Filmonik "Do well with nothing, do even better with a little, and do it now!"

Filmonik Kabaret 2012

2012-02-13T21:42:00.003Z

Presenting…

FILMONIK KABARET 2012

April 2nd – April 8th

A whole week of flat out, peddle-to-the-metal 24/7 filmmaking, where fortune favours the brave, the quick-witted and the fast-working, where only the strong survive and the crazy obsessives flourish. If you’ve always dreamed of making “that little movie”, if only you had the time / talent / equipment, now is your chance to watch that dream crash and burn, and see something else come stumbling from the ashes.

Part jam session, part creative boot-camp, the Kabaret offers access to equipment and talent, informal training for novices, an opportunity to network, forge creative partnerships, and above all to make films. Last year’s Kabaret spawned 52 short films in just seven days, from throwaway quickies to complex narrative dramas, from stop motion animations to experimental music videos. This year we want to beat that record, and we are looking for people ready to rise to that challenge; to put their inventiveness, ability to improvise and eye for an opportunity to the test, and above all to have fun with film.

Whatever your skill or interest, the Kabaret has something to offer. For Directors, it’s a chance to hook up with actors, writers, cameramen and editors, for cameramen, sound techs and editors, it’s a chance to hone your skills in a high-pressure environment, pair up with directors, and start working as part of a filmmaking team. For writers, it’s a chance to workshop ideas with actors and get that script on screen. For musicians and composers, it’s a chance to try your hand at scoring a film, or performing on camera. For actors, it’s an opportunity get invaluable experience working with different types of directors and an array of varying dramatic roles. For every participant, it’s an opportunity to build up material for your show reels. Taking part in Kabaret films often leads to future projects and work outside of Filmonik. But you only get out of it what you put in - so get involved and push your talents to the limits.

This is your chance to test your commitment to the medium you claim to love - to eat, drink, and breathe cinema. The only thing you won’t get to do is sleep.

Tickets are now available to purchase here.

Twitter hashtag for the event is #kabaret2012

Filmonik Open Screening #56

2011-12-14T18:34:00.003Z

Ah, Valentine’s Day! A time of year hated by couples and singles alike. The singles resent there being a special day to underline the fact that nobody likes them; the couples feel they should do something to celebrate their relationship but don’t really know what. This Fe...bruary, Filmonik offers an alternative to getting drunk on your own, or quarrelling with a loved one. Why not join us for a special screening in celebration of that most romantic of saints? Better yet, why not make a film?

If you’ve something to show, all you need to is contact us and book a slot, or just bring it along on the night. If you’re simply keen to see what’s happening in the world of low budget independent short film, then come on down. We’re not asking for hearts and flowers. We don’t want chocolates and sentimental cards. We just want your films! Join us for what may turn out to be a specially themed “Romance and Relationships” screening. Or maybe it won’t - the onus is on you the filmmakers!

Admission £3 (Free for screening filmmakers).

Filmonik Open Screening #55 - Gawd Bless Us Every One!

2011-10-31T09:49:00.024Z

Sunday December 11th, 7.30pm till Late, Joshua Brooks, 106 Princess Street Manchester M1 6NG, UK, admission £3 (Free for screening filmmakers)

Well, ding dong! Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat, Santa’s getting stressed out, and Filmonik is back! And we’ve a lovely new screening venue - the Joshua Brooks, on the corner of Princess Street and Charles Street. Why not take a break from the stress of shopping amid demented, desperate present-buyers and screaming, hyperactive kids and join us for a special festive Filmonik? We won’t we trying sell you shoddy, but “authentic” festive tat from inside a little wooden hut. We’ll be celebrating the winter solstice in style, with seasonal cinematic stock-fillers galore and probably a few drinks.

If you want to be a part of our next event, let us know. If you have work to screen, we want to hear about it. Just contact us and book a slot. Or simply bring it along on the night. If you’ve a film you want to make, start making it. If you’re simply keen to see what’s happening in the world of low budget independent short film, then come on down. We want full screens, and big audiences.

Filmonik Halloween "Gorilla" Micro Kabaret

2011-10-24T02:24:00.000+01:00

Halloween is coming; a time of ghosts, ghouls and things that go bump in the night. What better time for Filmonik to hold its first themed event - a special horror, Sci-Fi and fantasy "Gorilla" Micro Kabaret. Why not make those bad dreams of yours a reality? Join us for an exhilarating white knuckle ride of cinematic creation on the mean streets of Manchester and Salford!

The "Gorilla" Micro Kabaret is part creative jam session, part cinematic bootcamp: three whole days of flat out, peddle-to-the-metal 24/7 guerrilla filmmaking; a chance for filmmakers, writers, actors, musicians, artists and creatives of all types to come together in a spirit of creative collaboration, to put their inventiveness, ability to improvise and eye for an opportunity to the test, and to have fun with film.

Whatever your skill or interest, the Micro Kabaret has something to offer. For Directors, it’s a chance to hook up with actors, writers, cameramen and editors, for cameramen, sound techs and editors, it’s a chance to hone your skills in a high-pressure environment, pair up with directors, and start working as part of a filmmaking team. For writers, it’s a chance to workshop ideas with actors and get that script on screen. For musicians and composers, it’s a chance to try your hand at scoring a film, or performing on camera. For actors, it’s an opportunity to improvise and workshop characters and gain invaluable experience working with different types of directors and an array of varying dramatic roles. For every participant, it’s an opportunity to build up material for your show reels, to collaborate with new people, and network. Taking part in Mini-Kabaret films often leads to future projects and work outside of Filmonik. But you only get out of it what you put in - so get involved and push your talents to the max!

Launch Night

Thursday, 27 October, 7pm - 9.30pm

Mad Lab, 36-40 Edge St, Manchester, M4 1HN.

Screening

Sunday, 30 October, 7pm - 11.30pm

Kraak Gallery, 11 Stevenson Square, Manchester, M1 1DB.

Admission £4 (£3 concession for screening filmmakers)

THIS EVENT IS ONLY OPEN TO PEOPLE AGED 18 AND OVER.

Twitter hashtag for the event is #HalloweenKabaret2011

Any questions, please email info@filmonik.com.

