Cinema16: British Short Films (2003)

Short films are hugely underrated, especially when you consider the talent they’ve spawned. Compiled by producer Luke Morris, Cinema 16 contains 16 rarely seen shorts, directed by the finest in British film over five decades. "As a filmmaker, one of the best things you can do is to watch and learn from other people’s films," says Morris. "These shorts have never been available before. I wanted to make them accessible and give a platform to this art form." Morris’ own award-winning homage to the French New Wave, Je T’Aime John Wayne, sits alongside, amongst others, Brian Percival’s shocking About A Girl, Ridley Scott's Boy And Bicycle, Mike Leigh's Short And Curlies (with David Thewlis in a role that primed him for Leigh’s Naked), Christopher Nolan's Doodlebug (made while he was a student) and Lynne Ramsay's Cannes winner, Gasman. It’s a film school on one disc. (Available from cinema16.co.uk.) Extras All the films have a commentary by the director. Sandi Chaitram

This critically acclaimed DVD contains 16 of the best classic and award winning British short films and delivers a snapshot of British cinema past and present. It includes films from Britain?s most exciting new talent alongside early shorts from it?s most successful filmmakers ? amongst them Chris Nolan (Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins), Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Alien), Mike Leigh (Secrets and Lies) and Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, The Hours).

A unique collection of the best short films from British filmmakers, all of which are available here to own for the first time. Includes classics from the biggest names in British film as well as award winners from new talent. Cinema16 gives short films a much needed platform and celebrates the form, but also gives filmmakers and lovers access to some great films that would otherwise be impossible to see. Cinema 16 includes commentaries from all the filmmakers involved, including Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Gladiator) looking back on his first filmmaking experience directing younger brother Tony; Chris Nolan (Insomnia, Memento) on the challenges of blue screen special effects on a budget; and Mike Leigh on making an epic in 18 minutes. With over 3 hours of films and 3 hours of commentaries, Cinema16 is essential viewing for anyone interested in the moving image.

Featuring:


About a Girl (2001)
Director: Brian Percival
Cast (Credited cast)
Ashley Thewlis ... Girl
John Slater ... Father
Sue Jaynes ... Mother
Runtime:9 min

A young girl talks candidly to camera about her life with her mum and dad and her hopes for the future. But she is hiding more than we think. Brian Percival was an established commercials director when he made his first film from a script by his wife Julie Rutterford. The film, with a standout performance from young actress Ashley Thewlis, won a multitude of awards in 2002 including the BAFTA for Best Short Film.

Awards:
BAFTA Awards
2002 Won BAFTA Film Award Best Short Film

Edinburgh International Film Festival
2001 Won Best British Short

London Film Festival
2001 Won TCM Prize

Manchester International Short Film Festival
2001 Won Jury Award Best North West Short Film

Raindance Film Festival
2001 Won Jury Prize Official Selection Short

*******

Boy and Bicycle (1965)
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast (Credited cast)
Tony Scott ... The Schoolboy
Runtime:27 min
Also Known As:Boy on a Bicycle

Using a Bolex camera borrowed from art school Ridley Scott (BLADE RUNNER, GLADIATOR) shot his first film over the summer of 1956 in his hometown of Hartlepool. Scott used his brother, Tony, then 16 years old, and his mother and father as actors. There are few signs of what audiences could later expect from a Ridley Scott film. It was shot over six weeks, with voice-over and synchronised dialogue added later. The first audiences for BOY AND BICYCLE were Scott's teachers and fellow students in the Theatre Design department of the Royal College of Art. Scott finished the film in 1958 with a £250 grant from the British Film Institute, following his graduation.
He cites the experience of making this short the one that made him and his brother Tony Scott (ENEMY OF THE STATE, SPY GAME) want to become filmmakers.
"I was heavily into Kurosawa at the time. I knew he used certain filters for his monochrome films. So I was stuffing on red filters every chance I got. I used a lot of hand-held camera and even drafted my father to act as a camera-car driver."
Ridley Scott on Boy and Bicycle

*******

Dear Phone (1977)
Director: Peter Greenaway
Cast (Complete credited cast)
Peter Greenaway ... Narrator
Runtime:17 min

A surreal celebration of a former English icon ? the red phone box. DEAR PHONE is one of the early works of Peter Greenaway (THE PILLOW BOOK, THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE AND HER LOVER). It questions film forms and documentary traditions, and displays an intriguing mix of method and madness, featuring a set of characters who all happen to share the initials H.C..

