Southside Filmmakers Award 2013 Winner

You will probably have already seen that the winner of the Southside Filmmakers Award 2013 was announced on Sunday at the Glad Cafe and via twitter and facebook.

The winner was Bird in the Hand from Cup of Gold Productions. A Bird in the Hand is a joint Scottish/Irish production which brings us the kooky story of love and friendship about a young man, Alan, who is not your average man. Alan is blessed with an unusual appearance and walk and learns to confront his demons, accept himself and find true love along the way in the form of Grace.

Congratulations to the all involved in the film:

• Director and Producer: David Brown
• Screenwriter: Andrew Anderson
• Director of Photography: Padraig Conaty
• Editor: Mark Sheridan
• Sound: Barry Connolly
• Music: Rian Trench 
• Main actor: Finbarr Delaney

Thank you to all the filmmakers who submitted work this year - the standard was very high and it is great to see such variety and quality work coming out of the Southside. We recommend you check out the other films selected which were:

• Harriett's Kitchen - Drama, Director: Ally Lockhart
• Oh Jackie - Music video, Director: Uisdeann Murray 
• Pouters - Documentary, Director: Paul Fegan 
• Red - Drama, Director: Simone Smith
• The State of Greenock - Mockumentary, Directors: Gavin Grant, David Newman, Pamela Barnes 
• Sunny Out - Documentary, Director: Julie Scade 
• Vore - Drama, Director: Bryan M Ferguson

Only 24 hours to go!

With less than 24 hours until the festival kicks off, I'm pretty excited about taking part in my first Southside Film Festival! I just came from The Glad Cafe where people are absolutely buzzing the night before it all gets underway. So while quizzers are trying to determine Who played the voice of Jessica Rabbit, I thought I'd essentially steal an idea from the good folk at Top Ten Glasgow Guide and run down some of the things I'm looking forward to over the weekend!

- I love the movie Gosford Park. It's fantastic. But somehow watching it in a swanky shiny Cineworld or shoving the DVD in my sturdy £9.99 Argos Basic DVD Player (Hey, i could either eat for the month or get a blu-ray player, don't judge) just doesn't fit. Now watching it in the picturesque victorian Pollok Park, and being served a two course meal fit for a king afterwards? That sounds right up my street!

- Up until last year, all I knew about Bollywood was the fact Shilpa Shetty from Big Brother used to do some films, until my friend sat me down and made me watch 3 Idiots with Aamir Khan and loved it! So the thought of, this weekend, getting to check out Kuch Kuch Hota Hoi, with some footage shot in the Southside is gonna be a real treat!

- Festivals tend to bring out a great sense of community from people, so I'm looking forward to chatting to new fellow film lovers whether if be over a beer after a film or at a screening before the film starts.

- I'm always a sucker for a good music documentary so I'm excited to see the doc on LCD Sound System from their last gig.

Anyway, What are you looking forward to? What are you going to see? Let us know in the comments! We'll be blogging throughout the festival letting you know what's happening. Enjoy!

Top 10 Guide

The lovely people at Top Ten Glasgow Guide have put together the list below of the top 10 things to do and see at the Southside Film Festival. You can follow them on twitter @toptenglasgow or facebook for more great Glasgow recommendations.

1. Learn more about acclaimed photo journalist McCullin in Queen's Park Camera Club.

2. Catch Sightseers, a black comedy about murder and caravanning in the 46th Glasgow Scout Group Hall.

3. Watch short films in the swimming pool at Govanhill Baths; or watch a music doc about the last gig by LCD Soundsystem - Shut Up and Play the Hits - at music venue The Glad Cafe on Saturday night and follow that by dancing at iBop at Pollok Ex Servicemens' Club.

4. Have a drink in the library overlooking Pollok Park and move into the dining room to watch Gosford Park, and follow that up with dinner in the Servant's Quarters in Pollok House on Sunday afternoon.

5. Watch one of the best silent films ever made, Battleship Potemkin, with live accompaniment from the Wurtlizer Cinema Organ at Pollokshaws Burgh Hall on Sun.