Filmonik Halloween Mini-Kabaret 2011

2011-10-23T23:36:00.000+01:00

Due to circumstances beyond our control it is with deep regret that the organisers of the Filmonik Halloween Mini-Kabaret have taken the decision to cancel the event, planned for the 28th - 30th October 2011.The studio we were planning to use as our Kabaret “film lab” has problems with the power supply. These cannot be resolved in time for the event, and we have been unable to secure a suitable replacement. This coupled with the various other logistical issues of moving venue at this late stage, means that we have had to make a very difficult decision. We always want to provide the best we can for all participants of the Kaberet and we feel this would not be the case if we went ahead with the event as planned.However, we do not like to let people down in this way, and so we are replacing the advertised event with a three-day guerrilla kabaret, leading up to the screening on Sunday 30th at Kraak Gallery. There will be very little kit, beyond that which we can scrounge and pool among ourselves, and no 24-hour lab space - though we’re still working on a meeting place that we can have for at least some of the time. But the talent would still be there, and we’ll be thrown back on our creativity and ability to improvise - which is what Kabaret is really all about. The initial launch night for the Gorilla Halloween Kabaret will be at MadLab on Thursday 27th October at 7pm. It is here we will be announcing the kabaret meeting point.We will not of course be charging to take part in this, beyond price of admission on the Sunday to pay for venue hire. Those of you who registered and paid in advance, please rest assured you will receive a FULL refund of your entry fee shortly.The organising team will now turn their attention to planning the next screening which will take place on December 11th at Joshua Brooks and indeed the next Full Kabaret early next year. We are utterly devastated to be bringing you this news and hope that we can still count on your continued support for future Filmonik events.

Filmonik Open Screening #54 - featuring The Return of the "Gorilla" Micro Kabaret!

2011-08-01T16:35:00.004+01:00

Micro Kabaret: Saturday 13th - Sunday 14th August.

Screening: Sunday August 14th, 7.30pm till Late, Deaf Institute, Grosvenor Street, Manchester

At Filmonik, we’re well acquainted with the slogan, "do well with nothing, do even better with a little and do it right now!" It’s the credo of the Filmonik Kabaret, where creativity, skill, passion and commitment are pushed to the limit and sheer love of filmmaking wins the day. And yet… during Kabaret we are blessed with some of life’s little luxuries - equipment, a work space and a modicum of time.

This time last year, fearing that we might all be getting soft and taking it a little too easy, we decided to up the ante, and launched The Gorillas in The Mist Micro Kabaret. And we’ve decided to bring it back for 2011.

The Concept:

Filmonik’s next open screening is at Deaf Institute from 8pm Sunday August 14th. You have from 10am Saturday August 13th to make a film for that screening. That’s just 34 hours. We have nothing to offer you to aid you in your mission. Simply bring along the equipment, skills, talent and knowledge you have at your disposal and be willing to share and collaborate to create something remarkable. You’ve proved what you’re capable of achieving "with a little..." Now’s the time to show what you can do with nothing.

The Rules:

We will be arranging a “pitching session” at 10am on Saturday 13th of August at an informal meeting place (Location TBC). Here introductions will be made, weapons revealed (skills, cameras, computers, lighting, props, ideas etc), and collaborations forged. This meeting will last hopefully no more than one hour. Then, meeting over, we go forth and make some scorching hot films in true Kabaret style, with exactly what we have at our fingertips.

Every film must arrive at the screening by 8pm.
Every film must contain the credit "Gorilla Kabaret # 2, Filmonik Screening #54".
Don't forget your hat!
Dressing gowns are optional!
NOTE: We will of course still be accepting films in the usual fashion from those who have not been part of the Gorilla Kabaret. Just bring your film along and pop it in the bag!

Filmonik Kabaret 2011 - Review

2011-04-26T01:30:00.002+01:00

The films have all been made, and screened, the lab has been de-rigged, the chairs and tables are packed away, the equipment has all been returned to its rightful owners, and we can finally pause to reflect. And we’re really pleased with how it went.

It was a week of high drama and low comedy, of crises resolved and challenges met and overcome. Everything that could have happened did. There were tech failures, location issues, projects delayed or rendered problematic by nothing more than their own daring ambition.

And we made Fifty-two films in seven days. Yep. Fifty-two films written, cast, shot, cut, scored, and screened within the space of a week. In the enclosed environment of the film lab, with the clock ticking away, our intrepid band of writers, actors, DOPs, sound techs and sound designers, directors, composers, musicians, animators, graphic designers, production managers, technicians, and random eccentrics bonded together over beer, caffeine and junk food, and proved just what is possible when their creativity is put to the test.

We had people turn up with solid ideas and concrete plans for what they wanted to do, and others who were happy to just improvise from scratch. We had films inspired by a silly prop or a found object, films spawned by an observed incident or an unlikely coincidence. We were serious about our craft, and we had fun with it.
And the screenings were a blast. We had everything from throwaway 30 second jokes to intense 10 minute dramas, and all of them were films to be proud of.

We’d like to thank the BBC Club and The Deaf Institute for being such lovely screening venues, Creative Industries In Salford, Let’s Go Global, and Arri for tech support, and all of the guys at the wonderful Kraak Studios, our base of operations for the week, who provided us with the perfect Lab space, and embraced the 24/7 lunacy of Kabaret with gusto. We could not have done this without your support. Above all, we’d like to thank those who took part and made this the best Kabaret yet.

This has set the bar very high for whatever we do next. We plan to rise to the challenge.

Watch this space.

Filmonik Kabaret 2011

2011-02-28T22:03:00.001Z

We hope you’ve been taking your vitamins in readiness for our annual marathon of flat out, peddle-to-the-metal 24 hour filmmaking. We are looking for directors, writers, actors, animators musicians, cameramen, lighting and sound people, creatives of all types who are up for a challenge and want to push themselves to the limit.

Part creative boot-camp, part extended jam session, the 2010 Kabaret attracted filmmakers, actors, and musicians, from Germany, Mexico, Spain, the USA and Egypt, as well as from all around the UK; all of whom wanted to subject themselves to insane deadlines in a confined workspace. All of whom believe that nothing is a greater spur to creativity than this kind of stress. There were technical difficulties, tantrums, sleepless nights, and lots of jokes in dubious taste. And over the space of nine days, this strange hot-house atmosphere spawned over fifty short films, forged numerous new creative partnerships and collaborations, inspired several people to make their very first films, and several more to experiment in new genres and styles. Nobody who took part is ever going to forget it, though some may wish to!

For our 2011 Kabaret, we aim to push ourselves even harder. It is going to be a monster. Dates to be confirmed very soon. But for now let’s just say that you should start looking at your diaries for April…

Filmonik Open Screening #52 - Love is in the Air!

2011-02-01T22:04:00.002Z

Sunday 13th February
The Deaf Institute
7.30pm till late!
Admission £4

A reminder that our next screening will be a Valentine’s Day Special.

