East End Film Festival
Encyclopedia
The East End Film Festival is one of the biggest film festivals in London. Taking place annually in various venues throughout East London, the festival "showcases hot new talent and homegrown films alongside larger independent releases and special events, informing and inspiring a new generation of filmmakers and audiences from across London and beyond, and raising the profile of this vibrant and diverse area - London’s East End." To this end, the festival screens UK, Eastern European, and Asian independent features each year, along with hundreds of short films from up-and-coming filmmakers.
, London Borough of Newham
, the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
, and the Raindance Film Festival
which ran Raindance East as part of the official selection. As a result of this partnership, Raindance took over the festival from 2003 to 2005 at which point it became Raindance East , but returned to its original East End Film Festival state in 2006.
In 2006 the East End Film Festival opened with the London premiere of actor Richard E. Grant
's directorial debut Wah-Wah
. Not only did Richard E Grant attend the gala premiere, he also acted as the festivals Director In Residence, and took part in a Q&A session introducing a special festival screening of Robert Altman
's 1975 masterpiece Nashville. Producer In Residence Stephen Woolley
also took part in a Q&A following a special festival screening of his acclaimed film The Crying Game
.
The 2007 festival opened with the world premiere of With Gilbert And George, a moving portrait of Spitalfields-based contemporary artists Gilbert And George
, followed by a Q&A with director Julian Cole. The 2007 programme also included a sneak preview of Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten
plus a conversation with the film's director Julien Temple
. Nitin Sawhney
, musician and patron of the festival, said: "Having been a patron of the festival for four years, it’s been really rewarding to watch the festival grow, reflecting the creative explosion that’s happening in east London at the moment."
The festival opened in 2008 with the London premiere of independent British feature The Waiting Room. The film's director Roger Goldby said "I am absolutely thrilled that we have been selected for the gala opening night screening. It’s a great way to introduce The Waiting Room to Londoners, as the East End Film Festival is such a vibrant and creative event." Roger Goldby and lead actor Ralf Little
attended the opening night premiere along with other VIP guests. The screening was followed by a party at Beach Blanket Babylon in Shoreditch. Other highlights in 2008 included a programme of films exploring teenage angst (including two earlier films starring Oscar nominated young actress Ellen Page
), a selection of new British features, films from Eastern Europe, as well as a vast collection of shorts.
In 2009 the BBC Film Network said "as in previous years, we can expect a satisfyingly diverse lineup of films and events at various venues across East London. The programmers have focused on films which portray aspects of East End and multicultural London life." The Evening Standard newspaper flagged up British filmmakers Nicola and Teena Collins
debut film The End, City Rats
, Elevator, Junior Eurovision Song Contest
documentary Sounds Like Teen Spirit
, discussion panel The London Perambulator, and 3-D cinema event Another Dimension And How To Get There as highlights. There was also a screening of Not In Our Name
at Amnesty International
's Human Rights Action Centre. The 2009 East End Film Festival trailer was directed and designed by Lucy Izzard, an annimation director and illustrator at Slinky Pictures
, and featured a variety of comic characters visiting various festival venues such as RichMix, the Whitechapel Gallery, and the Genesis Cinema. In 2009 the festival incorporated almost 200 screenings and events, and broke all past festival records as audiences rose to over 30,000.
The 2010 East End Film Festival took place 22–30 April 2010 Actress Jaime Winstone was announced as a new festival patron for 2010 The full programme was announced at an event at The Brickhouse in East London on 23 March 2010 by festival director Alison Poltock The festival kicked off on 22 April with a preview screening of Barney Platts-Mills' cult 1969 film Bronco Bullfrog
, set in Stratford, East London and starring local kids, prior to its re-release this summer Highlights included Mark Donne's The Rime of the Modern Mariner, narrated by musician Carl Barat
; SUS, based on the 1979 play about Margaret Thatcher's "stop and search" laws by Barrie Keeffe
; and a series of events commemorating Rock Against Racism
, the grassroots movement against the National Front in the late 1970s There was also a free screening of Alfred Hitchcock
's classic silent film The Lodger in Spitalfields Market, accompanied by an improvised soundrack performed live by Minima
said "I always film in the East End when I can. I love it. The area really hasn’t properly been explored, both visually or culturally and it needs to be represented more. Festivals like the East End Film Festival make people more aware of the area, and that’s a good thing." The current patrons of the East End Film Festival are:
History
The East End Film Festival started in 2001. Originally set up by the East London borough of Tower Hamlets as a platform to recognise local filmmakers, its initial success led to a partnership in 2003 with neighbouring London Borough of HackneyLondon Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
, London Borough of Newham
London Borough of Newham
The London Borough of Newham is a London borough formed from the towns of West Ham and East Ham, within East London.It is situated east of the City of London, and is north of the River Thames. According to 2006 estimates, Newham has one of the highest ethnic minority populations of all the...
, the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
Lee Valley Regional Park Authority is a statutory body that is responsible for managing and developing the long, Lee Valley Regional Park. The park was established by Parliament in 1967. The headquarters of the authority are based at Myddleton House, Bulls Cross in the London Borough of Enfield,...
