The Festival so far

Four days are gone!!

The screenings still continuing during this week...but three days are gone and we had a great time! We´ve been able to see the result of all our efforts in the weeks passed as we had people really pleased and interested who had come to watch the movies. In most of our screenings we have had the opportunity to meet the directors and some of the crew and it´s been really a exciting experience. Just after watching the movies, we had time to ask the directors what the film meant to them, their purposes, etc. And also they´ve joined Pete (DeclarationFilmFest Director) in the discussion panels about independent production and distribution so the public knows the hard life of this industry from the protagonists.

Friday...it´s the first day and we are all nervous and excited!! The first films are screened and we´r getting ready for this busy week. We set up everything and we send more brochures out.

During the night we celebrated the DeclarationFilmFest opening and it was great fun!! Duke was amazing as we enjoyed their original music from the start until they had to leave. From Justin Timberlake´s "Sexy Back" to "Don´t let me go" from David Getta Love...they made us enjoy all of their songs made just from a guitar and their three throats and voices. Richard and Terry were also great entertainers for the night as they danced and made us laugh all the time!

So, after the first nervous day, after all the first films, we had time to relax a bit and enjoy the night.

I had the opportunity to see some of the films during the weekend...and they are really good. On Sunday night I saw "Little Chenier" and I was amazed for this moving story. We also met the director, Bethany Ashton Wolf’s, and you could feel in her the calmness of the place where she filmed her movie in Louisiana, where she was born.

"Super amigos", a super story about five different men who work for justice in Mexico. Super Barrio, Super Gay, Ecologista Universal, Super Animal (with his sidekick Super Animalito) and Fray Tormenta fight slum landlords, homophobia , pollution, bullfighters and poverty. Mexican-Canadian director Arturo Perez Torres’s shocks us with this colourful and extraordinary documentary.

"Holes in my shoes" showed us the great story of once the strongest man in New York. Nearly 100 years old, Jack Beers tells us the story of his own long and amazing life. From the beginning till the end you get hooked by this lovely man that had a life full of "ups and downs" but he always knew how to carry on and find something new to do...builder, business man, dog trainer, actor...he never gave up doing things. Clearly he´s it´s an inspirational life.

Do come and enjoy the rest of what´s going on until Thursday!! And remember our competition still on!!!We already have the poster signed by the directors!!

Win our competition!

The screening starts tomorrow, as you know! So we're doing a competition for all those that come to the screenings.

What you have to do:
- Come to the screenings...watch the film you have chosen
- Write a review of the film or films you watched
- Send it to cristina@declarationfilmfest.org with your name and e-mail address, so I can get back to you if you win!!

How does it work:
- All the DeclarationFilmFest team will choose their favourite review.

What you win:
- Two original and trendy shirts of the festival.
- The official and cool poster of the festival, signed by some of the directors that are coming!

You can all win:
- The best reviews will be published in this blog.

Meet the Director

This morning I was lucky enough to have a little chat with the founder, director, organiser...however you want to call him...but he is the one who had the great idea of bringing all these great selection of independent films to London: Peter J. Storey.

I've introduced him before when I posted about this great team we are, but this time we talked about the festival and it's organisation.

You may think that Peter is a geek that spends all the time watching independent films, but no, he is a movie fan who enjoys the magic of blockbusters and the rich diversity of independent films, as he likes variety: a little bit of everything. But he decided to start this big adventure called: The Declaration of Independence Film Festival, because he realised there was a big gap: London, the UK and Europe was missing really good films that the US and Canada are making, but because they are independent, the distribution to this side of the Atlantic is close to impossible.

The idea just came one day in middle 2006. Peter decided start promoting it in between friends and contacts he had here in the UK, but also in North America. Travelling to the States, meeting new directors, producers, crew...was now part of his duty if he wanted to get a good variety of films. He also had the opportunity to attend some of the festivals where our films were screened and awarded, such as Sundance Film Festival 2006.

After his trip around North America and searching for films in withoutabox.com, he came back, and started to get ready for the DeclarationFilmFest.

Probably, the hardest thing was to find a name for the project. Peter came up with the original name of "The Declaration of Independence Film Festival": Including the fact that only US and Canadian (which declared independence from Great Britain, Centuries ago) films are allowed in the festival but also, they can only be independent...It's just perfect!

So...after watching more than 350 films, some of them more than once, Peter & Co. came up with the selection we now have and that we'll start screening tomorrow!, the 1st of June and until the 7Th next week.