This year, we’re celebrating it early so you can spend Valentine’s Day itself getting drunk on your lonesome, or quarrelling with a loved one, so there’s no excuse not to be there. Why not join us for a special screening in celebration of that most romantic of saints? Better yet, why not make a film? This is an ideal opportunity to pick up a camera and make a statement about love, romance, relationships - or bloody gangland massacres!

If you want to be a part of our next event, let us know. If you have work to screen, we want to hear about it. If you’re simply keen to see what’s happening in the world of low budget independent short film, then come along and make a date of it. We’re not asking for hearts and flowers. We don’t want chocolates and sentimental cards. We just want your films!

To book a screening slot or for more information, email info@filmonik.com.

Filmonik Open Screening #51 - Review

2010-12-30T22:04:00.002Z

We hope you all had a very Merry Xmas or whatever other religious or non-denominational end of year blow-out you chose to indulge in. We certainly did. So much so, in fact that it’s taken us nearly a month to piece together what happened. There was certainly a screening on December 12th. Everything after that is a little… blurry.

So, Filmonik’s festive season began with a bang, as acclaimed animator Linda McCarthy made her Filmonik debut, offering our audience a troubling glimpse of A TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS AT SMALL BIRDS SINGING, and reminding us all that some festive traditions are unusual to say the least. Next up, Filmonik love god Tim Limon provided took us all to THE EDGE OF HEAVEN in his latest music video pastiche. Tim couldn’t be with us, due to illness, but we waived the rules because he’s so damn sexy. Around this point, Mat Johns offered us a vision of Ken Loach produced by George Lucas in the outrageous A PRESENT FORCEFULLY GIVEN, while Filmonik’s resident Scrooge Steve Balshaw offered a seasonal short for the suicidal in pitch-black comedy DEAR SANTA…

After a short break, there was a musical interlude, as Kate Mellors performed a stunning live accompaniment to her experimental piece FIFTEEN METRES APART which brought the house down. Still in experimental vein, Filmonik newcomers the Stanners Brothers took us on a musical voyage with SHIRES. Then it was down to James Twyman to bring us back to narrative filmmaking with a bang with the gritty THE BREAK-UP.

Christmas being a time for conspicuous food consumption, Ben Mottershead responded to our call for season movies with DINNER - a darkly comic exploration of the lengths hunger can drive us to. No hamsters were injured during the making of this film. Hopefully. This was followed by a film by our unexpected guest star, the ever-awesome Till Maria Schneider, who flew over specially from Hamburg to buy crumpets, and screen his film NUCLEAR WINTER, an essential guide to how to survive an invasion by the notorious alien entity Keith Landberger and his evil clone army. Clearly the German notion of a festive film is different to ours… No matter, at this point it was time for a song, or at least a music video, from Chris Lane, whose protagonist probably spoke for us all: I DON’T WANNA WAIT TILL CHRISTMAS!

To round off the evening, we ran a few highlights, low points and random bits of silliness from the recent Salford Film Festival Mini-Kabaret, after which, it was thank you and goodnight.

Until the next time, that is…

Filmonik Open Screening #51 - Ding-Dong Merrily!

2010-12-01T22:05:00.000Z

Sunday December 12th, 7.30pm till Late.
Deaf Institute, Grosvenor Street, Manchester, UK.
Admission £4 (£3 concession for screening filmmakers)

It’s KEERRRRISTMASSSS! Well, nearly. Why not take a break from the stress of shopping amid frenzied present-buyers and screaming, hyperactive kids and join us for a special festive Filmonik? We’ll be celebrating the winter solstice in style, with seasonal cinematic stock-fillers galore, and maybe a chance to meet our very own Dirty Santa and tell him what you want for Xmas. Just be careful what you wish for!

Filmonik is the North West’s premier “open screening” night for filmmakers, offering a warm welcome and a censure-free public platform to all filmmakers, be they Industry Professionals, self-styled Media Guerrillas, or relative novices still finding their creative voice. Films are not pre-selected, but simply booked in, and screened, sight unseen. Anyone is free to submit. Anyone is welcome to attend. This is a place to try out new ideas, and unlikely creative collaborations, to network and discover like-minded talent. This is your chance to have fun with film and not get arrested for it.

If you’ve something to show, all you need to is contact us and book a slot, or just bring it along on the night. If you’re simply keen to see what’s happening in the world of low budget independent short film, then come on down. We want full houses and enthusiastic audiences!

Filmonik/Salford Film Fest Mini Kabaret

2010-09-01T22:05:00.000+01:00

Thursday November 4th - Sunday November 7th
Film lab location TBA
Final screening at Salford Arts Theatre, Sunday November 7th, 7.30pm

Not so much an “Open Mic”, as an “Open Screen”, Filmonik offers a censure-free public platform to all filmmakers, be they Industry Professionals, self-styled Media Guerrillas, or relative novices still finding their creative voice.

The Kabaret is part jam session, part boot camp; a 24/7 creative hothouse. Those who took part in the Manchester Kabaret earlier this year are bonded forever in blood and celluloid. And now it’s time for the follow-up. The Salford Mini-Kabaret will be kick-starting this year’s Salford Film Festival with more peddle-to-the metal filmmaking frenzy.

Directors, animators, actors, editors, musicians, sound designers and general enthusiasts from around the globe will be descending on Salford with cameras, equipment and bright ideas to create new work that must be completed and screened during the time of the Kabaret. If you’ve always dreamed of making “that little movie”, if only you had the time / talent / equipment, now is your chance to watch that dream crash and burn, and see something else come stumbling from the ashes.

We’ll provide the workspace and screening venue. All you need to do is write, shoot, edit, and screen your film. In a 4 days. You’ll never have another opportunity like it.

There’ll be limited access to equipment but unlimited access to talent, a little basic training for novices and opportunities galore for creative collaboration. We’ll even have a few spare script ideas available for people who don’t like to set off without a road map. All we require is your commitment, your enthusiasm and most of all your passion…

The price of the whole event including the screening is £10 (so £2.50 per day) which includes some basic food, a little beer and what ever equipment we can muster from our magical Filmonik hats (and by the way, wearing a hat is an essential part of Kabaret… you may also want to bring a dressing gown for the duration…)

Check out the Facebook page on - http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=160838903937029

Filmonik Open Screening #49 - featuring The “Gorilla” Micro Kabaret!

