Friday 24 May 2013

Superhero Animation Films online

On Saturday 18th May as part of the Southside Film Festival, Red Kite Animation held a workshop at the Scout Hall.

They have put the great animations made up on their website here or you can view them on Vimeo.

 
Southside Film Fest - Saturday 18th May from Red Kite Animation Workshops on Vimeo.

Wednesday 22 May 2013

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

Thursday 16 May 2013

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.

Monday 13 May 2013

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
If you'd like to help us spread the word then please send on the flyers and programme links below to interested people.
And check out our promotional films on YouTube for the following venues:
Stay South! @southfilmfest

Gosford Park




Pollok House is Scotland's answer to Downtown Abbey! This glorious, grand country house in the Southside of Glasgow is excited to hold it's first ever event with the Southside Film Festival on Sunday 19th May where Robert Altman's classic film Gosford Park will be screened to festival goers. There was only one location that fit the bill to show this 1930's period film and it was Pollok House.

If you're thinking of attending the event on Sunday, you're in for a treat (in slightly grander surroundings than the servants in the 1920s who were also shown films as a treat). Not only will Gosford Park be screened in the dining room, but beforehand you'll also get to have drinks in the house's impressive library - where a paid bar will be in operation. After the screening, it's downstairs to be served a delicious two course meal.

The film itself is a triumph for Robert Altman. The Academy Award nominated film has a stacked ensemble cast from Helen Mirren to Clive Owen. Downtown Abbey originally was set to be a spin off of Gosford Park before it changed to using the film as an inspiration for the hit series. This mystery film is a must see and there is no better surroundings than Pollok House.

Sun 19th May, doors 5.30pm, Film 6:15pm, 
dinner served 8:30pm
Pollok House
Price: £25 for meal and movie (please note tickets only available in advance)
Cert 15, 137 mins, 2001

Set in the 1930's the story takes place in an old fashioned English country house where a family has invited many of their friends up for a weekend shooting party. The story centers around the McCordle family, in particular the man of the house, William McCordle. Getting on in years William has become benefactor to many of his relatives and friends. As the weekend goes on and secrets are revealed, it seems everyone, above stairs and below, wants a piece of William and his money, but how far will they go to get it?





Don't miss this incredibly rare opportunity to watch a great piece of period cinema in an old fashioned setting that is sure to enhance your experience. Whether you love playing Cluedo or you're obsessed with catching period shows on TV, Altman's timeless classic will not disappoint!

Sunday 12 May 2013

Battleship Potemkin

One of the highlights of the past two festivals have been our screenings at Pollokshaws Burgh Hall in partnership with the Scottish Cinema Organ Trust. These screenings make the most of the fantastic and mighty Wurlitzer organ installed in the halls.


This time next week we will be screening a Soviet Cinema classic, Battleship Potemkin. It is considered to be one of the best films ever made-in 2011 Total Film said “...nearly 90 years on, Eisenstein’s masterpiece is still guaranteed to get the pulse racing.”
Sun 19th May, 8pm, doors 7.30pm
Pollokshaws Burgh Hall.
Price: £6/£5
Cert PG, 66 mins, 1925 
Battleship Potemkin is a dramatised version of the mutiny that occurred in 1905 when the crew of the Russian battleship Potemkin rebelled against their officers of the Tsarist regime. Sergei Eisenstein famously wrote Battleship Potemkin as revolutionist propaganda and to test his idea of montage, his new cinematic language, to produce a strong emotional response in the audience. The most celebrated, and parodied, sequence in the film is of the Odessa steps where a baby’s pram slowly bumps its way down the steps, intercut with harrowing images of the massacre.


This is a unique opportunity to see this classic film with live musical accompaniment that will bring the film to life. A must for students of cinema and/or Russian history or simply those with an interest in the only remaining cinema organ in Scotland. 

Download the flyer here and read the full programme online.

Film Quiz @ The Bungo

The 2013 Southside Film Festival kicks off this Thursday with the third Film Quiz. Brought to you by quiz host maestros Barry Young and Noelle Carroll.

Thursday 16th May
7.30pm - 11pm at The Bungo (Basement)
Price: £3 per person, teams limited to 5 people per table, pay cash on door - Over 18s only

Look out for the beautiful posters and flyers designed by Paul being put up around the Southside.


It’s not every night you can sit in the pub and get the answers to some of life’s great questions. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? What’s eating Gilbert Grape? Any developments, Pussycat? O Brother, Where Art Thou? Exactly how green was my valley?

Come down to The Bungo Bar on Thursday May 16th for the third Southside Film Festival Quiz and win yourself some prizes.

Saturday 11 May 2013

Promotional Short Films

Our wonderful volunteers have been working hard for the last couple of weeks on promotional films for some of the great venues we are going to be using during the festival next weekend.