All these films have been chosen in order showcase the diversity, richness and also originality in the independent film world. Also, the awards, being screened in different festivals and the great film directors of these features, documentaries and shorts has helped Peter to make a decision, as a sign of quality in the projects.

As Peter said, this festival is a unique opportunity to see great films full of different cultural contents and new voices that normally are so hard to find in our film industry. Directors and crew of the films will be at the screenings so you have the chance to meet them and ask them about their work. Panel discussions about independent film production and distribution will take place after some of the screenings and parties, charity gala and live music will be in our program! Don't miss the chance of enjoying the DeclarationFilmFest 2007 for the first time with us!

The best independent documentaries

DARIUS GOES WEST: THE ROLL OF HIS LIFE

Darius Weems, a 15-year old from Athens, Georgia, is a car enthusiast and a devotee of Pimp My Ride. He also suffers from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a wasting disease that is rarely survived beyond the early twenties. In an attempt to get his wheelchair `pimped’ on the show, Darius and his friends set off in a giant RV across the breadth of America, from coast to coast. Darius had previously never left his hometown; so, for the first time, he sees the mountains, swims in the ocean and encounters wasabi sauce.

Screening : June 4 18:00 at Cineworld

Screening : June 5 12:00 at The Renoir

BEFORE THE MUSIC DIES

Never have so few companies controlled so much of the music played on the radio and for sale at retail stores. At the same time, there are more bands and more ways to discover their music than ever. Music seems to have split in two - the homogenous corporate product that is spoon-fed to consumers and the diverse independent music that finds devoted fans online and at clubs across the country. Before the Music Dies is both an indictment of the corporate music business, with AutoTune as its tool of choice, and a celebration of the joy of real music. From celebrated musicians such as Erykah Badu and Eric Clapton, to Seattle buskers and Mississippi gospel singers, the filmmakers’ tour across the USA combines great performances with a deep love and concern for contemporary music. Screening with the short The Ramones and I (dir. Rusty Nails). A teenage boy finds salvation from the suburbs – through punk. With exclusive live footage from one of New York’s greatest bands.
Screening & After Party : June 2 19:15 at Horse Hospital
After Party : June 2 21:15 at Horse Hospital
Screening : June 5 14:00 at Horse Hospital

COMICS ON DUTY: WE LOVE YOU, MRS. BEVINS!
Four stand-up comedians embark on an extraordinary tour: entertaining US troops on bases across Iraq. The title comes from co-director Danny Bevins, one of the comics and himself a former paratrooper, attempting to explain to his mother his motivation in taking easily the world’s most dangerous comedy gig. The film offers both comedy, and revelatory insight into the daily life of US troops in occupied Iraq. From base to base in trucks and Black Hawk helicopters, the comics and the soldiers they meet reflect on war, duty and home.

Screening : June 3 15:00 at Horse Hospital
Screening : June 5 12:00 at Horse Hospital

HOLES IN MY SHOES
An award-winning film about the awesome Jack Beers. Raised in extreme poverty in NYC, Jack found fame as “New York's Strongest Boy”. And at 94, the film opens with a reprise of one of his not-to-be-missed feats of strength! An extraordinary tribute to one of New York’s greatest characters. As an ironworker, he built many of the city’s landmarks, including Radio City Music Hall. His engineering contribution to The Manhattan Project is credited with helping to shorten WW2, and saving many lives. He was responsible for erecting the famous Empire State Building spire, was a championship dog trainer, and to top it off, he garnered over 200 film credits as a character actor. A real-life Zelig. This moving, funny, and inspirational documentary follows Jack Beer’s colorful life which perfectly reflects that of his city.

Screening : June 2 13:00 at Horse Hospital

Screening : June 4 14:15 at The Renoir

SONIC YOUTH: SLEEPING NIGHTS AWAKE

The world premiere of a concert documentary featuring seminal indie band Sonic Youth on Independence Day 2006. Produced by Reno, Nevada-based Project Moonshine, the film was shot and produced by teenagers, on a shoestring budget, in an echo of Sonic Youth’s own DIY ethos from the eighties. Featuring intimate interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, and an exclusive concert performance, the film is essential viewing for fans of the band. Highlights include new versions of Tom Violence, Shaking Hell, Incinerate and Kool Thing.

