Underwire 2014
11-15 November, The Yard Theatre, Hackney Wick
SCHEDULE:
SATURDAY 8TH NOVEMBER
GIRLS ON FILM
71A Gallery, 71A Leonard Street, London, EC2A 4QS
A day of panel discussions focusing on the representation of women in film, in partnership with Little White Lies.
Girls on Girls
In partnership with Fringe! Film & Art Festival
This panel explores the history of the lesbian on screen, charting her emergence from the celluloid closet, into a vibrant queer community and out to the mainstream. Film historian Emma Smart (BFI Flare) is joined by academic Sophie Mayer (Queen Mary) and independent filmmakers CampbellX and Kanchi Wichmann to discuss the past and present of lesbian representation.
The Bechdel Test Needs Your Vote!
The Bechdel Test is a three-step rule to see if a film has two named female characters who have a conversation with each other that doesn’t focus on men. It’s a simple measure that many major films fail to pass. The test celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2015, yet it’s only recently that the film industry has started to take notice. Recently, Sweden introduced the ‘A Rate’ - a film classification system to communicate if a film passes the Bechdel Test. It is used in participating independent cinemas and by a major TV network. Should we follow suit? Looking at the arguments for and against, this panel aims to discover if this is the answer to increasing more multi-dimensional female characters on our screens.
The Trinity Complex
Badass hacking skills? Check. Ability to leap over buildings? Check. Relegation from cool, capable heroine to Neo’s love interest by the end of The Matrix trilogy? Also check. This is what Tasha Robinson calls ‘Trinity Syndrome’: the trope of the strong female character “who never once becomes as independent, significant, and exciting as she is in her introductory scene.” This panel explores the roles and responsibilities of the glut of ‘Strong Female Characters’ seen in the action and sci-fi blockbusters of recent years and questions whether these renegade woman are progressive – or phony.
The panel was chaired by Simran Hans and speakers included Shelley Cobb, Nida Manzoor and Noemi Gunea.
Pure Heroine - Women in Comic Book Films
As comic book films soar in popularity, our superhero sisters continue to be cast in supporting roles, consistently oversexualised or marginalised as love interests. But with Spider-woman and Black Widow films in the pipeline, and the recently released Guardians of the Galaxy including more complex female characters, are we on the cusp of change? This panel interrogates the representation of the female superhero from her comic book origins to more recent big screen incarnations, asking when will we finally see a woman saving the day?
TUESDAY 11TH NOVEMBER
XX Award
On Screen Female protagonist Award, supported by Screen International
The Wolf, the Ship and the Little Green Bag – Kathryn MacCorgarry Gray
The Wolf, the Ship and the Little Green Bag is a charming short documentary following the most important life events of Karin, Peggie and Anne, three elderly women who recount their coming of age stories and the adventures of their youth. Their stories are aided by uniquely personal animation, vividly bringing these stories to life in a novel and heart-warming manner. The energy of the three ladies is a joyous reminder of the wisdom of age and that no matter how old you are there’s always another adventure.
A Moment to Move – Georgia Parris (Winner of XX Award)
Martha prepares to give her eldest daughter, Grace, away in marriage. With her other daughter, Stella, Maid of Honour, the three women of the family are set to steal the show. The day proceeds more or less as planned. Yet a series of seemingly innocuous encounters creates an odd estrangement in Martha. Martha is repeatedly sidelined and forced to stifle her more gregarious impulses. She experiences a peculiar, silent despair against the backdrop of supposed celebration. At quiet breaking-point, Martha flees the scene. She finds herself at a late-night bar. A lone figure in unfamiliar territory, Martha takes a leap of faith and chooses to be seen again.
Lay Me Down – Lucy Tcherniak
Lay Me Down explores the curious relationship between two girls. A few years younger than Lily, Penny won’t seem to leave her alone. But as the hounding escalates we learn the horrible truth that binds them together and the action Lily must take if she is ever going to lift the terrible burden she carries.