2010-06-02T22:06:00.002+01:00

At Filmonik, we’re well acquainted with the slogan, "do well with nothing, do even better with a little and do it right now!" It’s the credo of the Filmonik Kabaret, where creativity, skill, passion and commitment are pushed to the limit and sheer love of filmmaking wins the day. And yet… during Kabaret we are blessed with some of life’s little luxuries - equipment, a work space and a modicum of time. Fearing that we might all be getting soft and taking it a little too easy, we’ve decided to up the ante. We’re proposing a new game…

The Gorilla Micro Kabaret!

The Concept:
Filmonik’s next open screening is at Deaf Institute from 8pm Sunday August 8th. You have from 10am Saturday August 7th to make a film for that screening. That’s just 34 hours. We have nothing to offer you to aid you in your mission. Simply bring along the equipment, skills, talent and knowledge you have at your disposal and be willing to share and collaborate to create something remarkable. You’ve proved what you’re capable of achieving "with a little..." Now’s the time to show what you can do with nothing.

The Rules:
We will be arranging a “pitching session” at 10am on Saturday 7th of August at an informal meeting place (Location TBC). Here introductions will be made, weapons revealed (skills, cameras, computers, lighting, props, ideas etc), and collaborations forged. This meeting will last hopefully no more than one hour.
Then, meeting over, we go forth and make some scorching hot films in true Kabaret style, with exactly what we have at our fingertips.

Every film must arrive at the screening by 8pm.
Every film must contain the credit "Gorilla Kabaret # 1, Filmonik Screening #49".
Don't forget your hat!
Dressing gowns are optional!

NOTE: We will of course still be accepting films in the usual fashion from those who have not been part of the Gorilla Kabaret. Just bring your film along and pop it in the bag!

Micro Kabaret:
Saturday 7th - Sunday 8th August.
Screening: Sunday August 8th, 7.30pm till Late, Deaf Institute, Grosvenor Street, Manchester

RIP Chris Sievey

2010-06-01T22:06:00.001+01:00

We remember our friend Chris Sievy, aka Frank Sidebottom - a true Manchester Legend - who died on Monday. Chris was a great friend of Filmonik, performing as Frank at our big 'Best-of' screening back in 2007, and screening some of his shorts in the early years. He's also - and not many people know this - the inventor of the name 'Filmonik', sprung from an impromptu riffing on the words 'Film' (backwards) and 'Kino' in one of his many moments of Genius. Rest in Peace, Chris.

The Mystery of Filmonik Solved at Last

2010-03-01T22:06:00.001Z

Filmonik Awareness Night, MadLab, 44 Edge Street, Monday March 22nd, 6.30 - 8.30.

FILMONIK KABARET 2010 IS COMING IN APRIL! Over a week of flat out, peddle-to-the-metal 24/7 filmmaking, where fortune favours the brave, the quick-witted and the fast-working, where only the strong survive and the crazy obsessives flourish. If you’ve always dreamed of making “that little movie”, if only you had the time / talent / equipment, now is your chance to watch that dream crash and burn, and see something else come stumbling from the ashes.

But BEFORE then, we’re having a special “Filmonik Awareness Night” at MadLab. This is your chance to find out for yourselves who we are and what we are about; to see work from previous screenings, and in particular work produced during previous Kabarets. It is a chance to register an interest and get involved; to show your support for the region’s independent film scene.

The event is free, but we will be taking donations for the beer and any nibbles provided. Any money taken will go towards funding the Kabaret. Remember, this is all about pooling resources: Filmonik does well with nothing, but it will do better with something!

Filmonik Open Screening #47 - Valentine's Day Special

2010-02-01T22:09:00.001Z

Ah, Valentine’s Day! A time of year hated by couples and singles alike. The singles resent there being a special day to underline the fact that nobody likes them; the couples feel like they should do something to celebrate their relationship but don’t really know what. This February, Filmonik offers an alternative to getting drunk on your own, or quarrelling with a loved one. Why not join us for a special screening in celebration of the most romantic of saints? Better yet, why not make a film? This is an ideal opportunity to pick up a camera and make a statement about love, romance, relationships - or bloody gangland massacres!

Filmonik offers a censure-free public platform to all filmmakers, be they Industry Professionals, self-styled Media Guerrillas, or relative novices still finding their creative voice. Films are not pre-selected, but simply booked in, and screened, sight unseen. Anyone is free to submit. Anyone is welcome to attend. This is a place to try out new ideas, and unlikely creative collaborations, to network and discover like-minded talent. This is your chance to have fun with film and not get arrested for it.

If you want to be a part of our next event, let us know. If you have work to screen, we want to hear about it. If you’ve a film you want to make, start making it. If you’ve something to show, all you need to is contact us and book a slot. If you’re simply keen to see what’s happening in the world of low budget independent short film, then come on down. We’re not asking for hearts and flowers. We don’t want chocolates and sentimental cards. We just want your films! Join us for what may turn out to be a specially themed "Romance and Relationships" screening. Or maybe it won’t - the onus is on you the filmmakers!

Filmonik Open Screening #46 - Review

2009-12-01T22:10:00.003Z

Never let it be said that we make it easy for ourselves.

It's a freezing cold Sunday night, two weeks before Xmas and we have decided that this is an ideal time to launch Filmonik 2.1. Last screening of the year, and we're in a new venue, on a different Sunday in the month. We're competing with festive parties, seasonal get-togethers, miserable weather, and Sports Personality of the Year and the X-Factor Final on the TV. And to cover costs we've even had to put the price up.

As of 4.30 that afternoon, we had only 4 films confirmed, with a total running time of 25 minutes. So you could say that we were a little... twitchy beforehand.

But as ever, the lure of that open screen proved too strong for the region's filmmakers to resist, and our first screening at the Deaf Institute was something of a corker. There's a bigger screen, banked seating, a mezzanine - and our motor-mouthed mic queen Maria Ruban now has her very own stage to patronise the audience from. With the unflappable Mark Haig as ever on tech, ably assisted by the Deaf Institute sound man, Sean, we had ourselves another damn fine show.

It went a little like this:

First up, Filmonik Newcomer Kate Mellor, with a stunning, mixed-media experimental animation, PAYBACK TIME, first of two specially-edited sections from a longer piece, I WILL SETTLE IN MY STOMACH, I WILL SETTLE IN MY MOUTH. Then Mat Johns bombarded our delicate sensibilities with a re-cut of his recent Kabaret Klassic KISS, a sensitive romantic movie for psychos. Next up, Ben Edmundson, with the just-completed STRANGEWAYS, featuring a breathless chase through the streets of Manchester, superpowers of some kind and a naked lady. Finally, in the first section, another Filmonik Newbie, Giles Gough, who may not receive much of a welcome in the valleys after the scabrous "Welsh" comedy LLANDANIELFARCE.

