Most animators need therapy of some kind (not actually true - D+CFilm lawyers) but an Exeter-based occupational therapist has been using animation in her work with young people from the Ashfield Young Offenders Institute.

Helen Mason, the occupational therapist, developed a programme to promote self esteem and self worth through animation with the young people. There were constraints, it was difficult, but it was also worthwhile.

Helen told D+CFilm: “Animation enables the creator and audience to project into a world where anything is possible and difficult issues can be explored within a safe environment.

“The animation process works on many levels therapeutically, from working practically to symbolically. Within occupational therapy, in child psychiatry play, is the main occupation and learning tool for the clients we work with.

2Within the modern world the use of computers within play is very much engrained within the child’s reality. Animation can be used to build relationships between parent and child encouraging child lead exploration. I have also found it useful with teenagers as a tool for motivation and to evoke change.”

The work was done over an intensive four-day programme, and supported by Animated Exeter. Hurrah!

The work, themed around carbon footprints, can be seen at the festival at the Exeter Phoenix on Saturday, February 23.

Posted by Captn

Contemporary artworks, both 2D and 3D as well as film/video art will be shown in alternative venues across Torquay, including businesses, shop fronts and shopping malls throughout August 2008 and appear in the Fringe publicity.

Interested filmmakers are invited to submit a sample of their work for consideration. 

Torquay Fringe hopes to show new films, short films, animation or any relevant contemporary art forms on DVD, 8mm or 16mm film to the general public thoughout August. There’s a £10 artist’s submission fee.

Email puregraffiti2000@yahoo.co.uk for an application form. Deadline for returned forms and submitted material is March 30, 2008. First consideration will be given to Torbay artists, however a limited number of artists from outside Torbay submitting exceptional work will also be considered. Successful artists will be notified by the end of April 2008.

Posted by Torquay Fringe 

While trawling MySpace for exciting local filmmakers (as you do), we stumbled across a fellow called James Chegwyn, who runs a YouTube channel called Addictive TV Films.

Based in Liskeard but currently studying at Plymouth College of Art and Design, James seems to have a winning way with the old stop-motion animation, though he also makes documentaries and short live-action flicks.

He and his chum Tom Mitchell are putting together a short documentary about film festivals and filmmakers in the West Country. If you wanna get involved, give D+CFilm a shout and we’ll pass your details on.

There’s also the small matter of Attention Focus, a 20-minute psychological thriller James is starting to work on. It’s inspired by the likes of Reservoir Dogs and Seven, and the one-sheet looks rather excellent (as you can see above).

It tells the story of a middle-aged detective (played by Mark Woodman) who has to investigate three homicides. Is he somehow involved in the murders? We’re guessing he probably is.

Anyway, this is probably our favourite piece from the Addictive TV Films channel. It’s called How To Make A Cuppa (Filmmaker Style).

Stay tuned to D+CFilm over the coming weeks to hear how James is getting on with Attention Focus.

Posted by Thin White Duke

If only Charley had said don’t go into a career in the media… oh well, they were more innocent times and if you want to recapture them pop along to Thelma Hulbert Gallery’s Charley Says, an exhibition of animated British Public Information films.

But despite all the hoopla for the golden oldies when stranger danger was all puppies, apples and fish (see below) you can get to grips with the modern spectres of road safety hedgehogs and the Recycle Now campaign.

There’s loads going on in this Animated Exeter show and it seems to be well worth a visit if only for a look-see of the 1970s-style living room.

The show runs until February 23.

Posted by Cptn

The organisers of Cornwall Film Festival’s annual Govynn Kernewek Award (hey, that’s easy for you to say) have set up a panel of advisers to encourage those who have great ideas, but lack filmmaking experience.

Three ideas will be shortlisted from the initial entries, and each of these applicants will receive £150 and expert advice to develop their concept.

In October the shortlisted applicants will be interviewed and the winning applicant will then be awarded £5,000 to make their film. It will receive its premiere a year later at Cornwall Film Festival 2009.

Oh, and the good news is, for once, you don’t have to be able to speak Cornish to enter. Kernewek experts are so keen to put the language in the public eye, they’ll help to translate your film into Cornish, and even coach your actors to perform in the language.

The title to inspire this year’s film is a Cornish wrestling motto (no, us neither) - ‘Gwari hweg yw gwari teg’, which translates as ‘fair play is good play’.

