Strawberry Shorts Film Festival 2008: Programme 2

Comedy fiction about an 8 year old girl’s Mother who decides to become a wrestler.

“Florence” explores contemporary adolescence, generational gaps and sexual politics by looking back over the last 50 years. This is done by having two narratives occurring simultaneously. In one, the eras change from 1950s to th world as we know it now. In the other , we see the avarage day of a teenage girl. The two combine as we see the ‘same’ girl change her attitudes and actions to the same subjects, exploring how much of our own attitudes today are based on natural or nurtured instincts.

Billie Rae and Isabelle come from completely different worlds; they couldn’t be more opposite, or so it seems. They meet on a photography course where they are set a project to take pictures on one particular subject of their choice which, on Isabelle’s prompting, they decide to do together.

They attack this task with gusto, enlisting the help of Billie Rae’s hapless and eager to please friend Stan, along with Isabelle’s long standing and reluctant boyfriend Kyle.

Their newly formed friendship soon becomes a dangerous liason and their ‘project’ all consuming…..

Do you have secret?

A secret that deep down inside that gives you a twinge of guilt or possibly a little glow of pleasure? Would it help to get it off your chest?

Imagine if you could tell your story and no-one would know it was you.

Guilty is a short abstract documentary based on anonymous confessions from members of the public.

A pannic stricken women is relentlesly pursued down a deserted city path at night – but who is chasing her and why? Only when she arrives home do we find out the terrible truth …

‘Insides by Dan Gitsham introduced a completely contrasting genre. Incredibly atmospheric, I was unsure of what to expect as the lone man wondered around his empty, cluttered house. At the discovery of an oddly placed video cassette inside an stuffed toy under a floor-board ? having been a reluctant viewer of ?The Ring? – I knew it was time to hide. With masterful tension-building, the film quickly escalated into a terrific chamber piece of horror and was a great introduction for the newcomers to the festival.’ Says Lucy Butler at Leftlion.

Filmed using ONLY the in-house CCTV network (and no other cameras!) with a soundtrack created ONLY from the environmental sounds recorded during production (except the bass-line).

I made this film for MediaShed as part of Art for Shopping Centres which featured in Futuresonic 2007. Music is by Hybernation. Performance by James Hall and Joe Livermore of the Methods of Movement.

Combines free-running (and some breakin’) with free-media filmmaking – both make use of available resources in the environment.

Watch more CCTV movies at www.mediashed.org

On a windswept beach, an Old Man is deep in concentration.

He can only ever rest when he finds his Treasure.

A highly energetic black-comedy-dance film that asks the question: “Can Salsa dancing be bad for your health?”

Our hero is Nigel, a middle aged wage slave with a developing drink problem, a lonely fantasist still haunted by his long failed marriage. Seemingly invisible to his colleagues and desperate to reconnect with the world, he discovers the passionate and vibrant Salsa scene and plunges in headfirst, soon to be reborn as?Salsa Guy!

Moving through a colourful odyssey of lessons, clubs and bars, Salsa Guy is awoken from his turgid half-life, but what begins as a hobby gradually turns into an obsession, which sees his life spin out of control, leading to a flamboyant and tragic demise.

With a brilliant lead performance from Robert Gill (A For Andromeda, The Forsythe Saga), and shot through with great energy and verve, ‘Salsa Guy’ is by turns comic and poignant, and a thoroughly enjoyable viewing experience.

Follow up to the multi-award winning ‘My Mum the Wrestler’ sees the child star negotiating her terms to appear in the sequel.

How the Strawberry Fair of 2005 was put on.