ANITA – Geoff Bellhouse (pictured above)
ANITA, a migrant working as a carer for the disabled, is 7 months pregnant and set to return home to her family. The film follows her final shift in London between herself and one of her patients Avi.
The Line – Faye Gilbert
The Line is an emotionally driven thriller set 5 minutes in the future, about a blood stained teenage girl who is running for her life with a young boy in tow. The girl navigates their way through an urban world of danger in order to cross a boundary (‘The Line’) and deliver the boy into another territory. However we question whether they are truly running away from danger or towards it.
WEDNESDAY 12TH NOVEMBER
Sonic Sirens
Best Sound Designer Award supported by Sound Disposition
I Don’t Care - Sue Pennington
Happy Thoughts - Iris Jenkins
Blue Resonant - Dharma Taylor
Skinship - Ania Przygoda
Orpheus the Penguin - Jennifer Anne Haugan
Swallow- Kirstyn Knowles
She Scores
Best Composer Award supported by Imagem
20:10
(73 mins)
STILL: Crater Face (in dropbox)
James - Isobel Waller-Bridge
Sea Front - Karine Polwart
Home Economics - Aisling Brouwer
Callow & Sons - Sarah Warne
Coconut Shy - Rebecca Dale
Crater Face - Katt Strike
THURSDAY 13TH NOVEMBER
£7.50 per screening or £10 for an all night ticket
Ring Masters
Best Producer Award supported by Women in Film & Television (UK)
18:30
(72 mins)
STILL: Gold (in dropbox)
Gold - Cleo Samoles-Little
WeWi - Jess Gormley
Flicker - Sarah Tognazzi
RED - Julia Powney
He Took His Skin Off For Me - Fiona Lamptey
Valentine - Genia Sophie Krassnig
Balsa Wood - Agnes Meath Baker
Boxer on the Wilderness - Alexandra Boyd, Rebecca Ioannou
Leading Ladies
Best Actor Award supported by Daniella Cesarei Photography
20:15
(69 mins)
STILL: Joyride (in dropbox)
Joyride - Charlotte Randle
Mary - Mairead McKinley
Stop - Lisa Kay
Bradford-Halifax-London - Katy Cavanagh
The Pig Child - Catherine Steadman
Promise - Alice Henley
Shooters in the Pub Quiz
21:30
Don’t despair at another boring film festival quiz, no nerds allowed!
Have you seen every Harry Potter movie? Can you recite Ghostbusters in its entirety? That’s the kind of pointless knowledge that might make you win BIG at Shooting People’s pub quiz to end all pub quizzes.
FRIDAY 14th November
10AM - 5PM
The Yard Theatre
Something about cost here?
Writing Comedy: finding confidence in the collective
With LOCO, Euroscript and Wolf + Diva
Someone wise once said that “you alone must do it; but you mustn’t do it alone” and they might, just might, have been talking directly about women comedy writers and training opportunities like this one. Over the course of a day participants will experience a life-changing ‘Hour of Power’, a selection of case studies from working writers, forensic examination of the all-important long term writer-producer relationship, stimulating debate, an opportunity to ‘ask anything’ from author Paul Bassett Davies, and a masterclass with a top writer. Course facilitators will ensure that you have every opportunity to air your questions, concerns, confusions, frustrations and openings for collaboration, and you’re guaranteed to be in excellent company.