To get involved, send a one-page outline explaining your story or film idea, plus a CV, to Cornwall Film Festival, Krowji, West Park, Redruth, Cornwall TR15 3AJ, by March 31. For further information, call 01209 204655 or email info@cornwallfilmfestival.com

Posted by Thin White Duke

The rather lovely Aggie Film Club in St Agnes has been awarded £7,571 from the Lottery’s Awards For All programme.

The dosh will pay for loads of equipment, like a big screen, full projector and a kickin’ sound system. Innit.

The film club is one of nine Cornish organisations to benefit in the latest round of awards. A total of £419,248 is being given to 57 groups across the South West.

But that’s not all. The Aggie Film Club is also planning a year-long festival of features and shorts by local lensers and is encouraging youngsters to send in their work.

Stay tuned to D+CFilm over the coming weeks for more on the Aggie film festival.

Posted by Thin White Duke

Follow the main cinema links for dates, times and matinee screenings.
Follow the title links for movie details, friendship and maybe more.

PLYMOUTH ARTS CENTRE

I’m Not There (15) Click here to watch trailer 

In Memory Of Me (U) Click here to watch trailer

TAVISTOCK WHARF

The Golden Compass (12A) Click here to watch trailer  

DARTINGTON ARTS/THE BARN

Lust, Caution (18) Click here to watch trailer

Paranoid Park (15) Click here to watch trailer

Mr Magorium’s Wonder Emporium (U) Click here to watch trailer

Once (15) Click here to watch trailer

EXETER PICTUREHOUSE

Juno (12A) Click here to watch trailer

No Country For Old Men (15) Click here to watch trailer

Sweeney Todd (18) Click here to watch trailer

The Band’s Visit (12A) Click here to watch trailer

THE POLY, FALMOUTH 

Enchanted (PG) Click here to watch trailer

Paranoid Park (15) Click here to watch trailer

Bee Movie (U) Click here to watch trailer

Les Chansons d’Amour (15) Click here to watch trailer

If you want your local arthouse or cinema club featured in the Arthouse Roundup, send some details to info@dandcfilm.co.uk         

We were quite looking forward to Exeter Picturehouse’s There Will Be Blood/Daniel Day-Lewis Q&A screening, so are a bit miffed to hear it’s been cancelled.

Apparently the famously taciturn thesp, who’s actually been pretty unbiquitous and chatty of late, has an unforeseen and unavoidable family commitment and is no longer available to participate. Hey, perhaps there’s some urgent cobbling to be done…

The advance screening of There Will Be Blood will go ahead as planned, on Monday, February 11 at 6.45pm. If you’ve already bought tickets for the event, those kind Picturehouse peeps are inviting you to see the movie for free.

Simply call 0871 704 2068 and they’ll give you a refund plus free tickets to the screening.

Posted by Thin White Duke

Dressing Granite, which premiered at the Cornwall Film Festival last year, is being screened at Penzance’s Acorn Arts Centre tonight (that’s Thursday, clock watchers) at 8pm.

The film is the first feature from Wildwest Films, Bedrock Films and Cornwall Film, and tells the story of a stonemason struggling to preserve the family firm as his father becoming increasingly ill with Alzheimer’s disease. Cheery stuff.

Debbie Harvey will be signing the whole performance for those hard of hearing (y’know, a bit like Hollyoaks on a Sunday) and there’ll be a Q&A-type thingy with the filmmakers after the screening.

Tickets cost £5 (with a booking fee of £1) and are available on 01736 365520 or the Acorn Arts Centre website.

Posted by Thin White Duke

Mark Jenkin’s The Midnight Drives is to be screened for the UK bosses of the big US studios including Warner Bros and 20th Century Fox.

Produced by Truro-based production-types o-region, the flick was filmed on location in Cornwall last March and screened at the Cornwall Film Festival along with Dressing Granite (of which more later).

The film tells the tale of a divorced dad, whose fiery determination to enjoy the limited time he has with his brats leads to a strained week of damp accommodation, dodging the rain and ‘enjoying’ some rigidly-scheduled fun. That’d be where Cornwall comes in then.

Click here to watch the rather excellent trailer and tune into D+CFilm tomorrow for news about a screening of Dressing Granite in Penzance (told you we’d get round to it). 

Posted by Thin White Duke

Cuh, you can’t move for comedy festivals round these parts these days.

Still, it appears Dartmouth’s Flavel had the idea first, cos its second comedy festival kicks off today (that’s Wednesday) with Comedy Films: Then And Now, at 7pm.

