Distilled FilmsNice to Meet you and Micycle

Now to unquestionably the most important short film festival in the UK, Encounters, in Bristol. The stormy weather made it easy to head indoors and I managed to squeeze in about 40 shorts most of which were fantastic and hear some great talks given by people like Andrea Arnold, Jeremy Brock, Gary Shaw, and Eran Creevy.

Encounters turned out to be a great place to meet or at least see some of the cogs and cogettes that make up the UK film funding and creative machine. I also met some inspiring young film makers and many a wise old head with plenty of good advice on the next steps etc…

So thank you to organisers like Rich Warren, Mark Cosgrove, and Sheryl Newell for putting on a great show and giving our first film such an elevated platform on which to be seen! x

In the world of exceeded expectations rarely will you come across such a shining example. Savannah Film Festival was absolutely fantastic. As film makers with a big “F” on our pass we were treated like royalty, we were introduced to anyone and everyone and made to feel so welcome and become so familiar that we really didn’t want to leave…

Nice To Meet You screened twice last week, with Mickey Sumner representing us in the Q and A on the Tuesday and me (Will Garthwaite) taking the questions on the Friday. I’m guessing it’s not too often that you have 900 people at a short film screening so it was an extra special opportunity to see how a big screen and a big crowd would respond to the drama as it unfolded. We were not disappointed, there were oohs and aahs, whelp and whoops, and cries and chuckles in all the right places and for me it was so good to see the more subtle moments being amplified and appreciated in equal measure.

Each night we were treated to a special screening, we saw George Clooney’s Up In The Air, recent English film An Education, the fantastic new Michael Cera film Youth in Revolt, and Lee Daniels future classic Precious. In between times we saw many of the films and documentaries in competition, and I look forward to getting hold of all the ones I missed in the weeks to come.

As a first time film maker its difficult to imagine a better introduction to ‘the festival’, I spoke to one major producer in the lobby of the hotel on the final morning who said that frankly this is ‘as good as it gets’ in terms of a festival of film, another said it felt like Sundance did in the early days!

All I can say is that it was hot and sunny in November, the town is beautiful, the students who volunteered are too, and I will do everything I can to make sure I am back there next year!

Y’all are welcome!

While we we there Will Misselbrook and I met many talented and amazing people, here are but a few with links to their own projects where possible: Bobby Zarem, Myra Scheer, Sheila Lynne Bolda, Michael Chaney, Lisa Kaminsky, Bill Augustin, Drew Brown, Nick Moran, Lara Everly + Annika Marks, Gina Atwater, Jill Yoe, Colin Marshall, Sebastian Davis, Bradford Schmidt, Trevor Jenkins, Robin Carus, Tomer Gendler, Susan Morgan Cooper, Suzi Yoonessi, Lucas Martell, Tom Fontana, Yotam Dor, Tony Mark + Susan Fiore, and Lee Daniels