Screening : June 2 21:30 at The Renoir
Screening : June 4 20:30 at Horse Hospital

SOUL OF JUSTICE: THELTON HENDERSON’S AMERICAN JOURNEY
As the first black attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the Kennedy Justice Department in the 1960’s, Henderson, fresh out of law school, confronted the intricate challenges of being a black man in authority within the largely all-white world of the American legal system. With rare and powerful archival footage "Soul of Justice" offers viewers an intimate window into the world of the young lawyer as he grapples with tough choices, including the decision to loan a car to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a crucial act which which ultimately cost him his job.

Screening : June 1 17:30 at Horse Hospital
Screening : June 2 15:30 at Horse Hospital

SUPER AMIGOS

Mexico city is not Gotham City, but if you were to run into any of the five masked activists who protect this metropolis, you’d wonder if you had fallen into a comic book. These real-life superheroes are celebrated Lucha Libre wrestlers who use their fame to battle for social justice. Join Super Barrio, Super Gay, Ecologista Universal, Super Animal (with his sidekick Super Animalito) and Fray Tormenta as they fight slum landlords, bullfighters, homophobia and poverty in Mexican-Canadian director Arturo Perez Torres’s colourful and extraordinary documentary.

Screening : June 1 19:00 at Horse Hospital
Screening : June 3 19:00 at Horse Hospital
Screening : June 7 12:00 at Horse Hospital

SWIMMING IN AUSCHWITZ

The stories of six Los Angeles women, all survivors of the Holocaust. The film begins with their `normal’, pre-war lives across Europe, and we chart their paths from encountering growing anti-Semitism through to the horror of the camps. An essential female perspective on life in the Nazis’ most notorious concentration camp, that claimed the lives of their close family and friends. Yet the story the women tell is not merely that of suffering, but is a testament to solidarity and human resilience. We learn of the singing, the sharing of food, the virtual family groups that carried these remarkable women through unimaginable conditions.

Screening : June 6 21:30 at The Renoir
Screening : June 7 12:00 at The Renoir

THE RAMONES AND I

A coming of age documentary about a teenage boy who finds salvation from the suburbs with the help of New York's greatest punk band... The Ramones.

Screened before "Before the Music Dies"

WE’LL TAKE CARE OF YOU
The arthritis drug Vioxx was one of Merck’s biggest selling drugs, with up to 80 million prescriptions worldwide and generating revenues estimated at $2.5bn annually. In 2004, the company withdrew the drug following concerns over dramatically increased risks of heart disease, and substantial lawsuits followed. This scathing documentary from directors Lattanzio Firmian and Alberto Baudo follows the Vioxx scandal, and uncovers some deeply disturbing facts about the relationship between the corporations of Big Pharma, the medical profession and the regulatory bodies charged with protecting the public. The Tuesday 5th screening of the film is to be followed by a special panel discussion hosted by Ben Goldacre, doctor, journalist and author of the Guardian’s Bad Science column.

Screening : June 5 18:00 at Horse Hospital

Screening : June 7 16:15 at Horse Hospital

WHITE SHADOWS
Dalee Henderson claims he was born with three strikes against him: black, gay and from the South. His sheer force of personality drove him to success and fame as one of Hollywood’s leading celebrity hairdressers in the eighties. Then came his diagnosis as HIV positive. White Shadows is a tough and inspiring documentary, following Dalee towards the end of his time. The gruelling portrait of the physical suffering of life with AIDS is offset by his hope, spirit and love of life. Genuinely inspirational.

Screening : June 4 18:30 at Horse Hospital

Screening : June 6 12:00 at Horse Hospital

YIDDISH THEATER: A LOVE STORY

Before World War II, there were an estimated 200 theatres and troupes in the United States performing in Yiddish. New York’s Second Avenue was the Yiddish Broadway, and the Jewish population of the Lower East Side supported productions with huge casts and outstanding production values. Today, veteran actress Zypora Spaisman faces a daily struggle to keep New York’s last professional Yiddish theatre company alive. Dan Katzir’s warm, funny and moving documentary follows a tenacious and extraordinary woman fighting to preserve a unique corner of cultural heritage.
Screening : June 3 13:00 at Horse Hospital

Screening : June 4 14:00 at Horse Hospital

MILLIONS (A LOTTERY STORY)

For many Americans, winning the lottery is the ultimate dream come true. Rags-to-riches stories and their sordid flip side - tales of millions wasted - are common fodder for talk shows, but the public is rarely allowed more than a superficial glimpse into the world of instant, unexpected wealth. Millions follows six big-money lottery winners to show just how dramatically the experience can affect ordinary people. Meet the Minnesota dinnerladies and the poster-boys of the New York State Lottery, Lucky Lightbulb Louis and Curtis, Millions tells their rather more complicated stories in a poignant story of luck, loss and redemption.