*******

Doodlebug (1997)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast (Credited cast)
Jeremy Theobald ... The Men
Runtime:3 min

This early short film from the director of MEMENTO, INSOMNIA and BATMAN BEGINS was made when he was a student in London. Nolan was studying English Literature at University College London when he started to make 16mm films at the college film society, of which the surreal short DOODLEBUG was one. This early film shows the preoccupation with narrative boundaries Nolan would later explore in his feature films and has the simplicity common to many good shorts. The film was produced by his now-wife and producing partner, Emma Thomas.
A man waits patiently in his apartment to squash a bug, but he could be hurting himself more than he realizes.
"We did the effects on the best machines we could at the time, for free. We painted our own blue screen with paint from John Lewis shop that doesn't actually work very well. It's worth paying for the proper paint it you're ever faced with a similar dilemma." Christopher Nolan on Doodlebug

*******

Eight (1998)
Director: Stephen Daldry
Cast (Credited cast)
Jack Langan-Evans ... Jonathan
Mark E'von ... Terry
Gina McKee ... Mum
Also Known As:N'That
Runtime:13 min

His name is Jonathan and he is eight. He loves football and he loves his Dad ? even though they've never met. EIGHT was the film debut from Stephen Daldry who was previously acclaimed for his work in theatre. He directed the film from a script written by Tim Clague, which won the Jerwood Film Prize in 1998. In many respects EIGHT is considered by Daldry and producer Jon Finn of Working Title to have been a rehearsal for BILLY ELLIOT, which they went on to make the following year. Daldry has been Oscar and BAFTA nominated for his recent film THE HOURS.

*******

Gasman (1997)
Director: Lynne Ramsay
Cast (Credited cast)
Lynne Ramsay Jr. ... Lynne
Martin Anderson ... Steven
James Ramsay ... Da
Denise Flannagan ... Ma
Jackie Quinn ... Woman
Lisa Taylor ... Girl
Robert McEwan ... Boy
Runtime:15 min

Awards:
Atlantic Film Festival
1998 Won International Award Best International Short Film or Video

BAFTA Awards
1998 Nominated BAFTA Film Award Best Short Film

BAFTA Awards, Scotland
1997 Won BAFTA Scotland Award Best Short Film

Cannes Film Festival
1998 Won Jury Prize Best Short Film
Nominated Golden Palm Best Short Film

Locarno International Film Festival
1998 Won SSR Prize British Films

Ramsay graduated from the UK7's National Film and Television School in 1995. In 1996 she won the Cannes Prix du Jury for her graduation short film SMALL DEATHS. Her second short, KILL THE DAY, won the Clermont Ferrand Prix du Jury and GASMAN, made the same year, won Ramsay her second Cannes prize in 1998. GASMAN also received a Scottish BAFTA for Best Short Film. Ramsay's debut feature RATCATCHER screened at Cannes in Un Certain Regard and went on to open the Edinburgh International Film Festival where Ramsay received the Guardian New Directors prize. She also won the Carl Foreman Award for Best Newcomer in British Film at the 2000 BAFTA Awards, the Sutherland Trophy at the London Film Festival and the Silver Hugo for Best Director at the Chicago International Film Festival. Her second film, MORVERN CALLER, features Samantha Morton in the lead role. Once again Ramsay reunited with the director of photography, production designer and editor who she worked with on all of her short films.
"I started writing short stories at film school. I wanted to make something that meant more to me than the films I was asked to photograph. I felt everyone was trying to make a calling card for the industry. In the end, I ended up filming three of the stories I wrote, and in each of them I tried to play with different ideas and styles."
Lynne Ramsay on Gasman

*******

The Girl Chewing Gum (1976)
Director: John Smith
Runtime:12 min
Winner of the Oberhausen short film festival in 76

A humorous treatment depicting the director?s wish for total control over the world in front of his lens. GIRL CHEWING GUM was filmed on an East London street in 1976. John Smith?s idea was to expose the illusion of cinema, making us aware that we are looking at something that is completely contrived - an ambition in total opposition to that of mainstream Hollywood Cinema. Since 1972 he has made over thirty film, video and installation works.

