Islington Tribune - by ED CUMMING Published: 14 September 2007
Now screening... down at your local
Drinkers have front-row seats at pub film festival
Angel pubs will have a flavour of Cannes this week as they host their own film festival. The second Angel Film Festival, a free showcase of UK and international talent, opens on Saturday at the King’s Head in Upper Street.
Founder Chris Timms, who works in Islington, said: “We want to put something out there a bit different from the usual Friday night two-hour massacre in the dark.”
The other two founders, Terrie McCann and Rick Dickerson, both live in Farringdon but decided that the pubs around Angel were ideal for their vision.
The festival programme features new and established talent, but there are no rules for entries, other than that the films must be under 25 minutes in length.
One of the more bizarre-looking submissions, Lonely Hearts, stars The Office star Martin Freeman as a talking toy pig.
Mr Timms said: “We want to show an eclectic mix of styles, not just big-screen blockbusters.
“If we can bring along a couple of hundred people they can start building a buzz and generating some interest.”
He added: “It’s about making film more accessible. People can go to other festivals and feel out of place, but these filmmakers want to engage their audience.
“Holding it in the pub means people can network, and the directors and cast can get feedback on their work. It helps build a community.”
Performances are tomorrow (Saturday) at the King’s Head, on Sunday at Bierodrome, September 23 at The Garden and on September 24 at the Vue Cinema.
All shows run from 2-5pm except the festival’s final event, which is from 6.30-9.30pm.