Events

FlatPack Festival II

Venue: Various
http://www.flatpackfestival.org.uk

The Flatpack Festival is rolling into Birmingham once again, a juggernaut of cinematic goodies taking over venues across the city from 1-4 February. Emboldened by the excellent audiences and effusive feedback which greeted the first edition (see below), organisers 7 Inch Cinema have beefed up the programme with more special events, more venues, and even more eye-opening and unusual films.

The festival remains fiendishly difficult to summarise, but intrepid punters can expect to find shorts, animation, music documentaries, independent features, live soundtracks, discussion events, web oddities, installations, parties and plenty more besides – with a general focus on people using limited resources in imaginative ways. The very lovely Electric cinema, perched right behind New St station and approaching its hundredth year of showing films, will again host the main screening programme along with the mac and Odeon, while other hidden treats can be found in bars, warehouses and churches throughout Birmingham.

*Highlights include…*

NEW FEATURES
A choice selection of movies from talented young guns including The Science of Sleep (Michel Gondry’s bittersweet reverie), Mutual Appreciation (has Andrew Bujalski come to save independent cinema?) and Black Sheep (twisted tales from the new Berlin) as well as frisky works from more experienced directors including Ten Canoes and Bamako.

ANIMATION
Further evidence of animation’s current golden age, from the achingly gorgeous stop-frame of Blood Tea and Red String to Paprika, the latest anime mind-melter from Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue, Tokyo Godfathers). Also look out for the UK premiere of Don Hertzfeldt’s Oscar-tipped Everything Will Be OK, a selection by Flatpack’s patron saint Norman McLaren and inspired shorts from up-and-coming animators.

MUSIC DOCS
Take your pick from the Wu-Tang Clan’s last bow (Rock The Bells), the trials and tribulations of the Dixie Chicks (Shut Up and Sing), the early days of Sufjan Stevens in Danielson: A Family Movie or the krautrock blowout of Faust: Nobody Knows If It Ever Happened.

Finders Keepers present HOCUS FOCUS
A night of Czech bliss hosted by Andy Votel, with special guests Broadcast and Voice of the Seven Woods and a rare celluloid outing for latenight classic Valerie and Her Week of Wonders

THE SEASHELL AND THE CLERGYMAN
The first surrealist film, a 1927 collaboration between Germaine Dulac and Antonin Artaud, presented in St Paul’s Church with live accompaniment by Minima.

Capsule present KNOWN UNKNOWNS
A Moseley pub will be bulging to the rafters with music, film, art and cake – including DIY stadium rock band Threads, grindcore wonders Army of Flying Robots and black metal spoof Legalize Murder.

BODIES OF WATER
Selection of ground-breaking experimental films by the likes of Man Ray, Harry Smith and Wallace Berman, with improvised accompaniment from six-piece collective Photon Hex.

THE BRUMMIES ARE COMING
A wealth of local talent including Matthew Robinson’s extraordinary dayglo sculptures, John Bradburn’s debut feature shot in the Bull Ring markets, and a journey through the rollercoaster career of Tamworth legend Mark Locke with backup from Misty’s Big Adventure. (OK, so Tamworth’s not in Birmingham.)

Not to mention…

Harrachov Exchange – film meets sculpture in a Digbeth warehouse;
Kelly Reichardt shorts – early work from the acclaimed director of Old Joy;
The Carnivorous Syndrome in 3-D – venus flytraps invade St Martin’s Church;
Penda’s Fen – visionary BBC film from 1973, introduced by writer David Rudkin;
Retro gaming – a world record attempt at Atari arcade game Missile Command;
Invasion of Thunderbolt Pagoda – Ira Cohen’s hallucinatory 60s gem;
Films in a yurt – at the Modulate Sound Space;
Machinima and Parkour programmes;
...and free screenings and events throughout the weekend at the Island bar.

Full programme available online from 15th January 2007 at
www.flatpackfestival.org.uk