News

Explore the culture of death at an Exeter screening event

“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes,” said Ben Franklin in the off-broadway Hamilton (it was cut in the final version, inevitably). With something so universal, the experience of death in other cultures has hardly been the key subject-matter of film get-togethers.

Fort Box film, touching story of childhood, goes online

Prepare for lumpy throats and celebrations. Fort Box, Dom Lee’s touching story about childhood, has gone online after an extensive festival run.

Two Short Nights film festival celebrates local talent

There was a buzz throughout the Two Short Nights Film Festival in Exeter. And plans for a second screening of the local talent programme have already been made.

Independent cinema in Plymouth needs your support

The Plymouth Arts Centre screen was the only independent cinema in the biggest city in the South West. It closed at the start of December. But dry your eyes, there’s still work to be done! To help its phoenix-like rebirth at Plymouth College of Art they’ve set up a crowdfunder. And they need your help…

So good they screened it twice: local talent encore in Exeter

The local talent screening at the 17th annual Two Short Nights fest was so popular it’s getting a second screening.

Two Feet Tall: short film sets new high for modern fairy tales

As far as modern fairy tales go, the charming short Two Feet Tall sets new highs. It’s a tale that focuses entirely on feet but still manages to tell a story of deft emotion. Now the almost silent film will put its toe into the international market with its internet release. We spoke to director Andy Robinson about how to give direction to feet, puddle wrangling, and making a movie with soul [sorry!]

Secret cinema from Mark Gatiss at Scandi Dartington event

Secret Cinema is certainly that. We asked Mark Gatiss for a tantalising tidbit about his forthcoming hush-hush selection for Dartington’s Wonderland event.

Devon Star Wars model under fire from council

A Devon Star Wars model, peeking over the hedges by the side of the A38 near Ashburton, is coming under fire from a council attack. But there’s a petition to save it.

Transmission goes online after successful festival run

A premiere at the power film fest that is Fantasia in Montreal, followed by 90 other festival screenings world-wide, while picking up 12 awards, Transmission has had a pretty successful festival run. Now the film is going online to reach out to an even more worldly wide audience.

Give the love of cinema this Christmas with a special Picturehouse Gift

Christmas is around the corner – the perfect time to nestle in to your local cinema with family or friends for some yuletide joy.

Classic crime shines in 1950s pop-up cinema at Greenway

This December, a pop-up 1950s Christmas cinema is coming to Greenway, the holiday home of Agatha Christie now cared for by the National Trust.

Memory and nostalgia in BillyCock film as Cornish migrants to Spain have story told

BillyCock is a fascinating exploration into a much-forgotten Cornish diaspora, combining memory and belonging.

This Devon-based actor could be going to the Oscars, but first there’s Buried Alive, and he needs your help

Devon-based actor and film facilitator Julian Seager could be on his way to the Oscars with the short film Baghead. He just needs a little help for the route there.

From Devon to Mars: award-winning local filmmaker reaches a global audience with debut film

Braunton filmmaker, Nicholas Agnew’s debut feature film Seat 25 is released today [that’s Tuesday, November 6], following a string of awards at international film festivals and screenings at the world’s largest Mars conventions in the US.

One-off screening of hit modern musical Been So Long at Plymouth Arts Centre (plus director Q&A)

Been So Long, the neon soaked musical starring Michaela Coel and ArinzÃ© Kene, is calling into Plymouth Arts Centre for a special one-off screening followed by a Q&A.

Love, loss and grief | Grace Fox on her film Serpentine

Guilt and grief are central to Grace Fox’s film Serpentine set in a coastal community. We chatted about collaborative filmmaking, colour palettes and bagging top actors.

Get the feeling Satan is choreographing a diabolic dance into war? The Ballet of the Nations at Dartington

Film The Ballet of the Nations ‘begins with Satan and Ballet Master Death discussing how to reintroduce chaos into a complacent society’. And if chaos in society sounds familiar, it will shiver your timbers to find out it’s based on a satire from 1915.

Director Ben Wheatley heads to Exeter with Q&A tour of Happy New Year, Colin Burstead

Critically acclaimed film director Ben Wheatley will be hosting a Q&A and screening of his latest film at the Exeter’s Phoenix’s independent cinema. It will be the second time the director has appeared at Studio 74, after bringing his Q&A tour of Free Fire to the venue last year.

Foxes – Tristan Taylor shines a light on black mental health

Foxes, by Tristan Taylor, is a short film which shines ‘the spotlight on a topic that most feature films have barely scratched the surface on: Black mental health and the culture of toxic masculinity in Black men,’ says Kennedy Ward.

Eli, powerful short takes on big issues of immigration, identity and morality

The uncomfortable issues of immigration, identity and morality are taken on by Eli, a film by Colin Gerrard, which is part of the English Riviera Film Festival.

Sustainable organic lifestyle, or barbarism? Documentary The Grind Message asks questions of culture and heritage

Sustainable organic lifestyle, or barbarism? It’s a question documentary The Grind Message asks. The film is being screened at The English Riviera Film Festival.

The Grind Message deals with the hunting of pilot whales in the Faroe Islands. It’s a tradition which has been practiced for at least half a millennium.

Devon’s gruesome history inspires interactive Witch Trial game

The darkly mysterious and gruesome past of Devon has often inspired filmmakers. Now you can get up close and personal with that dark past in a new interactive quiz.

Kinofilm in Cornwall! Manchester film fest pops into The Poly

‘For more than 20 years Kinofilm has been celebrating the talents of emerging and established filmmakers,’ says the blurb of the Manchester-based film fest. Now the patrons at Falmouth’s Poly can enjoy them too! Kinofilm is coming on tour and popping into the Poly for two nights of top shorts.

Get your community film scheme going with On the Ground

Get your community film scheme up and running! Cinema For All is launching On the Ground, a new face-to-face support scheme providing regional advice and assistance to community cinemas in Devon and Cornwall.

Zombie-infested UK comes to Plymouth | Redcon-1 screenings plus Q&A

Zombies combined with students seems a heady mix, then add in a top notch director and team with some fresh talent and you’ve got a brew that will knock you for six. That’s exactly what director Chee Keong Cheung has done as his Redcon-1 zombie flick stomps into cinemas. Chee has been working with Plymouth College of Arts students. And Redcon-1 gets a couple of special screenings in Plymouth – one with an ace and informative Q&A.