Break for drinks, then more from Mat Johns, in the form of a heartfelt musical Birthday tribute to Filmonik lighting Maestro Tim Limon. Aw! How sweet. We'd a forfeit Film (and Xmas wishes) from Steve Homocult and partner in crime Mike, with DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY - featuring scary machete-wielding potty-mouthed hoodies - and what could be more festive than that? Next up, a truly bizarre moment of synchronicity, as Maria's boasting about her new dress, bought on a recent trip to Paris, was followed by a film from an authentic bone fide Frenchman, Jeremy Richard, whose stunning stop-motion animation DOLEUR managed to tell a heart-rending tale of alienation and suicidal despair using LEGO! Maria thought he was putting the accent on at first! Finally in section two, Kate Mellor returned, with a second, very different excerpt from her work in progress, the esoteric, unnervingly voyeuristic CHOKE.

Not a dry eye in the house, as Epic McDave Abbott screened what may well be his last ever Filmonik film, before he relocates to Hamburg in the New Year. Having spent much of the year providing music for others, he bid farewell with a music-based film of his own, GERIEZT, our second film of the evening exploring the geography of the city. McDave has been a Filmonik stalwart since the March Kabaret, and he and his hat fixation will be sorely missed. He will however be back, he promises, with his hat, for the next Kabaret. Next up, MYSTERIES, a silent line animation from Jason Vaughan who sadly had to leave before the screening. It was, he says, inspired by his dreams. Which appear to be considerably weirder and more interesting than most peoples’ by the looks of it. Then we’d WASTED STORY, a revealing glimpse into what director Jenny Hughes described as a long held fantasy - to dance through Manchester city centre to Elmer Bernstein’s score for West Side Story. Apparently it‘s Maria‘s fantasy as well, which explains a lot. A second Kaberet film revisited next, and our second film from Ben Edmundson, a director’s cut of the gritty, but punningly titled RUSKY BUSINESS. That looked like being that, but Col Warhurst suddenly produced a trailer for the forthcoming lavatory-based short BOG STANDARD, which he is promising for the next screening in February. There’s reason enough right there to write the date in your diaries:

FILMONIK #47: SUNDAY FEBRUARY 14 th 2009, the Deaf Institute.

What do you mean "that's Valentine's Day"???

We're not asking for hearts and flowers people. We don't want chocolates and sentimental cards. We just want your films! Join us for what may turn out to be a specially themed "Romance and Relationships" screening. Or maybe it won't - the onus is on you the filmmakers!

For now, though, have a happy Festive Season, and we'll see you in the New Year!he Filmonik Team

Filmonik Open Screening #45 - Review

2009-10-02T22:10:00.003+01:00

After a nail-biting week during which we were wondering if we’d have enough new work to show, we actually found ourselves faced with a Filmonik First - more films than we knew what to do with, thanks to our loyal crew of filmmaking fiends. So before we give you the run-down we’d like to apologise to Rich Howe, who went to all the trouble of shooting a forfeit film, only to have it not find a slot, and to the Greek couple who brought a film down on spec, just in case we could find a slot. We hope you’ll be back, folks.

For now, though, this is what did find its way on to Odder’s twin screens.

First up, two films from Tuce Zingenkenet, made for Kabarets in Hamburg and Berlin, and very different in tone. The first, CLOSER, a contemplative mood piece, with a blink and you’ll miss it cameo from Filmonik’s resident Jesus lookalike muso McDave Abbott, the second JACKPOT a violent chase movie with an unhinged lead turn from our own Rick Hollingworth.

Next up Mark Ashmore unleashed THIS IS NOT A RIOT! - an expose of the police’s increasingly heavy-handed treatment of political demonstrators, shot guerrilla-style at the G20 Climate Camp, and probably legally show-able nowhere else than Filmonik in the current political climate!

Finally laconic Filmonik veteran Mark Harris turned in an unnerving experimental micro-short dealing with animal cruelty and the sexualisation of violence. We think. As ever, Mark likes the work to speak for itself.

A short break, and then we had a star guest, albeit an unassuming one. Matt Greenhalgh, writer of Anton Corbejn’s Joy Division movie Control and the forthcoming Sam Taylor-Wood movie Nature Boy about John Lennon, wanted to test a rough cut of his directorial debut ACID BURN, starring Agyness Deyn. But he didn’t want to make a fuss about it. Just wanted some honest feedback. He found himself with a forfeit due to the lack of a logo, and has promised he will make it - and screen it along with the final cut of the film at a later date! We’re looking forward to it.

Steve of the mysterious Homocult was next up, with a forfeit film. We asked him to follow the lyrical ode to Hulme he screened at Filmonik #44 with a similar hymn to Didsbury, and Steve gamely obliged. Judging from the full-on, confrontational imagery he associates with the place, however, we suspect Didsbury is somewhere he doesn’t like very much! Finally in this section a film from a Filmonik Newbie, John Buckley, who just turned up on the night with his documentary WHAT MAKES LUKE TIC? This is what we like to see - new blood. Hope to see you again, John.

During the break, Col Warhurst texted us from across the road to tell us he was still editing a music video and would rush it across as soon as it was finished. Talk about cutting it fine. Made for a little tension in the final section. First up however, Kate Lyons, who runs Odder’s film night Mini Cine screened her latest film, which featured a monkey smoking and eating chips. In Blackpool. Next up Liam Shanagher gave us the evening’s longest film, GORDON BENNETT, a witty Alan Bennett-style Talking Head piece about a camp, prissy, mother-dominated middle aged man’s attempts to find companionship. And somewhere during all of this Col rushed in with his music video, which gave us a suitable conclusion to the evening’s cinematic activities.

So that’s it for another month. Next up, the KABARET at Salford (see below), then we’ll have some Big News about December. Watch This Space!

Filmonik Kabaret 2010 - At Salford Film Festival!

2009-10-01T22:10:00.004+01:00

Thursday 12th – Sunday 15th November (Venue TBA).

To energise the local filmmaking community and to kick off this year’s Salford Film Festival in grand style, Filmonik will be presenting a 4-day pre-festival filmmaking extravaganza out and about on the streets of Salford.

Not so much an “Open Mic”, as an “Open Screen”, Filmonik offers a censure-free public platform to all filmmakers, be they Industry Professionals, self-styled Media Guerrillas, or relative novices still finding their creative voice.