Screening : June 4 16:00 at Horse Hospital
Screening : June 6 18:30 at Horse Hospital

To make you have a quick idea of the films, take a look...

CROSSED
The story: Mikey Sullivan is released from prison after taking the rap for his best friend. Determined to turn his life around, he struggles with addiction, anger and a low-paying mundane job. However, his old associates have different plans, and in a situation where nothing is quite what it seems, Mikey finds himself in a struggle for freedom, justice and revenge.

Screening: June 4 19:15 at The Renoir

Sreening : June 6 16:00 at The Horse Hospital

DISAPPEARANCES
This film is based on the award-winning novel by Howard Frank Mosher and the story took place in 1932, just months before the repeal of Prohibition and two weeks shy of Wild Bill's fifteenth birthday.
Kris Kristofferson stars as schemer and dreamer Quebec Bill Bonhomme in a spellbinding tale of high-stakes whiskey-smuggling, a family's mysterious past, and a young boy's rite of passage.Quebec Bill, desperate to raise money to preserve his endangered cattle herd through a long winter, resorts to whiskey smuggling, a traditional family occupation. He takes his son, Wild Bill, on an unforgettable trip that will long remain etched in the viewer's mind: a journey through vast reaches of the Canadian wilderness and into a haunted and elusive past. What they find is the stuff of genuine legend.

Screening : June 3 18:30 at The Renoir

Screening : June 7 16:30 at The Renoir

EVERYTHING'S GONE GREEN

Ryan is an uberslacker who is nonetheless willing to fall into accidental success. After losing his job the same day he is dumped by his yuppie girlfriend, Ryan gets a dispiriting job with a tacky lottery magazine, photographing winners and writing their stories.In a Mandarin language class Ryan is taking for work, he meets lovely Ming but unfortunately Ming is currently involved with a fast-talking scammer, Bryce. Bryce spots a money-laundering scheme involving the new lottery winners and Ryan soon launches himself into the lifestyle of the suddenly rich and not-otherwise-likely-to-be-famous. Soon, without a lot of thought, Ryan has got the sports car and leather jacket of moneyed youth -something that puts him at odds with Ming ,the beautiful set-dresser from class who just so happens to be in the process of breaking up with Bryce. All Ryan needs to do is convince Ming how different he is from Bryce, which proves a bit harder than ever expected.
Screening : June 6 16:30 at The Renoir

Screening : June 7 18:45 at The Renoir

EXPIRATION DATE
A romantic fable/black comedy of sweetly odd proportions, Expiration date tells the story of Charlie Silvercloud III, a man with heavy ancestral weight on his shoulders: his grandfather and father both were killed on their 25th birthdays by milk trucks. So, he is just about to turn into 25 and he only has eight days left when he meets in the library a girl who won't let him die in peace.

Screening : June 1 21:15 at The Renoir

Screening : June 6 21:00 at Horse Hospital

FLANNEL PAJAMAS
Two thirty-something New Yorkers meet for a blind date at a local diner in a rainy night in April. The successful, confident, but lonely, Stuart falls for the younger, reticent Nicole. As they progress from love to marriage to discussions about starting a family, their relationship faces the challenges of critical friends, emotionally demanding relatives, time-consuming careers, religion and the stresses caused by the endless negotiations all couples wage daily. Fearlessly intimate, "Flannel Pajamas" echoes the best, most reflective films of Eric Rohmer in its portrait of the path of a modern relationship.
Screening : June 2 18:30 at The Renoir
Screening : June 5 16:15 at The Renoir

LITTLE CHENIER

Deep in the Louisiana bayou, Beauxregard `Beaux’ Dupuis and his mentally-handicapped brother Pemon live on a houseboat, and struggle to make ends meet with their bait shop. When Pemon is falsely accused of a crime, Beaux vows to defend his brother, as old prejudices and rivalries threaten to destroy the community of Little Chenier.
Subtitled A Cajun Story, the film is saturated in the atmosphere and culture of the bayou. The pacing, the terrific cinematography, the music and the English-lapsing-into-French dialect create an extraordinary sense of place and community, rarely seen on screen.
Screening : June 1 16:15 at The Renoir
Screening : June 3 21:00 at The Horse Hospital

MONKEY WARFARE
Dan and Linda are two forty-somethings, living the bohemian life. They earn their crust from selling recycled items from garage sales and the trash; their favourite recreation is smoking weed; their idealism has long faded. All this changes with the arrival of Susan, an angry young pot-dealing radical, with a mission to shake them from their sexual and political complacency. As she becomes entangled with their lives, a far darker history emerges. What does it mean to be committed to a cause in an age of apathy?