*******

Home (1998)
Director: Morag McKinnon
Cast (Credited cast)
Russell Anderson
Raymond Mearns ... Tory
Malcolm Shields
Runtime:11 min
Awards:
Aspen Shortsfest
2000 Won Jury Award Drama - Best of Category

BAFTA Awards
1999 Won BAFTA Film Award Best Short Film

Edinburgh International Film Festival
1999 Won Best British Short

Oberhausen International Short Film Festival
2000 Won Prize of the Ecumenical Jury

Palm Springs International Short Film Festival
1999 2nd place Festival Prize Live Action Under 15 Minutes

Uppsala International Short Film Festival
2000 Won Grand Prix

A social worker investigates the squalid living conditions of several Scottish dwellings. Assisting those in need and investigating complaints may seem commonplace but his day is far from ordinary. A graduate Edinburgh College of Art and the Scottish Film School, Morag McKinnon?s commercials promos and four short films have proven that she is one of the most exciting talents to emerge in recent years. A sequel to HOME is in the works and also a feature film. HOME won the Short Film BAFTA in 1999.

*******

Joyride (1995)
Director: Jim Gillespie
Cast (Complete credited cast)
Christopher Fulford ... Victim
Frank Gallagher ... Thug
David MacKay ... Thug
Carolyn Bonnyman ... Policewoman
Stevie Hannan ... Policeman
Paul Featherstone ... Policeman
Runtime:10 min

A power-line repairman heads for home early, but before the evening?s end he will regret it. Kidnapped and locked in the trunk of his own car, he struggles to find a way out. Jim Gillespie had directed for television for several years before making JOYRIDE with funding from the BFI. A screening at the Telluride Film Festival led to Jim Gillespie getting development deals with several studios and ultimately to directing his first feature film, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER.

*******

Inside-Out (1999)
Director: Tom and Charles Guard
Cast (Credited cast)
Lena Headey ... Window-dresser
Simon McBurney ... Market researcher
Runtime:7 min
Awards:
Montréal World Film Festival
1999 Nominated First Prize (Short Films)

St. Petersburg Message to Man Film Festival
2000 Won Golden Centaur Award

A researcher is surprised when attempts to stop pedestrians catch the eye of a beautiful window dresser. Inside Out is the second in a series of three short films from brothers Tom and Charles Guard about brief encounters in the city. This silent film in contemporary London stars Simon McBurney from Theatre du Complicite and Lena Headey, who has featured in all three of their films.

*******

Je t'aime John Wayne (2000)
Director: Toby MacDonald
Cast (Cast overview, first billed only)
Kris Marshall ... Belmondo
Camilla Rutherford ... Zazie
Laura Lumley ... Minne
Mark Rex ... Tim
Martin Savage ... Horbury
Charlie Forbes ... Philosopher
Runtime:10 min
Awards:
BAFTA Awards
2001 Nominated BAFTA Film Award Best Short Film

Berlin International Film Festival
2001 Won Panorama Award of the New York Film Academy - Special Mention

