Directed by: #KikiFebriyanti Written by: #KikiFebriyanti Starring: #AlexandraKumala, #DimasIvan, #Sumini Film Review by: Isabelle Ryan Thirty seconds is not a long time, but as Kiki Febriyanti proves admirably in her film Roti, it is certainly enough time to tell a story. This is a short and simple film about an unnamed teenage girl (Alexandra Kumala) who is trying to make a discreet purchase. She feels awkward enough to rely on a code that the boy serving her doesn’t understand. Only when the woman who works at the shop arrives does she get what she came for, leaving the boy totally lost. Set in Indonesia, Febriyanti’s film employs the use of slang to afford the protagonist some privacy. The girl asks for ‘roti’ (‘bread’) as a euphemism for sanitary towels, and the boy’s misunderstanding not only cleverly exploits this gap in knowledge between the teenagers’ lived experience, but also exposes a pervasive taboo. Kumala’s character feels too embarrassed to talk about a natural bodily function, and the boy isn’t expected to know about it either way. Even when he is visibly confused by her insistence that the bread he chooses isn’t the right kind (“The usual pack of 12,” she tells him), she continues to disguise her request. Dimas Adiputro’s naturalistic cinematography, plus the decision only to use diegetic sound, ground the film beautifully while Febriyanti explores how people who menstruate are expected to keep that fact – and any relevant information – secret from people who don’t; and if they must discuss it, they must do so euphemistically. As we see, it takes an older woman’s presence to resolve the situation. In that sense, the film presents both the welcome solidarity between the younger and older generations and their mutual understanding, as well as the universal frustration that the topic is taboo at all. Roti is a clever little film, surprisingly layered and quietly feminist, but the fact that it manages all that in thirty seconds alone is enough to recommend it.

★★★ Directed by: Ed Hartman Written by: Ed Hartman Starring: Ed Hartman, Chris Lyford Documentary Review by: Vikas Yadav It’s easy to see why director Ed Hartman is so inspired by Richard Lyford. If you are one of those people who just went, “Richard who?,” then It Gets In Your Blood is definitely for you. Within 14 minutes, the documentary provides a highlight of Lyford and his praiseworthy achievements. You gather knowledge on his love for his craft but end up knowing little about his personal life. Maybe there is nothing special to dwell on there, or perhaps the runtime posed as a problem for covering his personal life in detail. Whatever be the reason, it makes It Gets In Your Blood a conversation starter. Hartman wants us to recognize this personality, and you do so with significant admiration. Like many filmmakers, Lyford got attracted to movies when his parents gifted him a camera. He made films on smaller budgets, but they had grand ideas and impressive sets. His film As The Earth Turns has splendid writing, acting, and explosive special effects that are truly amazing given the time it was released. He was only 20 years old when he made that film. The narrator claims this film had elements that foreshadowed modern TV and movies like Star Trek, Dr. Strangelove, and Austin Powers. What’s more, it even eerily foreboded World War II! In 1938, Lyford took his talents to Hollywood. He went there because people at Disney saw his skills and invited him to work with them. Lyford’s son, Chris, appears in between to tell a legendary “Backlot-story” that is undoubtedly the highlight of It Gets In Your Blood. Lyford continued to make films for the army and air forces in Washington DC. If you go through Lyford’s filmography, you will come across a documentary titled The Titan: Story of Michelangelo. It’s about the Italian sculptor and painter named Michelangelo Buonarroti. The Titan received an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and was later preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2005. Lyford made the documentary after the war, and in 1952, it became the first documentary feature to be shown on network television. Hartman delights in narrating these accomplishments. You sense his respect for his idol. There is a slight pain in his tone when he wonders why Lyford didn’t become as famous as Orson Welles. Both died in the same year, but one gained fame and stardom while another is acclaimed by a minimal number of devotees. With It Gets In Your Blood, Hartman tries to tweak this narrative. Will he succeed? Only time will tell.