Screening : June 4 21:15 at The Renoir

Screening : June 6 14:15 at The Renoir

MAN IN THE CHAIR
Cameron Kincaid is in deep trouble at school, with his family and with the law. His one hope is to win a fiercely-contested scholarship to film school – but how do you do that with no money and no crew? Enter Flash Madden – once a legendary gaffer from Hollywood’s Golden Era, now a broken-down old alcoholic. Can they, and Flash’s friends from the Motion Picture Retirement Home, turn it around? Can Cameron achieve his ambition of becoming The Man In The Chair?
Screening : June 4 16:30 at The Renoir

Screening : June 5 21:15 at The Renoir

Screening : June 7 21:15 at The Renoir

PUNCHING AT THE SUN
Tanuj Chopra’s feature debut follows four days in the life of Mameet, a headstrong Indian-American teenager, lost in grief and rage after the murder of his basketball-star elder brother. A searing portrait of conflicted youth in New York’s South Asian community, "Punching At The Sun" addresses the challenge to family and tradition presented by a violent and cynical American society. With a hip-hop soundtrack from New York’s Asian MCs, and fiercely energetic direction, the film has drawn comparisons to the work of Spike Lee and John Singleton. Complex characterisation and performances complement a fresh visual style and great production values. It is a unique, angry and sensitive portrait of a second-generation immigrant community rarely seen on screen.
Screening : June 3 16:15 at The Renoir

Screening : June 5 19:15 at The Renoir

Screening : June 5 21:00 at The Horse Hospital


SWEET LAND
Headstrong mail-order bride Inge travels to the Midwestern prairies to marry the taciturn Olaf. However, her German origins provoke an angry reaction from the xenophobic post-World War One community. Despite this ostracisation, ever-present economic hardship and the lack of a common language, the couple gradually, gracefully fall deeply in love. Elizabeth Reaser and Tim Guinee are outstanding as Inge and Olaf, with wonderfully-cast support from Alan Cumming and Ned Beatty. David Tumblety’s breathtaking colour photography acts in harmony with the film’s impeccable period detail and design to make Sweet Land an essential American indie classic.
Screening : June 1 18:30 at The Renoir

Screening : June 2 15:45 at The Renoir

THE DEATH OF MICHAEL SMITH

In a non-linear fashion, the film tells the story of three men, inextricably linked to a mysterious murder. Against the backdrop of a harsh Detroit winter and the brutal death of the eponymous low-level drug dealer, the film follows the victim, the killer and the homicide detective on the case - all named Michael Smith. The complex multi-level narrative presents an unwavering journey into violence, loss, and ultimately, redemption. Terrific performances and dazzling visual invention elevate the convention of the crime drama into an outstanding art-house debut. Screening : June 2 13:15 at The Renoir
Screening : June 3 21:15 at The Renoir

Screening : June 7 21:00 at The Horse Hospital

THE PACIFIC AND EDDY
In the wake of a sudden loss, Eddy skips town leaving his friends to mourn for him. A vagabond musician, Eddy runs until there is nowhere left to run to but home. The Pacific and Eddy captures the uncertainty of a time when identities begin to reveal themselves. Some self-destruct, others surge in this story that follows four characters as they each find their own way to deal with the loss of a close friend. In a supremely artful debut, writer-director Matthew Nourse shows sure handling of pace, mood and texture on the Pacific coastline of San Diego County. The naturalistic dialogue is well-performed by a committed cast, and Aaron Platt’s elegant cinematography supports the film’s beautiful and striking imagery.
Screening : June 6 19:00 at The Renoir

Screening : June 7 14:00 at The Renoir

Come and meet the directors

Hello!

We just wanted to let you know that quite a lot of the directors are coming!! We have confirmation so far from:
Dan Lyon, director of the feature film unit for Telefilm Canada and executive producer of Everything’s Gone Green. He will be attending the festival and participating in panel discussions.
We also have the attendance of:
- Jeff Lipsky - Flannel Pajamas
- Ali Selim - Sweet Land
- Michael Schroeder - Man in the Chair
- Jay Craven - Disappearances
- Tanuj Chopra - Punching at the Sun
- Logan Smalley and his crew - Darius Goes West
- Paul Le Blanc - Millions
- Reginald Harkema - Monkey Warfare
- Jon Kean - Swimming in Auschwitz
- David Wachs - Holes in My Shoes
- Kit Hui - Missing
- Stephanie Carwin - Indiscreet

This is a great opportunity to come and enjoy the films, but also you will have the chance to meet them and there will be time for Q&A for the curious ones!!