LOCO is a not-for-profit foundation that champions the craft of comedy filmmaking. http://locofilmfestival.com/
Euroscript was founded in 1995 by the Screenwriters’ Workshop with the aim of improving the quality of scripts going into production across Europe.http://www.euroscript.co.uk/
With a shared passion for cinema, visual arts, music and creative live events Wolf + Diva curate high quality content which challenges, inspires and empowers. http://www.wolfanddiva.com
IMAGE: LOCO Logo (Need)
Euroscript Logo (in dropbox)
Wolf+ Diva Logo (need)
FRIDAY 14TH NOVEMBER
£7.50 per screening
Dream Drafters
Best Writer Award supported by Euroscript
18:30
(81 mins)
STILL: Heart Lock (in dropbox)
Heart Lock - Liz Murphy
Caravan 9 - Annie Power
Crater Face - Sammi McEwan
Charity - Eleanor Gocher
The Barber - Anna Pauletti
On the Bridge - Elena Fuller
Matabichos / Bug Killer - Gabriela Palacios
SATURDAY 15TH NOVEMBER
On the Screen
£7.50 per screening, £25 for all-day pass
In the Cut
Best Editor Award supported by VET
12:00
(77 mins)
STILL: On Loop (in dropbox)
Across Still Water - Catherine Arend
On Loop - Christine Hooper
An All-Encompassing Light - Chloe White
Opponent - Charlotte Ginsborg
Sleepers’ Beat - Anastasia Kirillova
Our Unfenced Country - Niamh Heery
Looking Glass
Best Cinematographer Award supported by Greenkit Lighting
16:00
(80 mins)
STILL: Siren (in dropbox)
Siren - Laura Bellingham
SYSTEM - Emma Dalesman
Yussef is Complicated - Tasha Back
Joyride - Nanu Segal
My Ride - Jessie Ayles
The Treehouse - Gabi Norland
Quarterbacks
Under 25 Award supported by BFI Future Film
17:50
(70 mins)
STILL: I May Be Some Time (in dropbox)
Swoon - Director, Sophie King
Below - Producers, Daniella Rice & Charley Packham
The Bigger Picture - Director, Daisy Jacobs
The King and Queen of Halloween - Co-Director, Anna Maguire
Happy Birthday Cindy Wei - Director, Tsveta Lozanova
The Last Resort - Writer, Gillian Park
Orpheus the Penguin - Director, Jennifer Anne Haugan
I May Be Some Time… - Director, Ana Stefaniak
Voodoo Moustache - Producer, Chiara Ventura
Celluloid Sculptors
Best Director Award supported by Directors UK
19:30
(85 mins)
STILL: Crocodile (in dropbox)
Crocodile - Gaëlle Denis
Imperial Provisor Frombald - Elizabeth Hobbs
Zima - Cristina Picchi
Table Manners - Rebecca Manley
Our Lad - Rachna Suri
Adeline For Leaves - Jessica Sarah Rinland
Verity - Nicola Quilter
Tracks - Claire Oakley
DVDBANG
11-15 November at The Yard
DVDBANG DVD cinema presents a collection of East Asian women’s shorts in the UK’s first DVD-방.
DVDBANG is a not-for-profit project based on our favourite South Korean entertainment idea: the movie rental shop and micro cinema. The DVD cinema room can be booked for couples, groups, families or just for one: a social space where the rules of traditional cinema viewing are not enforced, but slippers definitely are. What you watch and how you watch it is up to you.
Underwire 2014 credits:
Festival Producer - Chloe Trayner
Festival Assistant - Jess Lenten
Festival Assistant - Emily Copley
Technical Manager - Ollie Wright
Thanks to:
Tegan Vevers, Emily Diana Ruth, Steven Russell, Katie McCullough, Michelle Goode, Jonathan Wakeman, Denise Hicks, Rachel King, Rachael Castell, Rupert Hollier, Daniella Cesarei, Noel Goodwin, Michelle White, Stuart Wealands, Abigail Berry, Joan Leese, Ellie Stanway, Kate Kinninmont, Sarah Sheerman-Chase, Natalie Samson, Sarah Julia Clark, Sarah Chorley, Stephanie Walton, Adam Woodward, Isla Ure, Wendy Mitchell, Piccia Neri, Simran Hans, Corrina Antrobus, Kirsten Geekie
AWARDS SPONSORS:
Screen International
WFTV (UK)
Euroscript
Greenkit Lighting
Sound Disposition
Imagem
Daniella Cesarei Photography
BFI Future Film
Directors UK
VET
OUR PARTNERS:
The Yard Theatre
LOCO
Shooting People
Little White Lies
Animate Projects
DVDBANG
Sarah Julia Clark
Shorts International
Together Films
Fringe! Film & Art Festival
CoppaFeel!