★★★★ Directed by: Chris Guzzo Written by: Robert Piserchia, Chris Guzzo Starring: Jonathan Tierney, Taryn Wieland, Dan Kausch, Mark Montalbano Film Review by: Jason Knight A man searches for his missing wife, with devastating consequences. Linda (Wieland) disappeared two years ago, leaving her husband John (Tierney) having to raise his two young daughters by himself. Eventually, his brother Rob (Montalbano), who is a private investigator, has managed to track her down and he reveals to his brother that she is now living another life, with another man named Howard (Kausch), a high school teacher. Against Rob's wishes, John sets out to get his wife back. This short is a dramatic, suspenseful and tense thriller about a rather unusual situation: a woman vanishes from home, where she has a husband and two daughters and now lives with another man, appearing to have no memories of her previous life. Did she ran away? Was she kidnapped? Wieland's character is the one the plot evolves around and trying to figure out what is going on with her is rather interesting. The clever script contains plot twists and begins as a drama, showing Linda living a seemingly ordinary life with Howard, although their relationship appears a bit unstable. It is then revealed that she is actually a missing person, turning the film into a thriller. The intriguing story grabs the audience's attention and keeps them guessing right until the end. Keri Toye does an amazing job as the composer, creating music that is dramatic and tense and it accompanies the scenes perfectly. Editor David Root makes a great contribution, utilizing fast cutting and dissolve techniques effectively. The film also includes well-constructed voice-over, that gives clues about the past relationship between John and Linda. Makeup artist Jordan Witherspoon deserves special mention for the realistic makeup on a man's injured face. This thriller is very well made, with convincing acting and has a plot that the viewer will want to follow, right until the heart-stopping ending. #JasonKnight Trailer for Family Bond:

★★★★ Directed by #KaashvieNair Written by #KaashvieNair and #AnujaChauhan Starring #ArjunKapoor, #NeenaGupta, #RakulPreetSingh Film Review by Amber Jackson A grandson embarks upon a mission to reunite his elderly grandmother with her first house is a cross-cultural event that is equal parts comedic and solemn. Sardar Ka Grandson proves to be an incredibly emotive story of home, identity and family as main character Amreek (Arjun Kapoor) travels to provide his Grandmother Sardar (Neena Gupta) some solace in her final years. Arjun Kapoor plays Amreek, a carefree and chaotic business owner living in Los Angeles who is struggling to balance his relationships and work commitments. We are not sure which direction the film is going in when suddenly, Amreek is contacted by his father to go back to India as his grandmother is unwell. The film continually stresses the importance of location and distance, particularly when Sardar’s final wishes are revealed. She confides in her grandson that she wishes to go to Lahore in Pakistan and visit the house that she built with her late husband just before Partition in the 1940s. Ultimately, what Amreek will have to do to make this a reality is far greater than anyone could have anticipated. Kapoor and Gupta have an electric chemistry as Grandmother and Grandson, as the strong parallels between their characters allow their individual journeys to coincide throughout the film. In uncovering more about the house in Lahore, Amreek learns the harsh and painful reality of his grandmother’s past. Flashbacks to 1940s India perforate the narrative with a sweet and affectionate love story between Sardar and her husband as they sing and dance and build their home together. The music is upbeat and immerses the viewer into every scene, as well as adding fun to tender moments. The film frequently pokes fun at the family dynamic, which is often hilarious. These fun, light-hearted moments are exemplified with short action shots that are fast-paced from the offset, also doing well to capture Amreek’s personality. Comedic timing from the actors is brilliant and does well to exaggerate the comedy-drama of the dialogue. Yet, well contrasted to this, there are dramatic moments that act as brutal historical reminders and these scenes are slower and more deliberate. In addition to an abundance of comedy, this film does well to point to a history and heritage of India and Pakistan being divided and the repercussions for those who survived and future generations. Sardar Ka Grandson’s theme of displacement is incredibly moving as we watch Amreek piece together Sardar’s story. The journey that grandmother and grandson embark upon to get to the house is full of unexpected twists and turns, but is ultimately heart-warming as Amreek aims to heal the void in his Grandmother’s life as well as his own. Sardar Ka Grandson is a comedic and emotional story of overcoming hardship and choosing love over hatred and is well worth watching. Sardar Ka Grandson is available to watch on NetflixUK now. Watch the trailer here: #AmberJackson #SardarKaGrandson