6. Get some Bollywood in your life with a Kuch Kuch Hota Hoi, a film partly shot in the Southside. 

7. See the Southside filmmakers of the future on Saturday at the Southside Filmmaker Award screening.

8. Forget Iron Man 3, take the kids to see the kids' classic favourite Iron Giant on Sat afternoon at The Glad Cafe (and your kids can learn how to make Superhero Animation at an animation workshop that morning).  

9. If you want to learn more about the history of cinemas and cinema going on the Southside of Glasgow then don't miss out Cinema Walk at 2pm on Sunday afternoon - sign up in advance and receive the meeting point.

10. Lots more free screenings and events at the Burrell Collection, Scotland St Museum, Hidden Gardens and Kinning Park Complex, so check full information and tickets on the SFF website.

Glasgow I Love You, But You're Freakin' Me Out!

With only a couple of days to go til the festival kicks off, I hope you've all had the chance to check out this year's programme and are excited as we are about everything that we've got going on over the coming weekend.

One I am personally extremely psyched about is our screening of 'Shut Up and Play the Hits' - a documentary film charting the last 48 hours of generation defining band LCD Soundsystem. 

Frontman James Murphy made the unusual decision to bring an end to the party right at the peak of the band's popularity -  they played their last ever gig to a sold out Madison Square Garden in NYC in April 2011, ensuring they would go out with a bang!

Party kids across the world wept as the cowbells stopped and LCD were no more, Daft Punk were no longer playing at your house, All Your Friends were away up the road.......'Shut Up and Play the Hits' tells the story of the end of an era for music fans & for Murphy himself:

"Likeable, deadpan and refreshingly self-aware, the inner turmoil and obvious regret of the ageing hipster makes this not only a sad farewell to a great band, but to life as Murphy knows it." - Total Film, 2012.

So, this coming Saturday - all you Southside music & film buffs (and we know there are LOADS of you) can all get a wee bit nostalgic for our fading youth with our screening of the film at The Glad Cafe (8pm - doors 7.30pm - tickets £6/5). The film seemed to have a pretty limited release when it was out last year so if - like me-  you missed it - take this second chance to see it on the big screen!

If you want to make a night of it (Go on...!) - don't forget that iBop - the Southside's longest running indie night -  will be hosting a wee after party for you all to get your dance on  - keep a hold of your ticket stub for discounted entry. Hope to see you all throwing some shapes on the dancefloor - don't forget your cowbells!


- 'Shut Up and Play the Hits' - Sat 18 May - The Glad Cafe - 8pm (doors 7.30pm) - £6/5 - tickets on sale now at The Glad Cafe or online at http://www.tickets-scotland.com/

Followed by:

- iBop - Sat 18 May - Pollock Ex Servicemans Club - £5 on the door or £4 with your 'Shut Up and Play the Hits' ticket stub.

Don't forget to follow us & tag us in photos of your night on Instagram - @SouthsideFilmFestival and let us know what you think of the film on Twitter - #southsidefilm

Press coverage so far

The Southside Film Festival kicks off this Thursday with the film quiz and then a series of film screenings and events over Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

We've already had some great press coverage and publicity, we'll be updating our website with these details here. Check out the articles below that mention the Southside Film Festival. Including the very kind and supportive motion in the Scottish Parliament by Patrick Harvie

• Scottish Parliament Motion S4M-06494: Patrick Harvie MSP (May 2013)
• Preview of things to come for Film Fest (Glasgow South and Eastwood Extra, May 2013)
• Glasgow Southside Film Festival (Pat's Guide, May 2013)
• Festival to make splash with movie in a swimming pool (Evening Times, May 2013)
• Camera club, scout hut and museum screenings for film festival (STV, May 2013)
• Take your seats for the southside’s own film festival (Glasgow South and Eastwood Extra, April 2013)
• Southside Film Festival Film Club returns (South Glasgow News, March 2013)

If you'd like to help us spread the word then please send on the flyers and programme links below to interested people.

• 2013 programme
• Battleship Potemkin with Live Wurlitzer Organ
• Bollywood at The Glad Cafe - Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
• Cinema Walking Tour

And check out our promotional films on YouTube for the following venues:

• Queen's Park Camera Club
• Pollok House
• Govanhill Baths
• The Glad Cafe
• Scotland St School Museum

Stay South! @southfilmfest