Peter Richardson, festival patron and Torquay International Comedy Film Festival bigwig, will be presenting one of his earliest films, A Fistful of Travellers Cheques, along with the first screening of his latest comedy Call Mickey, which recounts the bizarre adventures of a black male escort. We’re laughing already. No, honestly.

Both films will be followed by a question and answer session with the writers and actors. Click below to watch a clip from …Travellers Cheques. 

Posted by Thin White Duke

Oh, it’s gonna end in tears… Yup, after seeing a picture of the eponymous Crystal Skull from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Etc, we are officially excited about the flick. No good can come of it, y’hear?!

Regular readers (hullo regular readers!) will remember us dissing the movie back in September, bemoaning the unwieldy title (since trumped by Quantum of Solace) and its barrel-chested leading man.

However, we’ve recently been dwelling on the plus side. You’ve got Shia LaBeouf and Cate Blanchett on board, along with cinematographer extraordinaire Janusz Kaminski and the bloke what arranged all the stunts for the Bourne franchise (Dan Bradley). Those are some pretty big plusses, aren’t they? Oh, and there’s that theme tune…

The clincher was the picture though. Anyone with a passing interest in Indiana Jones - heck, an interest in cinema history - should follow our link, check it out and get very excited indeed. It just seems to conjure up so many glorious possibilities, don’t you think?

Argh, why do we always do this to ourselves?! As we said, it can only end in tears… Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is out on May 22.

Posted by Thin White Duke

Oh, the pedagogic power of plasticine. If you’re a teacher and fancy getting into animation, and maybe even using it in your classroom (heaven forfend), then Let’s Dance is the 3-D animation event that’s right up your Ofsted gold star.

The course, which is suitable for beginners, takes place at Coombeshead College Art Department, Newton Abbot, on Thursday, February 21 from 9.30am to 3.30pm.

You get an introduction to stop-motion animation from Richard Marks and Sam Eyre, teaching notes, and a DVD of your masterpiece.

For more details contact Carol Buckley on 01626 201800 (during normal school hours) or email cbuckley@coombeshead.devon.sch.uk (you could probably risk outside school hours for this one).

The cost is £30 - don’t forget your packed lunch and He-Man stickers. Got… got… NEEEED!!

Posted by Cptn

We’ve been hearing some rumblings about Torquay’s International Comedy Film Festival. Yes, you did read that correctly and no, we couldn’t quite believe it, either.

You’d think that, what with comedy being so subjective, the festival organisers would run into trouble quite quickly, but there do seem to be a few biggish names attached to the thing (at least in a ‘hmm, sounds good but I’ll have to, um, check my diary’ kinda way).

Oscar-nominated DP and Coen brothers’ regular, Roger Deakins (born in Torquay) is apparently interested in getting involved, which should be a boon considering he had a hand in the likes of The Big Lebowski and The Hudsucker Proxy.

Also interested is London To Brighton director Paul Andrew Williams, whose family live in Torquay.

Williams might not be the first name you’d associate with a comedy festival, but we assume the organisers have an eye on his upcoming comedy/horror wheeze, The Cottage.

Definitely on-board for the event is comedian and writer Peter Richardson, who lives near Totnes and has agreed to be the festival patron.

He’s famous for the Comic Strip Presents TV series, but was more recently responsible for the execrable Churchill: The Hollywood Years, starring Christian Slater.

But let’s not carp, eh viewers? After all, the organisers are promising a platform for national and international comedy filmmakers to showcase their new work, while also bigging-up comedy film classics which can’t be bad.

The event is set to run from September 24 to 28. The English Riviera Tourist Board has put in a bid for funding from the UK Film Council and will be seeking additional dosh from South West Screen.

Seeing as though we were talking about Paul Andrew Williams, let’s have a little look at the trailer for The Cottage, due out next month.

Posted by Thin White Duke

The short step through the door of the Quay Brothers exhibition may seem the longest part of the journey to the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies of the University of Exeter, such is their creepy world of animation.

The show is part of Animated Exeter and you’ll be able to catch the twins talking about their work on Saturday February 16 at the Exeter Picturehouse at 6.30pm, and you can sample a short collection of their work on Sunday, February 17 at 5pm at the University of Exeter Cinema Society.

The islamic studies exhibition has sets from the brothers’ seriously adult animation films, which include The Cabinet of Jan Svankmajer and their acknowledged masterpiece (according to the blurb) Street of Crocodiles.

Here they are chatting with a few samples of their work. Whetted much?

Posted by Cptn