You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

A great strength of Southport MovieMakers in that it mixes together the energy of youth with a foundation of many years of experience of film-making. For example, our newly-appointed Programme Secretary, Alex Montague is a very recent Film graduate from Edge Hill University and another newly-appointed member of the Management Committee, our Publicity & Recruitment Officer, Sarah Pollitt, has just finished the second year of her undergraduate degree at Liverpool University. At the other extreme, our older members are well into their retirement years. Older and younger film-makers have much to offer each other.

In recognition of many years of contributing to the life of the Club in so many ways, Ashby Ball, Geoff Williams and Jim Morris earlier this year were awarded Honorary Life Memberships of the Club.

In addition, last month, Paul Bagshaw, another of our older, highly-experienced members became the first recipient of the NEW Nigel Barton Trophy, in recognition of his skill as a film-maker. This award was created in the wake of the recent death of our valued member Nigel Barton.

Paul Bagshaw

In this age when older people are sometimes overlooked, it is important to recognise and celebrate the skills and knowledge that older people bring from a lifetime of experience. In this context, it is interesting to note that Channel 4 is currently acknowledging the value of older people in their series Mary's Silver Service.

Ashby Ball and Geoff Williams - Founder Members of Southport MovieMakers

Read about the founding of the Club, now in its 65th year.

Whether you're in your 20s or your 80s, 

you can always learn new things.

Southport MovieMakers Scores Record Success

At the recent North West Festival of the Institute of Amateur Cinematographers (IAC), Southport MovieMakers scored a record success by winning no less than six awards for its film entitled Fork in the Road.

The film was a joint project between Southport MovieMakers and the long-standing member of the Club, Paul Bagshaw (Artworks Pictures).The premise of the film poses the question: How does a 16-year-old cope with transferring from a bicycle to a wheelchair after a road traffic accident, and how does it affect his state of mind and the action he takes?

The film was awarded in SIX categories:

1. IAC NW: Rhyl Cup (Best Club Entry)
2. Overall Winner
3. Best Editing
4. Best Sound
5. Best Script & Story
6. Best Actor: Robbie Fletcher-Hill

The film, the source of the idea for which was a wheelchair, was directed by Peter Ravenscroft of Southport MovieMakers.

Capitalising on the success of the film, a sequel is planned for 2014.

Read more about the film in our Film Catalogue

Artworks Première 2013

This Thursday, 21 November, Southport MovieMakers is pleased to present an evening of films produced by Artworks Pictures. Artworks Pictures are the films made by the highly-experienced film-maker and long-standing member of Southport MovieMakers, Paul Bagshaw. 

The programme for the evening is as follows:

‘Southport, A Classic Resort’ is on show as guests arrive

Artworks Picture Gallery

Extracts from Past Productions 

In Cambridge

Camera Interviews with visitors to the City 

This short documentary is one of three productions shot on a hand-held camera, the others being Broken and On the Streets.  It differs from most ‘holiday’ films in that it contains one-minute interviews with people chosen at random to explain why they had come to the City.  Surprisingly, no-one refused to speak to camera. 

Broken

Jake Bugg’s song with the back streets of Liverpool 

Broken is a music video that features a song of the same name, written and performed by 19-year-old Jake Bugg, a young musician who is now becoming increasingly popular.  The visuals are filmed in the back streets of the Liverpool city centre using a moving camera with a fish-eye lens. 

Changing the (Avant) Garde

Remember that all art was modern once 

The first section of this visual art documentary deals with the concepts of multiple viewpoint and hierarchy of scale, as seen in Egyptian art, in maps and in the drawings of children.  The second part focuses upon so-called ‘modern art’, and the reasons why it has been so frequently rejected by the majority of people, despite the fact that nearly all art was modern once.  It also addresses the anomaly that abstract visual art puzzles most people, whereas classical music, which is also abstract, does not.     

On the Streets

Liverpool, Southport, Oxford, Cambridge & London 

Street entertainers are now a more common part of urban living, and are not so often ‘moved on’ by the police as they used to be.  This film contains a wide variety of musical and other performances from thirty-four individuals and groups in London, Liverpool, Southport, Oxford and Cambridge.

Lost Opportunities

Youth Unemployment explained by those who experience it 

This film looks at one of society’s current problems of the number of unemployed young people in this country, as well as abroad.  There are some people who assume that, if you don’t work, it is because you don’t want to, but those in this film dispute this belief.   The film addresses the issue with contributions from five young people who want to work but have discovered that the finding of jobs, particularly in the North, is frustratingly difficult. Dr John Pugh, the Liberal Democrat MP for Southport, answers some of their questions.    

Artworks Films planned for 2014

Artworks Films has more films planned for the coming year. See the trailers and hear more about productions that are in the pipeline.

Main Feature

Fork in the Road

The main feature of the evening is a film entitled Fork in the Road. This film film deals with how a 16-year-old copes with transferring from a bicycle to a wheelchair after undergoing a road accident, and what affect it has upon his state of mind and the action he takes.

Meet the Film-maker

Come to the Artworks Première 2013 hosted by Southport MovieMakers this Thursday. See the films and meet the film-maker himself and other members of Southport MovieMakers.

