It's ‘vege-mania’ in Wallace and Gromit’s neighbourhood and our intrepid chums are cashing in as elite pest-control duo Anti-pesto. With only days to go before the annual Giant Vegetable Competition, business is booming!
But running a 'humane' pest control outfit has its drawbacks. Wallace and Gromit's home is brimful of captive bunnies and Gromit's daily task of feeding the ever-expanding population is second only to his job of feeding his master: with all their recent success, Wallace has been over-indulging in his beloved cheese and Gromit is struggling to keep him on a strict vegetable diet. True to form, Wallace resorts to technology to cure all his problems with 'the Mind-manipulation-o-matic', a simple brain-altering device.
All is well until an unexplained, nocturnal, veg-ravaging rabbit monster begins attacking the town's sacred vegetable plots. Soon the townsfolk are in uproar and the fate of the competition lies in the balance, until beautiful heiress and vegetable competition hostess Lady Tottington, impressed with Wallace’s humane methods, commissions Anti-pesto to apprehend the beast and save the day. Wallace's aspirations rise - this is just the sort of client he's dreamed of.
Made by young Bangladeshi and Pakistani filmmakers from Nottingham, Wo Ishq Jo Hum Se Rooth Gaya tells the story of a girl who loses her sight in a tragic accident which also claims the life of her mother. A few years later, she finds love after mistakenly phoning a stranger who is entranced by the sound of her voice. They decide to get married, but a friend thinks he is just marrying out of charity. Despite a tragic finale, touches of light comedy and a positive outlook ensure that the film ends on an upbeat note.
A documentary film crew spend a week in the company of three unknown actors, living in a rented house in Manchester. Egotistical Steve has just moved in and thinks he’s going to be the next James Dean. Quiet Peter has secrets and just wants to be a chef. Serious Melissa is celibate and loves the theatre. Fun ensues for all but Steve. This mockumentary has a similar feel to The Office.
Naomi and Gary: They are a modern day couple. During the course of their story Naomi's emotional memories flood back and shatter the moment. Simon and Natalie: Simon helps Natalie at a taxi rank. The situation turns tense due to Natalie giving Simon a bogus phone number. Matt and Susan: They are both young professionals. Matt lacks confidence with women desperately trying to impress. Susan sees the situation for what it is 'a one-night stand'. Peter and Anne: Peter cannot believe his luck, as he lies next to Anne, the problem is he just can't understand that she is engaged to be married. The four strands have been intervowen driving the story forward towards their resolutions and the dawning of a new day.
America is a young Bolivian girl living in London. It is ten in the morning and a collect call from Bolivia will change the course of her day drastically. Her mother has died. She was killed while protesting against the USA's radical antidrug policy in the country. America promises her sister she will take the first plane to La Paz leaving today to be present at the burial tomorrow.
When she hangs up she embarks on a journey full of obstacles that she will have to overcome. She has two problems; the ticket costs £500 but she only has £100, and the plane leaves at 11:30 am. That is in 90 minutes. Her determination to get the money and see her mother for the last time in her life will be stronger than the antagonist elements oppressing her. To board the plane to La Paz will become her American dream. At the end of her journey, America will be determined to follow in her mother’s footsteps and show the USA that their repressive policy against the coca leaf is unjustified, even more so when respect for human rights and social welfare is at stake. Coca is not cocaine.
An observational documentary about Natty, a 19-year-old from Birmingham, who has just been released from prison, where he was sent for violent crime. Will financial and peer pressure lead Natty back into gang crime? Through the course of filming, Moby Longinotto raises difficult questions - should we be observing these lives and if and when should we be getting involved?
Two New York art thieves come to England to steal an old master and are philosophising over life, death and the biology of the humble house fly, which eventually leads to a game of chess to see who will carry out an indiscriminate killing. The winner gets to pick the victim. Meanwhile two professional car thieves are doing their own deep thinking on whether or not to call it a day with car theft after one of their accomplices has been murdered. Meanwhile three drug dealers are getting ready for their latest deal and doing some philosophising of their own ...where are they going, what are they doing - Everything goes pear-shaped when the vehicle the car thieves steal belongs to the dealers - as the dealers give chase they accidently cut up a car containing the art thieves - in an ultimate road rage scenario the art thieves decide to kill the person who has just cut them up - This shattering pivotal coincidence leads to carnage, chaos, brutality and murder.
Bailey’s no ordinary dog: he can talk and he’s just inherited a fortune from his eccentric billionaire owner. Problems arise as outraged family members intervene – and they’ll stop at nothing to get their paws on his billions!
Coloring the Media begins with the premise that since the invention of the camera, Native Americans were the very first people to be documented either in photographs or in moving pictures. This film explores this journey as European Americans used the camera as a propaganda tool to depict native peoples in America as less than human. Through the development of stereotypes, and inadequate research, early films depicting native peoples set into motion a language of film that is still being used today. This language came to affect all peoples of colour around the world as they were often portrayed as ignorant or noble savages whose only good was to make the European look superior, civilized and just in their cause - which was more often than not the civilization of the savage.
By using contemporary films such as Smoke Signals; and documentaries such as Healing the Hurts and Spirit combined with interviews with Native people, Coloring the Media takes us on a journey and asks how the past can affect the present and shape the future for Native Americans and also for people of color. As Black and Asian people living in Britain speak about their experiences and the struggles they face today, we see how the language of film set into motion in the early 20th century still plays an important part in the portrayal of people of colour.
Coloring the Media offers a refreshing investigative insight into the past and present. For future generations it offers a solution of change through the voices of people, and asks one important question: 'What is it going to take to make this change happen, now, today?'
London, midnight, on a cold evening. Unable to find a taxi, Kate (Franka Potente) heads for the Underground. She takes a seat away from the crowd of late-night revellers and waits for the last train. Before long she drifts off to sleep - and wakes to find everyone gone. She momentarily panics until another train pulls in. She boards, unnerved that she's the only passenger, but relieved at last to be on her way. Halfway through the tunnel the train jerks to a violent halt. The lights shut off and the train is plunged into darkness. Kate screams - she is trapped, in the dark - and she is not alone - her nightmare has only just begun.
In Festival, a comedy about the Edinburgh Festival, we get to know a lot of characters. Faith gets off a bus and starts handing out leaflets for her one-woman show. Sean, a famous comedian, is incredibly rude to a radio journalist, live on air. Micheline, a posh Edinburgh housewife, rents out her enormous flat to an experimental theatre group from Canada. She can't help spying on them from the close. At their house in the country, her husband and baby are waiting for her.
Joan, the radio journalist, wants to sleep with the charming Irish comedian Tommy. Does he really like her or does he just want five stars this year? Will the alcoholic PA Petra go off the wagon after a row with her horrible boss Sean? Will the Comedy Award jury ever agree on a shortlist? Who is that beautiful girl comic Nicky flirting with now?
Who will get an audience? Who will win an award? Who will find love, who is really talented and who will be the Next Big Thing?
Festival is about that strange month of August when the whole world comes to Scotland to perform, to watch and to drink, and every show promises to be better than the last one. For one month a year, for some people, Edinburgh becomes the centre of the universe.