Do you want to be part of this team?

We still looking for some volunteers to help us during the screening of our films! So, if you want to take part in it and watch the movies, documentaries and shorts...get in contact wiht our lovely festival Co-ordinator, Sarah Crisp, at sarah@declarationfilmfest.org!! Also, remember there're parties, discussion pannels and live music! And you will part of our big team!!

This is who we are...

Hi again!Last week we informed you about our festival, films and other events going on. But now it's time to introduce ourselves...the team that is giving life to this festival for the first time! We are a group of enthusiastic people, and we all have in common the passion for films.

Peter J. Storey, Festival Director and founder
His film career began quite a few years ago, when he worked on the floor as a gaffer, working up from the most threadbare of student productions through to major Hollywood. His natural skepticism of hard work let him to retrain, taking a MBA in corporate finance, after which him spent several years producing and organising structured finance for international features. A passion for quality North American indies has led Peter to set up the Declaration FilmFest to introduce audiences to all the great films that often get missed across the Atlantic.
Some facts:
- The biggest gig of his lighting career was covering Princess Diana's funeral for NBC. - He once tried to explain the rules of cricket to Tom Hanks.
- He spent 15 minutes chatting up Heather Graham without having the slightest clue who she was. Got completely blown out, as you might expect.
About the Festival:
"How did got involved in the festival?, thought it up one night after a few beers." "Recommended films?: that's like Sophie's choice - I love `em all!"

Jeremy Platt is the Associate Director.


Tessa Beazley, Producer
Tessa Beazley has 10 years’ experience in the Film industry, working as a Producer and Production Manager. Previous projects include Mike Bassett: England Manager, Alien Autopsy, Jim Henson’s Mirrormask and most recently, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom for Yash Raj Films. She was roped into Producing the Festival by her boyfriend, AJ (a friend of Pete’s), and has been suffering chronic nervous mental exhaustion ever since.
Some facts:
- She takes very nice photographs.
- She and AJ have a Collie-cross dog called Red, who on most days can be found splayed underneath Sarah’s desk .
- She doesn’t have an ‘off’ button.
- She hates wasabi peanuts.
- She is the nicest person you are likely ever to meet.
Tessa’s Recommended Festival Films:
Features: Everything’s Gone Green and Little Chenier.
Documentary: Super Amigos.
Shorts: Redemption Maddie and Ninth Street Chronicles.

Julia Delmas, Press Liaison
Julia Delmas is acting as Press Liaison for the Festival and works for Screen Republic. She worked as a Script Supervisor and Location Co-ordinator for film & TV for five years, before succumbing to Pete’s professional charms and jumping aboard the Press boat.
Some facts about Julia:
- She has worked as a Press Officer for the Police.
- She has written two scripts, and is currently working on the third.
- She was a freelance fashion stylist in a previous life.
Julia’s Recommended Festival Films:
Feature: Man In The Chair.
Documentary: Before The Music Dies.
Short: Moi.

Julia has Tom Mcgrath as Press Assitant.


Richard Lister, Thecnical Consultant
Richard is the Festival's resident Technical Consultant and works for Screen Republic. He has 15 years' experience as a system developer and has worked for companies such as Accenture, TV2i, Sky, Cellcast and Scott Dunn. He got involved in the Festival "at gun point".

Interesting facts about Richard:

- He enjoys snowboarding, skateboarding and stealing other people's food.

- Also runs a small gardening business, and can turn his hand to anything and has even run a Hotel in The Alps.

- He can play the piano and likes to compose music.

Richard's Recommended Festival Films:

Feature: Man in the Chair.

Documentary: Darius Goes West.

Short: El Otro Lado del Pastillo


Terry Tsang is Richard's Technical Assistant.