The Kabaret is Filmonik’s boot camp. Filmmakers and creatives from around the world will be descending on Salford with cameras, equipment and bright ideas to create new work that must be completed and screened during the Kabaret week. If you’ve always dreamed of making “that little movie”, if only you had the time / talent / equipment, now is your chance to watch that dream crash and burn, and see something else come stumbling from the ashes. We’ll provide the workspace and screening venue. All you need to do is write, shoot, edit, and screen your film. In only FOUR DAYS! You’ll never have another opportunity like it. Flat out, peddle-to-the-metal 24/7 filmmaking, where fortune favours the brave, the quick-witted and the fast-working, where only the strong survive and the crazy obsessives flourish. This is the chance to get really involved, to eat, drink, and breathe cinema. The only thing you won’t get to do is sleep. There’ll be access to equipment and talent, a little basic training for novices, opportunities galore for creative collaboration. We’ll even have a few spare script ideas available for people who don’t like to set off without a road map. All we require is your commitment…

Please note, participation in the Kabaret will cost £10. This will cover access to film lab, equipment, tech support, screening, and basic food provisions.

Watch this space for more info.

Filmonik Open Screening #44 - Review

2009-08-01T22:11:00.003+01:00

Well, we must admit, we were a little worried for a while. As of Friday, we had maybe 4 films confirmed, and a couple of possible who had postponed screening until next time around. But of course we reckoned without our loyal filmmakers, and the lure of an open mic.

So it was, that once again, by Sunday, we found ourselves with a packed programme of films, from old friends and Filmonik Newbies alike. As ever, motor-mouth Maria Ruban rocked the mic as our hostess with the mostest, the unsinkable Mark Haig was our tech maestro, and the rest of the Filmonik posse sat around drinking and biting their nails, wondering what was coming up next.

The show went something like this:

First up, we had a filmonik forfeit from Meshach Brencher, who made his debut at the last screening, and this month returned to unleash Simon Cowell the Gangster - a harrowing concept if ever there was one. This was followed by a Filmonik debut for Paul Blackburn, with “Speedhead”, a slice of comic urban realist performance poetry set to a dub beat exploring the thrills, spills, and of certain illicit mood enhancers.

Next up, Paul McDonahue explored Salford Superheroics and a legacy of abuse in “Kid Dangerous”, which seemed a little familiar - pretty certain this wasn’t the film’s premiere, but we’ll let you off, because you remembered to include the Filmonik Logo at the end.

After a break for serious drinking, Tim Limon gave a demonstration of what happens when he’s entrusted to shoot a wedding video for friends, in “Perfect Day”. He also earned himself a forfeit for omitting the logo - next time around, we want a video to accompany a Limahl song.

Next, McDave “Do You Want Music For That?” Abbott turned his hand away from composing to filmmaking, with his debut piece “Clark Without The E” which illustrated the kind of stress an incessantly chattering co-worker can cause to even the most mild-mannered of men.

Another Filmonik debut, next, for Angel Delgado, from Spain, who offered a Paul Verhoeven style take on the old “Waiter, there’s a fly in my soup!” joke. Don’t say that too loud, or they’ll all want one. Never get tired of that .

Next up, “The Pass”: something of a departure for Filmonik’s resident graphics maestro and web designer Gareth Crook. A wry live action horror movie, with shades of “The Wicker Man”. Anyone who has ever driven along the road featured in the film will be all too ready to believe what happens.

More drinks, and then the return of another old friend, Mark Harris, who screened two experimental films made with his bearded sidekick Steve - the abstract and pyrotechnic “The Garden”, and "Hulme", an exploration of the old Hulme, before the developers showed up to gentrify everything and remove all the character along with the decaying concrete. Steve particularly asked to be given a forfeit, and so he was - we want a follow-up film about Didsbury. Be interesting to see what he comes up with for that.

Next up a break in the proceedings, as a mysterious horse-headed figure stormed the stage to object to his / its depiction in “The Pass”, and to offer as evidence some footage of the filmmakers at work. The equine agitator clearly had a point - for shame, Gareth, exploiting good natured rural weirdos like that!

To close, our second European film of the night - a classic from the last Kabaret, Marie Loos’ enigmatic “The Stranger”, in a brand-new cut.

In the end, the worry was for nothing, but it’s all part of the fun. This was another white-knuckle evening of unpredictable cinematic treats at the region’s only true “open mic” for filmmakers.

We’ll be back on October 4th, same time, same place. You’ve got two months, filmmakers. This is not the time to rest on your laurels. Get filming. The screen awaits you.

Filmonik on the BBC BIG SCREEN!

2009-07-01T22:11:00.001+01:00

Who says there’s nothing on the telly during the Summer? This week, Filmonik takes over The Big Screen in Manchester’s Exchange Square, with a selection of our more family friendly films - this is, after all, a public space, and violence and cuss-words would be frowned upon. What did the BBC deem suitable for screening? Why not come along and take a look! Screening Times as follows:

Saturday July 25th
10am - 11am, 5.50pm - 6.50pm, 9.50pm - 10.50pm
Sunday July 26th
9am - 10am, 11am - 12pm, 7pm - 8pm, 9pm - 10pm
Monday July 27th
9am - 10am, 11am - 12pm, 1.45pm - 2.45pm, 4pm - 5pm, 10.35pm - 11.35pm
Tuesday July 28th
9am - 10am, 11am - 12pm, 2.30pm - 3.30pm, 5pm - 6pm, 9pm - 10pm, 10.35pm - 11.35pm
Wednesday July 29th
9am - 10am, 11am - 12pm, 2.30pm - 3.30pm, 4pm - 5pm, 10.45pm - 11.45pm
Thursday July 30th
9am - 10am, 11am - 12pm, 9pm - 10pm, 10.35pm - 11.35pm
Friday July 31st
9am - 10am, 11am - 12pm, 10.35pm - 11.35pm

We want that square to be filled with film fans all day every day!

Hope to see you there!

Filmonik Open Screening #43 - Review

2009-06-01T22:12:00.003+01:00

Well, clearly not everyone in Manchester and Salford went to see Oasis on June 7th… Filmonik’s host venue, Odder, was rammed to the very doors by filmonikers old and new in search of the latest in independent short film from the region. The packed venue had an equally packed programme, as Filmonik #42 saw the return of some old friends and a whole lot of new faces. As ever, motor-mouth Maria Ruban rocked the mic as our hostess with the mostest, the unsinkable Mark Haig was our tech maestro, and the cinematic roll-call will soon enter into local legend…

First up, Filmonik newbie Roger Barker provided a darkly funny study of an uncomfortable reunion between a babysitter and his former charges in A QUIET NIGHT IN. Sometimes the past isn’t somewhere you’d want to revisit!