You can view all the films on our YouTube channel.




The Light kicks off the Festival!






With less than a week to go until the festival kick off, programmes are being handed out all over the Southside, venues are setting out their chairs and volunteers are making sure everything’s ready to go. This Friday, the 17th May, it’s only fitting that the 2013 Southside Festival kicks off with a screening of ‘We Are Northern Lights’ at The Glad Cafe on Pollokshaws Road.

It’s fitting because the Southside Festival is ran by the public, for the public, much like the Northern Lights documentary. It’s a film made up of footage from over 100 members of the public of bonnie Scotland. It covers everything from the beautiful scenery of the Highlands to the hustle and bustle of T In The Park.

In 2012, people from across the country were encouraged to take personal videos of Scotland’s past, present and future and the result was thousands of submissions that have been edited down into this fantastic piece of cinema that will leave you goosebumps and smiling by the end.

I saw the trailer for the film a couple of months ago when I went to see a Hollywood blockbuster and in truth, when I left the screening, all I could think about was ‘We Are Northern Lights’ I wanted to see this film about our wonderful country.

So this Friday, I hope you’ll come along and help us kick off the festival with a film made by the people of Scotland, for the people of Scotland!

Saturday 4 May 2013

Hello one and all!



Hello one and all, my name’s Kenny and I’m the newest volunteer to the Southside Film Festival for 2013. I deliberated on whether to start off with a bad movie quote or pun, but I’ve opted for the more sensible option (even though I’ve told you what I was planning anyway, DARN!).....

My route into working as a volunteer at the festival has been a unique one. I studied Sociology at university, which by the end felt like I was watching Beverly Hills Cop 3 on repeat, which isn’t a good thing. I then did a postgraduate course in Broadcast Journalism and started a career in television which was a lot of fun. I worked on various TV shows from ‘The Hour’ on STV to quiz shows like BBC’s Eggheads, researching and helping out before coming to the realisation that film was my passion and that’s where I wanted to focus myself. After pleading with the lovely organisers of the Southside Festival to let me be involved, they have opened their arms and accepted me as one of their own. There’s a real community feel to the group of people that are working so hard and passionately to make the festival enjoyable for you guys and gals coming along as well as the staff that will be working throughout the weekend of the festival.

I’ve lived in the southside a few times throughout the years and I feel like this festival is one of a few times during the year where the southside can embrace and celebrate its community spirit. For one weekend, you don’t need to get the First Bus to Cineworld or hop on the Subway to The Grosvenor, instead you can experience great film in your own back garden. Not literally of course, but you get what I mean.

We’ll be updating the blog regularly between now and the festival so you can get all the inside scoops on what’s happening with the festival and maybe a sneak peek into what the volunteers are getting up to in the lead up to the big weekend.

Also, we’re starting to get the programme out into the community so keep an eye out for a copy and see what’s on - or you can just check it out from the comfort of your own sofa, online here.
If you’re a social media lover then make sure and follow us on Twitter (and get involved in all the chat using the #southsidefilm hashtag) & 'Like' us on Facebook to keep up-to-date with all things Southside.

Friday 3 May 2013

SFF - Venue Shorts


Hi everyone, I’m Selcuk and like Laura, this is my first year working at the festival. It’s less than a fortnight until it all kicks off and I hope you’ve had a chance to browse through our programme and pick what events you’re coming to.  

Myself and a few of the other volunteers have grouped together to make a couple of shorts for you that will showcase some of the venues being used at this years’ festival, namely Scotland St School Museum, Govanhill Baths and the grand Pollok House (as well as others). Below is a photo of us filming the charismatic (and slightly scary) heedie who, before this photo was taken, had us doing star jumps and marching on the spot - screeching out that we were the worst pupils he had seen in years! 


Going down to Scotland St brought back great childhood memories of visiting the museum with my classmates, I hope you’ll be able to get down there during the festival.

Today, we are filming at Govanhill Baths – I can’t quite contain or explain my excitement at the prospect of standing in an empty swimming pool! Is that a bit weird? Here is a photo taken by David Cherry (a fellow SFF volunteer) during the pool’s transformation from hollow bath to theatre stage – pretty cool eh? 


We are screening a selection of short films in the baths, starting at 9:30pm on Saturday 18th May – I’ll see you there.

We will post the links to all of the shorts, hopefully very soon - so keep your eyes peeled!

So far, working at the festival has made me realise that I’m guilty of taking for granted what brilliant spaces we have here in the Southside that can be utilised. I’m looking forward to revisiting these venues and in what better way to enjoy them than through film.

Tweet me: @selcuk_m – I’m always up for a chat! Let me know what you’re coming to see at the festival. 
#SFF13 #SouthsideFilm