A vivid portrait of Tom Sietas, a world record in Static Apnea, the ability to hold one’s breath underwater. Combining underwater imagery with a contemporary dance sequence the film reveals what drives Tom to push his body to such physical extremes; for Tom to deny breath is to find life.
Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2017 - Experimenta Strand - World premiere
STOOGE is a feature documentary about Robert Pargiter, Iggy Pop's No1 fan. It covers the three years leading up to his 50th birthday when he tries to track his hero down in a final absolution. His journey has taken him all over the world in search of redemption after years of struggling with addiction, of coping with depression, and of celebrating the communal lust that is Rock 'n’ Roll.
The film is a documentary on the urban folk musician Susmit Bose who initiated Urban folk music in India in late 1960s. However, he never got his due. With a career spanning for more than 5 decades, Susmit Bose is still declining his share in the limelight and lives a humble life despite his contribution to world music in India.
An experimental narrative film that paints a portrait of Japanese performance artist Ayumi Lanoire.
The film opens as a telephone call between the subject and Person X, which meanders and leads the audience through the various layers that make up her persona leading one to question whether she is, in fact, a myth or reality.
An electrifying journey through the performance, private and public worlds of pop cultural icon Grace Jones. Jones’ bold aesthetic echoes throughout as director Sophie Fiennes creates a powerful cinematic experience, contrasting musical sequences with intimate personal footage and reaching beyond her iconic mask.
The film includes unique performances of her iconic hits 'Slave To The Rhythm' and 'Pull Up To The Bumper' as well as more recent autobiographical tracks, 'Williams' Blood', 'This Is' and 'Hurricane'. These personal songs link to the film’s narrative that follows Grace on a holiday road trip across her native Jamaica where the story of her traumatic childhood are uncovered.
Her stage is the fixed point to which the film returns, with 'Love Is The Drug' acting like an aria, bringing the film to its final and most touching scenes, including an encounter with French photographer Jean Paul Goude, father of Jones’ son Paulo and creator of her iconic album covers.
This is a Grace we have not seen before, someone who reminds us of what it is to dare to be truly alive. In all her apparent contradictions, Grace Jones may appear an exception, but she is also a point of identification: she is the exception that proves the rule.
Official Selection Toronto International Film Festival 2017 - TIFF Docs - World premiere
A darkly comic fable in the style of an old magic lantern show with each scene hand-painted as the lantern glass slides would be, with music by Tom Fazzini.
Steven, better known as Morrissey, frontman of iconic band The Smiths, is a restless young man struggling to escape his working class roots. He dreams of being in a band, writing music and flying clear of the daily grind.
One evening lurking in the shadows at a gig he meets Linder: artistic, literate, intelligent, she is all he sees in himself They fast become confidants, his courage and sense of purpose increasing day by day. Suddenly a chance encounter with guitarist Billy leads to a first gig. But Billy and Linder cannot support Steven forever, each making their own escape to the bright lights of London. Can Steven find his own path?
Edinburgh International FIlm Festival 2017 - World premiere
An unlikely gang of teenagers goes on the run from dysfunctional parents to an island music festival, where the rules of the real world don't apply.
Edinburgh International FIlm Festival 2017 - World premiere
First brought together by their shared love of music, ten years later Liam and Natalie have reached a breaking point. Opposites attract, but aren’t necessarily working long-term. Liam, a struggling musician, cannot let go of his vinyl collection and refuses to adapt to a world of smartphones and instant downloads. Natalie has let go of her dream of designing album covers and has become a rising star at her advertising firm. As they make the difficult decision to separate, they start by splitting their prized music library, but the soundtrack that defined their relationship keeps pulling them back together.
Adapted by Philip Gawthorne from his award-winning play.
Edinburgh International FIlm Festival 2017 - World premiere
The sequel to 'The Big Gold Dream' continues the story of Scottish Independent music. This film focuses on Glasgow after the collapse of Postcard Records. This is the story of The Pastels, The Shop Assistants, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Primal Scream, The Soup Dragons, BMX Bandits, The Vaselines and Teenage Fanclub.
'52 Portraits' is an epic love song written to an art form. Dance.
'52 Portraits' is a series of moving image portraits of dancers accompanied by sung autobiographies. It captures the profound, funny and surprising power of their subjects, revealing the stories, thoughts and struggles of dancers in an unexpected way.
Conceived by choreographer Jonathan Burrows, composer Matteo Fargion and video maker Hugo Glendinning. The idea behind the project was to catch both the individual and unexpected brilliance of individual performers, but also the larger collective concerns of dance artists, which accumulate over the course of the 52 films. Originally conceived as a digital project, it began with ideas of the familiar; the common; the shared technological situation. These short gestural portraits were released online every week over a year. These videos now form the chapters of this film.
What emerges in this film is a political and sociological gesture, interrogating the numerous ways artists are subject to hierarchies, stereotypes and marginalisation of any kind. The result is a hugely varied and personal story of what it means to be a dancer.