Next up, our old friend Tant Lay returned to the Filmonik Fold with SHELDON’S STORIES, a mischievous and unpredictable exploration of cinematic storytelling technique through the eyes of a psychopathically unreliable narrator.

Another long-time Filmonik Associate, Andy Birtwell, offered an object lesson in high-risk, seat of the pants, white-knuckle guerrilla filmmaking with TYRED, actually shot on his mobile phone while he was driving on a motorway. Hope there are no traffic cops reading this…

After a short break, spent mostly at the bar, it was time to MEET CHLOE AND DAVE, interviewees who reveal rather more than they realise, in a Mike Leigh style character comedy directed written and performed by Filmonik first-timers Anna Denise Whelan & David Tynan.

After his striking debut last month, Jason Vaughan returned with MAN OF SORROWS, a droll line animation based on his own sketches of European Renaissance religious paintings. A moment for contemplation, perhaps?

Next up was another debut, the punchy music video VOICES by Meshach Ricardo Brencher, another new name to the Filmonik roster, but one we expect to hear more from. But first he has a forfeit film to make: Simon Cowell the Gangster. So let’s just hope the strange-trousered king of lowest-common-denominator pop music isn’t of a litigious nature, eh?

Finally in the second segment of the show was Gary White’s MINDLOCK’D which, in a world where actors are increasingly cast for their resemblance to software, offers True Love in the style of classic computer game Space Invaders. Some sticks and glitches on this one, but we let him off a forfeit because he remembered the Filmonik logo.

More drinks and then Round Three, featuring four more filmmakers making their Filmonik debut…

Nobody likes to be conned, but everybody loves films about con artists, so no wonder Liam Shanagher’s deft and devious THE MANY DEATHS OF ANNIE MOORE proved a real audience favourite. Like all the best films of its kind, it exposed how the con worked - so that’s another one we won’t get fooled by in the future.

In 3 WISHES Jemshaid Ashraf showed how regret for actions done and undone can follow you beyond the grave. And that the chance to put things right may be no real chance at all. Alas, Jemshaid has something he needs to put right himself before he can screen again - no Filmonik logo means we want a forfeit film from him: Bollywood Horror. Hopefully, it’ll have some dancing in it, too…

David Schofield’s jaw-dropping LAST TRAIN was a visceral mood piece, focusing on face and gesture and oppressive ambient sound to depict the escalating sense of threat in a scenario we have all faced – waiting for late night public transport. This really should have got a forfeit for not including the Filmonik logo, but we were all so blown away by the film we let him off with a warning.

Finally, last, but by no means least, in a quirk of happenstance that makes it look like we programme this event in advance, James Waring & Rory Couper offered a broadly comic solution to precisely this kind of threat in their spoof commercial for the CHAVKICKER protection suit. But even so, we saddled them with a forfeit: Pirates on the Rochdale Canal. We really don’t know where our audience gets this stuff from, but by this stage in the evening, hopefully it was the beer talking.

All in all, a hell of an evening out, even if we do say so ourselves. We love it when a plan comes together, and even more so when everything comes together without a plan, but makes us all look like film programming masterminds even so.

We’ll be back in two months time, on August 2nd.

So start shooting those films now!

Filmonik Open Screening #43

2009-05-01T22:13:00.002+01:00

Filmonik “Open Mic” Screening, Sunday June 7th, 7.30pm till Late, Odder, Oxford Road, Manchester.

Filmonik, the North West’s premiere “Open Mic” screening returns on June 7th. That’s less than a month away. Sure, right now that sounds like a lot of time, but experience tells us it isn’t. If you want to be a part of our next event, let us know now. If you have work to screen, we want to hear about it. If you’ve a film you want to make before then, start making it. If you’ve something to show, all you need to is contact us and book a slot. If you’re simply keen to see what’s happening in the world of low budget independent short film, then come on down. We want full screens, and big audiences.

Filmonik Flashbacks!

2009-04-02T22:13:00.001+01:00

Sunday May 3rd, 13.30 - 16.30 The Night and Day Cafe, Oldham Street, FREE ADMISSION.

As everyone psyches themselves up for the next Filmonik "Open Mic" Screening (Sunday, June 7th, 19.30 - Late, Odder), we thought it might be nice to remind everyone of the Story So Far. And when MAPS Festival suggested a little retrospective screening, this seemed like an ideal opportunity for us to have a quick flashback. So we've been rummaging through the archives, and scrabbling about in the backs of our wardrobes to compile a programme of Kabaret Klassics, show-stoppers, and jaw-droppers from screenings past, present and to come. Want to know which films we’re showing? Well, there’s only one way to find out: Come along and see for yourselves! Be inspired. Get involved. We are always looking for new recruits. More details here: www.mapsfestival.co.uk

Filmonik Open Screening #42

2009-04-01T22:13:00.002+01:00

Sunday June 7th, 7.30 pm till late, Odder Bar, Oxford Road, £2 admission.

It's been a very busy few weeks, what with the nine-day creative frenzy of the Kick-Start Kabaret, and then our special one-off "Sunday Lunch with Filmonik" Matinee screening less than a fortnight later. We've hardly had time to sleep recently, and all of us have day jobs, too, you know...

So you might think that we're taking some time now to relax, right? Wrong. Rest is for wimps, and we'll sleep when we're dead. The next Filmonik screening is only two months away. Sure, right now that sounds like a lot of time, but experience tells us it isn't. If you want to be a part of our next event, let us know now. If you have work to screen, we want to hear about it. If you've a film you want to make, start making it. We want full screens, big audiences. We want to spread the word, far and wide. We want the Kabaret to have kick-started something that doesn't know when to stop. We want you to keep that ball rolling.

Sunday Lunch With Filmonik

2009-03-03T22:14:00.001Z

Sunday April 5th, 12 noon till 4pm, Odder Bar, Oxford Road, £2 admission.

The Filmonik Kabaret is well and truly over, but the show goes on! Our next screening is only two weeks away. That’s right - just two short weeks from now we’ll be back with more unpredictable independent short film entertainment.

We’ve been having a lot of late nights recently, however, and some of us have got young children, so we thought that we’d try something different, something that might reach out to another audience: A special, one-of-a-kind Sunday Lunch Matinee screening. You are cordially invited to join us at Odder on April 5th for a show offering all of the usual white-knuckle, anything-can-happen thrills of a regular Filmonik “open mic” screening, but earlier in the day, and while you are eating! We just hope all the excitement doesn’t give you heartburn…

As ever, we are interested in hearing from filmmakers who have work they want to screen. We offer a warm welcome and a censure-free platform to those making films with the minimum of means. We will give you a screen. We will give you a slot. We challenge you to challenge yourselves: "Do well with nothing, do better with little, and do it now!"