Chloe Preece, Assistant Producer
Chloe Preece actually applied for the job, and has been considering getting her head checked ever since. She has worked with Film London, CBS News and has ongoing projects with Practicum Theatre. Her other job is writing theatre reviews for LondonTheatre.co.uk.
Some facts about Chloe: -
She has more passports than she knows what to do with.
- She spent 3 years freezing in Canada before deciding to seek out some more miserable weather and moved to the UK.
- She "wants to be on a beach, far away…". Don’t we all?
- She speaks fluent French.
- She has a wonderful dress sense that puts the rest of us to shame.
Chloe’s Recommended Festival Films:
Feature: Man In The Chair
Documentary: Before The Music Dies
Short: Ninth Street Chronicles


Sarah Crisp, Co-ordinator

Sarah Crisp works as a 2nd Assistant Director and Production Co-ordinator for film & TV. Previous projects include Night Junkies, Iyi Seneler, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom and Dubplate Drama, Series 2. She was dragged into the fray of the festival by Tessa, and has since been trying to find a way to get revenge.

Some facts about Sarah:
- She used to direct for theatre before jumping ship 4 years ago to TV & film.

- She can manage to fall asleep “pretty much anywhere”
- She is very sentimental - if her house was burning down, she would stop to save her collection of 80’s kid’s cartoons, Mega Drive games and Asterix books- “so I probably wouldn’t get very far!”
- She comes from Churchdown, Gloucestershire, and enjoys going back for peace and quiet
- She is not ashamed to be a Take That fan!
Sarah’s Recommended Festival Films:
Feature: Little Chenier
Documentary: Super Amigos
Short: Ninth Street Chronicles


Ok, so this are the ones who spend his days in here all the time, but we have some more people working from different places or comming in when they can!! This is the big list!!!

- Keri Smith - Sponsorship and Events management.
- Paola Minazzato and Peter Bathurst - Programming Consultants
- Marcos Villalba Lopez - Graphic Design
- Marketing Assistants:
Leah Stipic
Tiru Thiruvilangam
Marianna Kaplatzi
Ying Xiong
Cristina Solomon...also...blogger!
-Office Runners:
Joseph Crone
-Red - Official pet of the festival

Not just films

Hello!!

This Festival is not only about films! As you know there're other things going on...and I've decided to list them here so you take a quick look.

June the 1st
We start! So we have an opening party with live music from the band Duke for industry professionals and press.

June the 2nd

17:00 - Panel discussion: Independent Production
How do North American independent films get made? Or financed? In an environment with no Film Council or National Lottery, indie filmmakers are obliged to be entrepreneurial in production. In this panel discussion, directors from the Declaration FilmFest discuss their path from concept, to screen, to international festival.

Where: Horse Hospital - 30 Colonnade, London, WC1N 1JD - 020 78333644

19:15 - Screening and Music Life of the documentary: Before The Music Dies
In Before The Music Dies, the filmmakers issue a call for a return to real music, made by real musicians. Our special event features a screening of the documentary followed by live acoustic performances from exciting emerging artists. Presented in association with City Showcase, London’s leading festival for new music.
Where: Horse Hospital - 30 Colonnade, London, WC1N 1JD - 020 78333644

June the 3rd

17:00 - Panel discussion: Independent Distribution
Once you’ve made your movie, how do you get it out to that all-important audience? If the conventional channels to the screen are closed, then what can the indie filmmaker do? Our directors discuss the innovative methods by which they have been challenging the orthodoxy, and taking their films directly to the people. Please check our website for up-to-date information on participants.
Where: Horse Hospital - 30 Colonnade, London, WC1N 1JD - 020 78333644

June the 4th
18:00 - Charity Gala related to the documentary Darius Goes West
We are proud to present the international premiere of Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life, in the presence of the filmmakers and friends of Darius. In association with UK Muscular Dystrophy Campaign.

Where: Cineworld - Hertsmere Rd, West India Quay, London, E14 4AL - 020 78378402

June the 5th
18:00 - Screening and panel discussion about the documentary We’ll Take Care of You
We’ll Take Care of You is a savage indictment of drug companies, and their methods of doing business. Serious questions are raised about their promotional tactics and their undue influence over doctors and over the regulatory bodies charged with protecting the public. In a special screening and panel discussion, doctor and journalist Ben Goldacre, author of the Guardian’s Bad Science column, will lead a panel of medical professionals in addressing the issues raised in the film, and their implications for the British public.
Where: Horse Hospital - 30 Colonnade, London, WC1N 1JD - 020 78333644

21:00 - Punching at the Sun Party
To celebrate the International Premiere of Tanuj Chopra’s powerful film Punching At The Sun, we are hosting the official after-party at the Horse Hospital. The screening will be followed by a performance from exciting new London-based hip-hop act 'Ndubz', whose latest single 'Better Not Waste My Time' has been enjoying extensive exposure on radio and TV.