European Film Awards
2001 Won Best Short Film Award

London Film Festival
2000 Won TCM Prize

London co-stars as Paris in JE T'AIME JOHN WAYNE, the story of a young man who lives out his dream of being French cinema icon Jean Paul Belmondo, star of Jean-Luc Godard's new wave classic A BOUT DE SOUFFLE. He's got the sharp suit and a pack of Luckies, but will he find the perfect girl to complete the picture?
This first film from director Toby MacDonald and producer Luke Morris was a hit at film festivals around the world, was BAFTA nominated and won the European Film Award for Best Short in 2001. Shot in 35mm in black and white, it stars Kris Marshall (LOVE ACTUALLY, FOUR FEATHERS) and Camilla Rutherford (GOSFORD PARK, THE DARJEELING LIMITED).
Luke Morris and Toby MacDonald were recently BAFTA nominated for the second time for HEAVY METAL DRUMMER, a film about a young heavy metal fan in the Middle East.
"One of the great things about the film is how London substitutes for Paris. The script lets us make London look romantic, it lets us make it look cool. If you have black and white it can look really beautiful at times. London looks how we wish it looked."
Toby Macdonald on Je t'aime John Wayne

*******

The Sheep Thief (1997)
Director: Asif Kapadia
Awards:
Brest European Short Film Festival
1997 Won European Grand Prix

Cannes Film Festival
1998 2nd place Cinefondation Award

Locarno International Film Festival
1998 Won Aaton Award

Melbourne International Film Festival
1998 Won City of Melbourne Award Best Short Fiction

The young street kid, Tashan, is branded for theft and left for dead. He awakes and embarks on his journey through rural India, during which he discovers he has a gift. The SHEEP THIEF was Asif Kapadia?s graduation film at the Royal College of Art and was shot in Rajasthan, India. It won numerous awards including the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1999. Kapadia?s debut feature, the critically acclaimed THE WARRIOR, saw his return to the epic landscapes and themes of this earlier film.

*******

The Short & Curlies (1987)
Director: Mike Leigh
Cast (Complete credited cast)
Alison Steadman ... Betty
Sylvestra Le Touzel ... Joy
David Thewlis ... Clive
Wendy Nottingham ... Charlene
Runtime:18 min
Awards:
BAFTA Awards
1988 Nominated BAFTA Film Award Best Short Film

A shop girl and her admirer struggle to find love and some common ground. This early signature comedy by Mike Leigh, starring David Thewlis and Alison Steadman, saw Leigh collaborate with many of the cast and crew he has gone on to work with throughout his career. The film was the first in Channel 4?s series of short films to which it lent its name.

*******

Telling Lies (2001)
Director: Simon Ellis
Cast (Credited cast)
Tim Cunningham
Juliet Jones
Penn Linfield
Shaun Mechen
Sarah Tutt
Runtime:5 min

The morning after the night before, a rapid spiral of increasingly disastrous telephone conversations chart the certain ruin of young Phil?s day as he attempts to fib his way out of one scrape after another. This tale of modern manners and communication breakdown is told entirely in animated captions that invite the viewer to share the truth behind the soundtrack's excuses and lies. Written, produced and directed by Nottingham?s Simon Ellis, who has made nine short films. TELLING LIES is a comedy of errors and erroneous information.

*******

UK Images
Director: Martin Parr

This five minute documentary takes us on a tour of some of the recurring images in Parr?s work: Blustery seaside resorts, dogs, tents, families and service stations, and introduces us to one of his favourite themes - the British demeanour in the face of chaos. This series of documentary shorts from Magnum photographer Martin Parr was produced for the BBC. Parr has developed an international reputation for his innovative imagery, his oblique approach to social documentary, and his input to photographic culture within the UK and abroad. He had a retrospective exhibition of his work at the Barbican in 2002.

*******

Who's My Favourite Girl? (1999)
Director: Adrian McDowall
Cast (Credited cast)
Ross Wright ... Andy
Tarek Hamad ... John
Katrina Bryan ... May
Claire McKie ... Mother
Melanie Hay ... Angie
Runtime:16 min
Awards:
BAFTA Awards
2000 Won BAFTA Film Award Best Short Film

Gijón International Film Festival
2000 Won Special Prize of the Young Jury Best Short

A touching and amusing depiction of a young boy on the verge of puberty experiencing passion for the first time. New director, Adrian McDowall?s graduation film from the Edinburgh College of Art was shot in his home-town of Wigtown in Scotland, using locals and the director?s mum as actors. The film was made for a budget of ?3000 and won a raft of awards, including a BAFTA in 2000.


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