Odder, 14 Oxford Rd, Southern Quarter, Manchester, M1 5QA, Tel: 0161 238 9131.

We hope to see you there!

The FILMONIK Team

Filmonik Hijacks Mini Cine For our Launch Party! :: March 2009

2009-03-01T22:14:00.000Z

March 15th, 2009, Odder Bar from 7.30.

Next week it’s going to be impossible to move for short filmmakers, as Filmonik 2.0 presents the Kick-start Kabaret: Nine days of white-knuckle guerrilla filmmaking on the streets of Manchester and Salford. This maverick cinematic marathon kicks off the very same weekend as the third Mini Cine Picture Show at Odder, and as we share a venue we thought it would be nice to pool our resources for once in a headspinning double bill of unpredictable short film entertainment. First up, Mini Cine offer a programme of odd and eclectic screen gems, all guaranteed to spark ideas, challenge expectations, and trigger debates. Then Filmonik will be hijacking the proceedings for a selection of outrageous shot-on-the-hoof cinema from previous Kabarets, to set the ball rolling for this year’s creative frenzy. This is a chance for the uninitiated to see what it’s all about; for Filmonikers and civilians alike to meet up, sink a few drinks, share a few stories, and get steeped in the local film scene in readiness for some seriously peddle-to-the-metal movie-making.

If you’re not already neck-deep in cinematic creation, that is…

Filmonik Kabaret 2009

2009-02-02T22:15:00.002Z

To energise the region’s filmmakers, to draw out eccentric new talent, to generally slap everyone back into shape, we’re having a Kabaret. Those of you who lived through the earlier ones will have some idea what to expect, those of you new to this are in for a wake-up call. This is cinematic bootcamp. A whole week of flat out, peddle-to-the-metal 24/7 filmmaking, where fortune favours the brave, the quick-witted and the fast-working, where only the strong survive and the crazy obsessives flourish. If you’ve always dreamed of making “that little movie”, if only you had the time / talent / equipment, now is your chance to watch that dream crash and burn, and see something else come stumbling from the ashes.

This is the chance to get really involved, to eat, drink, and breathe cinema. The only thing you won’t get to do is sleep. There’ll be access to equipment and talent, training for novices, opportunities galore for creative collaboration. We’ll even have a few spare script ideas available for people who don’t like to set off without a road map. There’ll be three screenings during the week in different venues around the city, and there may even be prizes.

“What good is sitting alone in your room? Come watch the movies play.
Film is a Kabaret, old chum, Come to the Kabaret.”*
(*with apologies to John Kander and Fred Ebb)

FILMONIK KABARET MARCH 14TH - 22ND 2009 - DETAILS NOW UP ON THE KABARET PAGE!

Filmonik Open Screening #40 - Review

2009-02-01T22:15:00.003Z

“Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the snow looks so delightful….” Except when you have to travel anywhere in it. A Hell of a night for a relaunch - bitterly cold, blizzards bringing half the country to a standstill - but neither snow, nor hail nor nor gloom of night can keep Filmonikers from attending a screening.

No less than THIRTEEN films screened, in a variety of styles, genres, formats and approaches, and the venue was packed out to the doors all night. Such enthusiasm was truly heart-warming on such a cold, cold night, as we welcomed back some old friends and an equal number of filmmakers new to Filmonik.

Salford filmmaker Mark Ashmore debuted a rough cut of his hard-hitting study of a country in crisis, BROKEN BRITAIN, which came complete with its own official beer! Neringa Stulgyte made her Filmonik debut with THAT LIGHT, a moody experimental piece exploring the light patterns of the city roads at night. There was more experimental work, animation this time, from another Filmonik debutante, Vivien Peach, who had two films to screen - the hypnotic abstract MAGIC SPELL, and the Svankmajer-esque stop-motion, ROAST BEEF. Vivien was one of several filmmakers with more than one film. Giles Perkins of onsuper8.org offered two Super 8 gems - BUTTONED, a wry study of a very real phobia and SATURDAYS ONLY, featuring a trip on a very special train. Our old friend Jon Kershaw of Cameras Not Cars, in true hardcore Filmonik style, shot a mini-short TREE AND BIN, that very weekend to screen at the launch. The ever-loyal Craig and Shaun from Reach for the Dream traveled all the way down from icy Barrow-in-Furness with their outrageous pitch-black horror comedy, THE BED, aimed at insomniacs everywhere. In an equally darkly-comic vein, Andy Blake showed us the ultimate April Fool’s Day prank gone wrong in GAG. Luck of the draw meant the two darkest films played back to back in the final slot, so it was lucky we had Olivier Richomme’s elegant study of a life in stasis, LA LETTRE, to chill us out and calm the nerves at the close.

All in all, thanks to our filmmakers, to all at our new host venue, the lovely Odder Bar, to mighty motor-mouthed Maria Ruban for manning the malfunctioning mics, and to our audience for making our come-back such a success. We’ll be back with another screening in April. Before that, there is, of course THE KABARET!

Filmonik Open Screening #40

2009-01-01T22:16:00.002Z

Odder :: February 1st, 2009 :: Doors 7.30, films from 8pm :: £2 Entry

Hello Everyone,

And a happy New Year from all at Filmonik!

Did you miss us? Did you wonder where we’d gone? Did you feel neglected when we didn’t write? Did you think we’d disappeared for good?

Then we owe you an apology and some reassurances. We never intended to be away so long. We were undergoing a few changes of personnel, and so, while we were at it, we took some time out for reflection.

But now we’re back. We’ve a new venue - ODDER on Oxford Road - and a new schedule - we will now be operating bi-monthly instead of every month - but otherwise this is a return to basics. Filmonik #40 will be a reboot, and a restatement of principles. It will be the beginning of Filmonik 2.0.

With Filmonik 1.0, we provided a regular “Open Mic Night” for filmmakers – the first of its kind in the region, and still the best. But this wasn’t enough for us. The Censure-Free Open Screen is a fine idea, but there is always the fear that one day it will stand empty, unless we do something more to encourage and promote active movie-making in the region. The dream was always that filmmakers would be inspired, encouraged, even driven to create new work specifically for Filmonik screenings. This did happen, of course. We had and have our loyal Filmonikers. But we want more. We want new faces, new work, new commitment.

We will give you a screen. We will give you a slot. Now get out there and create. Make something new. We challenge you to challenge yourselves.

If you want to get involved, if you have a film you want to screen, if you’ve questions to ask or gripes to make, then get in touch!

See you in February...