Cherwell: 'An Oxfordian Story: 5 STARS'

3 November 2005; 8.15 pm
Phoenix Picturehouse
57 Walton Street
Oxford 0X2 6AE

As the event is likely to be sold out, please call 0870 758 3218 for ticket reservation.

 

Ever thought that Oxford drama is all about theatre? Ever thought that filmmaking here has been dead ever since Hugh Grant left town? Well well, we've got news for you:

After the great success of the 1st OxShort Picture Night in 2003, revelationfilm is proud to announce the return of the OxShorts, delivering you a selection of the most entertaining and recent works by Oxford students and alumni. Join us for an exciting evening with loads of surprises, industry guests, and films that we promise will not bore you a bit. Oxford filmmaking is back. This alone is enough reason to celebrate.

While the OxShorts are non-competitive, you can become a critic for a night and tell us if the films live up to your standards: whether you love or hate 'em, rate the films you've just seen on our critic's evaluation forms.

A colourful programme features shorts of several genres: drama, comedy, documentary, and animation.

Come and check out what's new around Oxford's very own Red Carpet.

 

Special Guest Speakers:

Director Ken Loach - 'Sweet Sixteen', 'My Name is Joe', 'Kes'

Ken is an alumni of St. Peter's college and will talk to the audience about his creative journey from being an Oxford student to becoming one of the most celebrated directors in British Film.

Oscar Winning Producer Judy Counihan - 'Antonia's Line', 'No Man's Land'

Judy will speak about the film industry's desperate need for bright and enthusiastic new talent for all aspects of film-making. Films are not made in an ivory tower, and the city is not the only alternative for ambitious Oxford graduates. Whether you fancy producing, directing, writing, camera, music or countless other areas, the movie world has a place for you. A whole new and exciting world is waiting to be discovered.

 

 

Confirmed showings:

Sam Leifer & J. van Tulleken's 'The Unsteady Chough', animation, Suetonius productions 2004

Shortlised for the 2004 BBC best newcomer in animation award.

The narrator, a fresh-faced undergraduate, arrives for his first day at university. As his father leaves him at the entrance to his college, a mysterious winged arm beckons him down an alleyway. He finds himself drawn into the magical, yet disturbingly drunken, world of the Chough, where one drink is never enough. It culminates, as all fairytales should, in a puddle of bird vomit.

'...I'd better buy that bird a beer
And so I did. But dear oh dear
He knocked it back so quick I knew
He'd soon be flying, as choughs do...'

The poem, "The Unsteady Chough" was written by Terry Jones in reference to his old Oxford College, whose Mascot is the inebriated 'Chough'. It was later discovered on a coffee mug by one of the directors. In the film, the animated Chough drinks his way through a C.G.I. theatrical set with the narrator and Terry Jones in tow.

Stephan Littger's Memories of a Sick Mind' (premiere), comedy/drama, revelationfilm 2005

Synopsis: Upon his latest release from the local mental institution, Adam has to find a way to quickly find a wife before his terminally ill mother's death. If he fails yet again, his mother's Last Will determines that her considerable fortune and the mansion they are living in will go to the family cat and the good people from the cats home. Not giving in to general confusion and the threat of complete destitution, Adam for once takes fate into his own hands and conveives of a scheme to lure the eligible bachalorette Jeanie into his proximity under false pretense - as a housekeeper and to for her to look after his mother. If everything goes according to his perfidious plan, nothing will stand in the way to a happy future once his mother's gone: far away from the institution, but very close to his older brother...

Matthew Green's 'Cauchemar de l'Homme en Noir et Blanc', comedy 2005

Synopsis: a young writer attempts to write a short film for a competition. Unfortunately, he is trapped inside a 1920s surrealist film himself. Furthermore, in his quest to 'observe and imitate', he crosses paths with the horrific 'l'Homme Noir-et-Blanc', through whose machinations our young writer is plunged into a nightmare of horrific proportions involving murder, mania, obsession and... Golosh the fox.

Tom Maine's 'Punters ', documentary 2005

As far as anyone could tell, no-one had ever punted all the way from Oxford to the source of the River Cherwell, over 50 miles upstream. However, after a serious lapse of judgement, four Magdalen students grasped the gauntlet that fate had thrown down. After months of careful planning, the group took to the waters and began a voyage that would take them, if not into the Heart of Darkness, then at least to Banbury Cross. The film documents the journey taken by the intrepid five as they battle with nature to the plaintive tones of the penny whistle. Nautical history would never be the same again.

SURPRISE film!

 

All of these films have been produced in Oxford. The directors would like to sincerely thank all those countless students that have made all these projects possible.

 

Links

Picturehouse Cinemas || British Film Institute || IMDB || Film council || New Line Cinema, Pathe || uip || Miramax || MGM || Universal || Fox

 

Any questions? Please email director and OxShort organiser Stephan Littger: stephan.littger@gmail.com

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