★★★ Directed by: Clive Patterson Starring: Sorious Samura, Charlie Haffner Film Review by: Vikas Yadav Sing, Freetown Documentary Review You may know Sorious Samura, a Sierra Leonean journalist, from his two documentary films called Cry Freetown and Exodus from Africa. He is regarded as one of his nation’s most celebrated TV journalists. For two decades, Samura reported stories about Africa, and they were largely negative. There was war, Ebola, fatal natural disasters, and many more disturbing incidents that began to shadow Africa with clouds of misery. Samura could not bear to see his country falling under the consensus of suffering. So he decided to collaborate with his best friend and playwright Charlie Haffner to produce a play depicting the positive aspects of his country. He is worried that many young people of Africa have no knowledge about their rich history. Haffner blames the West for this ignorance. Young Africans try to adapt to the lifestyle of the West and turn away from their own culture. As someone says, if the elders die without educating their children, then who will carry the tradition forward to the next generation? Samura wants to tackle this problem and believes his objective could be achieved using the power of art. “Mr. Charlie Haffner, we are charging you with the responsibility to take us further. Let us know who we are,” he says to his friend. The intentions are in the right place, but in the end, it’s a task, and a task is rarely achieved sans hassles. Writing a script is no child’s play, and even though Haffner comes with certain experiences, he struggles to develop something as small as a synopsis for a long time. Naturally, this vexes Samura as he faces sleepless nights. As the premiere day approaches closer and closer, tension erupts between Samura and Haffner. Forget the play; will their friendship survive under this pressure? I am having a good time with the documentaries. I recently saw the Van Gogh documentary Sunflowers, and now this. My main pleasure comes not only from learning something new from these films, but I love how passionate the people are in these movies. It’s stimulating to see the enthusiasm of the people in Sing, Freetown, who really value their tradition and want to keep it alive. You see a fire burning inside Samura, and you realize how much this play means to him. Sing, Freetown rightly prioritizes the men’s ardor over their personality. You may not end up knowing them personally, but you cognize their determination. Warning: There are graphic videos here that some viewers may find disturbing. In Cinemas From Fri 25 June #VikasYadav

Grimmfest is BACK. And, to quote Colin Clive's Baron Frankenstein, “It's alive!” After over a year of “home invasions” in the form of virtual screenings and online events, this October Grimmfest will be returning to the cinema. The festival team is delighted to announce that from 7th to 10th October, we will be teaming up with our regular venue partner, the Odeon Great Northern for a live event. And we are even more delighted to reveal that we will be joined by a true icon of genre cinema; our guest of honour, the incomparable Dee Wallace, recipient of this year's Grimmfest Lifetime Achievement Award. We'll be celebrating a remarkable five-decade career that ranges from such classics as THE STEPFORD WIVES, THE HILLS HAVE EYES, THE HOWLING, E.T., CUJO and CRITTERS, to equally boundary-pushing recent films such as Rob Zombie's THE LORDS OF SALEM and James Suttles' THE NEST, which recently had its World Premiere at Grimmfest. Right now, celebrating the genre, and those who have done so much to shape it seems more important to us than ever before alongside highlighting new, exciting cutting edge genre movies from all over the world. With that in mind, we once again host our Grimmfest annual awards; from BEST FEATURE FILM to BEST SCARE, there will be twelve awards up for grabs and every selected film will be eligible and viewed by our Jury of industry professionals. This year’s Jury includes ‘Horror Channel’ head honcho Stewart Bridle and the multi-talented director, actress and screenwriter Brea Grant (12 HOUR SHIFT). This year has been a tough one for festivals, and even more so for cinemas and exhibitors. Film festivals are by their very nature, social and public events, a celebration of cinema as a collective experience and a chance to meet up, watch films and discuss them with like-minded people. The Grimmfest Team has been genuinely honoured by the extent to which our audience has stuck with us, embraced the online format, and worked with us to maintain a collective experience throughout the pandemic. But now it’s time to finally embrace the cinema experience once more. Four whole days of movie premieres, Q&As, talks, parties and exclusive events. All taking place in a real cinema with the support of the Odeon. And for those of you who have enjoyed Grimmfest online, we also plan to have an associated virtual festival reflecting the live event and enabling those who are unable to join us physically, to enjoy the show at home. GRIMMFEST festival director Simeon Halligan said: “The response to our online festival during the pandemic was incredible and revealed that people will always find a way to discover and enjoy new cinematic voices, whatever the circumstances. As we venture back into cinemas, Grimmfest 2021 will also maintain its virtual presence for those who are unable to attend in person.” ODEON events exec Bill Brock said: “At ODEON, we pride ourselves on being the destination of choice for film lovers - whether your passion is for blockbuster action films, family favourites or cult horror classics. We know film-lovers have been missing the big-screen experience over the past year, so we’re very pleased to be supporting Grimmfest again. It has never been so important to come together and celebrate cinema with like-minded film fans, and we look forward to seeing more events like this take place in the near future”.