Where: Horse Hospital - 30 Colonnade, London, WC1N 1JD - 020 78333644

See you there!!!

Find us also

Hi all!

There's less than two weeks to go and we're preparing everything for this different and exciting festival!! You may have known us from this blog, but also, visit us in our website to get more information, and also join us in our "myspace"...with our last news updated, trailers and videos.

Also, in this blog, you can find links to the WesSites of our films and documentaries...that we'll be showing. Take a look and come and see the ones that interest you!! There are stories for everyone!

The other festivals

Nearly all our films have been awarded in different festivals around the world. Most of them are American, but some of them are International and recognised by the film industry and by film critics and fans.I've decided to make a selection of this awards, so we know a bit more about them: Two American festivals, one Canadian, and one international.

Sundance Film Festival
This Festival takes place in Utah, USA by January. It was established by the Utah Film Commission in 1978. Also, Robert Redford, in 1981 founded The Sundance Institute to engage the festival with new filmmakers. Two years later, the festival became part of the Sundance Institute and added international films to its program. Sundance Festival has a open structure, witch makes it easier for all kinds of directors and film-makers to take part in it: well known US and international directors, emerging film-makers, experimental world cinema and also independent films from the best of the US.The top price is the Grand Jury Prize.Robert Redford and Quentin Tarantino are usual visitors to this festival, actually, Reservoir Dogs début in Sundance.

Our films: Expiration Date, Flannel Pajamas and Punching at the Sun.

Toronto Film Festival
Established in 1976, this festival is known around the world and it takes place, as it name's says, in Toronto, Canada. It's known as the "festival of festivals" as it films come awarded from other festivals. The festival showcases the best in emerging and established home-grown talent, international film-makers, world cinema, documentaries and avant-garde film. This is the reason for tit to be so influential and compared with Cannes Festival.The top prize id the People's Choice Award and Toronto's Festival is one of the latest in the year as it takes part in September.

Our films: Everything's gone green and Monkey Warfare.

Tribeca Film Festival

Tribeca takes place in New York in April. The Festival has a little history, as it was established in 2002, but it's very important for the US society for it’s meaning. Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal decided to set it up in response to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on 11 September 2001. The event attracted more than 150,000 people and screened premieres of studio films Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, About A Boy, and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.But also, it was founded to celebrate New York's position as a major film-making location and to contribute to the long-term recovery of lower Manhattan. The festival has grown considerably in just four years, maybe because of the special meaning of it for the americans.

Our films: Punching at the Sun.

Berlin Film Festival

The special fact about this festival is that it was Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca, starring Joan Fontaine the film that opened this festival in 1951 in Berlin, Germany. It was set up to try and recapture some of the artistic glory days of the 1920s, while much of the city was still under reconstruction after World War II. These categories include screenings of big international movies; independent and art-house productions; world cinema and domestic films. About 350 films are shown at the two-week long festival every year, most of which are world or European premieres and more that 150.000 people enjoy the screening. More than 16,000 film professionals, including 3,600 journalists from about 80 countries are accredited for the festival every year, making it one of the most prestigious around the world.The top price given is the Golden Bear.

Our films: Man in the chair.

The other Festivals and awards: FAIF Hollywood International Film Festival, American Film Institute Fest, SXSW, Vancouver, American Indian Film Festival, Sedona International Film Festival, Palm Springs Film Festival, Festroia, Phoenix Film Festival, Park City Film Music Festival, Austin Film Festival, Santa Barbara, MethodFest, AFI Dallas, Seattle International Film Festival, Newport International Film Festival, Florida Film Festival, Independent Spirit Awards, Hamptons International Film Festival, Slamdance, Omaha Film Festival, Pensacola International Film Festival, Longbaugh, Cleveland International Film Festival, South by southwest, Savannah Film Festival, Connecticut Film Festival, Coney Island Film Festival and Secret City Film Festival.

Let´s get this party started

Hi all!
There´s less than two weeks to go for this new and original festival that tries to give way in to a different kind of film-making. A great selection of the best independent US and Canadian features, shorts and documentaries are going to be shown for all London. The screening will take place in different venues and days, so you can choose when is best for you and your friends!
This is the first time we´re doing this festival so we´re full of energy and enthusiasm to get this project done. Our films are not the only events we´re preparing. We have discussion panels, parties, live music and charity galas.
The main purpose of this selection of movies is to show us all that North America is full of different stories, more than the ones that Hollywood shows us. Films full of content, criticism, diversity, humour and hope.