Finally, nearly six months after delivering the completed film and soundtrack to an office in Soho less than a week after Anna's birth, "One Across", my entry for Straight8 2007, premieres. This is the first film I've had selected for exhibition after three years of trying.
We arrived in Chiswick with five minutes to spare, delayed by roadworks on the outskirts of Cambridge. Happily, three different groups of friends are already there. Not knowing (or recognising) each other, they are spread around the auditorium. Should I invite them all to sit together or leave them where they are? The films start soon - there isn't time.
A selection of seven all-time straight8 greats sets the scene. Nick Scott's "Earth To Earth" leads off with its amusing story of a man growing electrical appliances on his allotment. Diego Arredondo's typically impressive stop-motion-with-actors piece "Tequila Chamuco" follows.
The tension mounts as we're called to the stage for a round of applause, though sadly only four of the directors were able to attend. Then it's back to our seats for the first showing of the 2007 "art" selection.
"One Across" shows third and it's difficult to concentrate on the images and sound when I'm so aware of how the audience in the room are reacting. There is a slight sense of anticlimax after - I need watch it again to see if it really succeeded. Organiser Ed kindly compliments the colours and asks what camera I used (Canon 514 XL-S).
I enjoyed Matteo Pizzarello's "Knots" with it's Comedia Del'arte touches. Along with Mathew Tucker's "The Embrace" and Sam Giles's "Portrait (I May Not Know What I'm Doing)", all made great use of light, which made me feel my effort lacked some dynamism. I'm not the only one who notices forests and trees feature frequently.
Bill Rodgers's "Clapham" was cute. He later admitted to me that his actor had bailed out shortly before he was due to start filming, so he abandoned his original film. but his and still made the top 20% of films! He even used the alien mask we used in our 2006 submission "Normal".
Duncan White's "Itch" was unsettling, but it's violent conclusion wasn't universally liked. In contrast, everyone I spoke to enjoyed Coral Aiken's "Last Night, After Sex, Ali and Jerome Broke Up", with it's air of unrelenting tension. Ian McAlpin's "The Shape Of Pills, Powders and Pellets Proved Unreliable" featured a great setting and a real sense of foreboding.
The "art" selection will show again on 26th October in Nice, along with the Cannes 12 at Regard Independent.
Now we just need an idea for 2008 which will be good enough for Cannes..!