Artworks Première 2013
Hosted by Southport MovieMakers

Day: Thursday 21 November

Time: 7.45 for 8 pm – 10.00 pm

Location: St James' Church Hall,

Lulworth Road, Southport, PR8 2BQ.

Mighty FM: Southport Arts Show – Sunday 30th June

Mighty FM is Southport’s newest Community Radio Station. It currently broadcasts online but from 1 July will be broadcasting on 87.7 FM.

This coming Sunday 30th June, Club member Paul Bagshaw will be interviewed as a guest on Mighty FM’s Southport Arts Show. Paul will be interviewed about the world of film-making in and around Southport, including Southport MovieMakers. Paul is a long-standing member of Southport MovieMakers and is an accomplished film-maker.

Paul will be interviewed by the well-known local actor David Lonsdale. David Lonsdale is best known for his 15 years playing the hapless David Stockwell in ITV’s long running and hugely popular ‘Heartbeat’.

More recently David has returned to the stage and has completed national tours of ‘The Titfield Thunderbolt’ and ‘You’re Only Young Twice’ with Melvyn Hayes. He has recently reappeared on ‘The Street’ as Kirsty Soames' violent Father Edwin.

David is a regular pantomime performer and an accomplished singer, and has appeared at the Albert Hall for three years running as a headliner in the TV Times' ‘Carols with the Stars’.

Always keen for a new challenge and a great lover of his home town – David is thrilled to be making his debut as a radio presenter with Mighty FM.

Tune in and listen to David Lonsdale interview 

Paul Bagshaw about film-making in Southport

Mighty FM’s Southport Arts Show

Sunday 30th June

10.20 – 10.40 a.m.

Southport MovieMaker’s Success

For the third time in five years Southport MovieMakers has won the Bolton Movie Challenge, a competition between member clubs of the IAC from around the North West. The winning film in 2012 is 'Behind the Wire', a dramatised documentary of the recall of memories from Auschwitz during World War II.  

The film was produced by Paul Bagshaw, and the local actors performing the roles of Auschwitz survivors are Eryl Lloyd Parry, Robin Hirsch, Ray Mann, Thelma Falls-Hand, David Charters, Betty Hayden and the late Benny Darrah.

The Film and Video Institute

British International Amateur Film Festival 2012 – Southport MovieMakers Recognised

Ashby Ball, the founder of Southport MovieMakers, was recently in Weymouth on the Dorset coast for the IAC British International Amateur Film Festival (BIAFF), 13 – 15 April 2012.

On the Saturday, to give delegates an overview, selections from the films entered were shown in four mini-cinemas in the Hotel Rembrandt, the festival venue.

Southport MovieMakers had entered “MidVillage Bloomers”, which won a 4-star award, and I went forward for the certificate on behalf of the Club after the film was shown. Paul Bagshaw of our Club also gained a 4-star award for his film “When No-one Hears You Scream”, and I received the certificate on his behalf. Paul also earned a 3-star award for “The Wall”.

On the Sunday, a selection of the top award-winning films was shown. The Daily Mail Trophy for the overall winner in the competition was won by “Angels on the Rail”, a 54 minute film by Moving Pictures, of the Czech Republic.

There was time for an outing to the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, where we were the last party to visit before a security clampdown for the yachting classes in the Olympic Games. We also visited Athelhampton House, a stately home, where after a wine reception we viewed a feature film, “From Time to Time”, shot there by Ealing Studios.

           

Poster - BIAFF 2012 - Weymouth
Full Programme of Events

Cinema at Athelhampton House

Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy

Each year in Spring, the IAC organises the British International Amateur Film Festival. 

BIAFF 2013 will be held in Chesterfield, April 2013. 

More information about BIAFF

Première of MidVillage Bloomers

This Thursday 24 November sees the première of a number of short films by local company Artworks Pictures.  The main production is MidVillage Bloomers, written and produced by Paul Bagshaw, in liaison with Southport MovieMakers who provide most of the crew.  The characters are played by thirteen well-known actors from Southport and Formby.

In the genteel middle England village of Chipping Honeypot, there are several unexplained deaths, which are investigated by Detective Chief Inspector Barnacle, played by Peter Heslin. Crimes occur in Longbottom Hall (Drayton House), the Church of Saint Bruce (St Joseph's, Birkdale), and Mrs Dumpling-Hill-Featherbank's garden (at the home of the Heslins).

The lives of Piles, Lady Longbottom's butler, the Rev. Denis Rostrum USB HDMI, and aristocratic paper boy, Piers de Montford Ponsonby-Smythe are in danger. The true identity of the murderer is revealed only at the end.  

The production is sponsored by Unlucky Fried Chicken and by supermarkets Fiasco and Aldidl.

Although all seats at the première are now taken, a DVD will soon be available from Broadhursts Booksellers and from Southport MovieMakers.

In case you haven't already realised it - this film is a comedy.

Cast from MidVillage Bloomers

Read more about the film in our Film Catalogue

Group Film in Production

During August a NEW group film is in production and is being produced by Paul Bagshaw. The film is a comedy.


More information about this development in future postings.