, and the Raindance Film Festival
Raindance Film Festival
Raindance is an independent film festival and film school that operates from various cities including: London, New York, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Budapest, Berlin and Brussels...
which ran Raindance East as part of the official selection. As a result of this partnership, Raindance took over the festival from 2003 to 2005 at which point it became Raindance East , but returned to its original East End Film Festival state in 2006.
In 2006 the East End Film Festival opened with the London premiere of actor Richard E. Grant
Richard E. Grant
Richard E. Grant is a Swaziland-born British actor, screenwriter and director. His most notable role came in the film Withnail and I. He holds dual British and Swazi citizenship.-Early life:...
's directorial debut Wah-Wah
Wah-Wah
Wah-Wah is a 2005 drama film, written and directed by British actor Richard E. Grant and loosely based on his childhood in Swaziland. Filmed and set in Swaziland, the film was premiered at the 2005 Toronto Film Festival and also opened the Edinburgh Festival to critical acclaim...
. Not only did Richard E Grant attend the gala premiere, he also acted as the festivals Director In Residence, and took part in a Q&A session introducing a special festival screening of Robert Altman
Robert Altman
Robert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
's 1975 masterpiece Nashville. Producer In Residence Stephen Woolley
Stephen Woolley
Stephen Woolley is an English film producer and director. He is best known for his work with director Neil Jordan, which has resulted in a number of critically acclaimed films including the Oscar-winning The Crying Game....
also took part in a Q&A following a special festival screening of his acclaimed film The Crying Game
The Crying Game
The Crying Game is a 1992 psychological thriller drama film written and directed by Neil Jordan. The film explores themes of race, gender, nationality, and sexuality against the backdrop of the Irish Troubles...
.
The 2007 festival opened with the world premiere of With Gilbert And George, a moving portrait of Spitalfields-based contemporary artists Gilbert And George
Gilbert and George
Gilbert & George are two artists who work together as a collaborative duo. Gilbert Proesch and George Passmore have become famous for their distinctive, highly formal appearance and manner and their brightly coloured graphic-style photo-based artworks.-Early life:Gilbert Proesch was...
, followed by a Q&A with director Julian Cole. The 2007 programme also included a sneak preview of Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten
Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten
Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten is a 2007 documentary film directed by Julien Temple about Joe Strummer, the lead singer of the English punk rock band The Clash, that went on to win the British Independent Film Awards as Best British Documentary 2007. The film premiered 20 January 2007 at...
plus a conversation with the film's director Julien Temple
Julien Temple
Julien Temple is an English film, documentary and music video director. He began his career with short films featuring the Sex Pistols, and has continued with various off-beat projects, including The Great Rock And Roll Swindle, Absolute Beginners and a documentary film about Glastonbury.-Temple...
. Nitin Sawhney
Nitin Sawhney
Nitin Sawhney is an Indian-British musician, producer and composer. His critically acclaimed work combines Asian and other worldwide influences with elements of jazz and electronica and often explores themes such as multiculturalism, politics and spirituality...
, musician and patron of the festival, said: "Having been a patron of the festival for four years, it’s been really rewarding to watch the festival grow, reflecting the creative explosion that’s happening in east London at the moment."
The festival opened in 2008 with the London premiere of independent British feature The Waiting Room. The film's director Roger Goldby said "I am absolutely thrilled that we have been selected for the gala opening night screening. It’s a great way to introduce The Waiting Room to Londoners, as the East End Film Festival is such a vibrant and creative event." Roger Goldby and lead actor Ralf Little
Ralf Little
Ralf Alistair J. B. Little is an English actor, writer and semi-professional footballer, working mainly in television comedy. He is best known for playing Antony Royle in The Royle Family and Jonny Keogh in the first six series of Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps.-Early life and work...
attended the opening night premiere along with other VIP guests. The screening was followed by a party at Beach Blanket Babylon in Shoreditch. Other highlights in 2008 included a programme of films exploring teenage angst (including two earlier films starring Oscar nominated young actress Ellen Page
Ellen Page
Ellen Philpotts-Page , known professionally as Ellen Page, is a Canadian actress. Page received both Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Actress for her role as the title character in the film Juno...
), a selection of new British features, films from Eastern Europe, as well as a vast collection of shorts.
In 2009 the BBC Film Network said "as in previous years, we can expect a satisfyingly diverse lineup of films and events at various venues across East London. The programmers have focused on films which portray aspects of East End and multicultural London life." The Evening Standard newspaper flagged up British filmmakers Nicola and Teena Collins
Nicola and Teena Collins
Nicola and Teena Collins are British-born filmmakers currently living in Los Angeles. Formerly models then actresses, they are perhaps most well known for their portrayals of Alex and Susi, the twin daughters of Doug "The Head" Denovitz in the film Snatch.In 2009 they made their filmmaking debut...
debut film The End, City Rats
City Rats
City Rats is a black comedy feature film, released on April 24, 2009 and starring Tamer Hassan, Ray Panthaki, Susan Lynch, Kenny Doughty, MyAnna Buring, James Lance and Natasha Williams and Danny Dyer.-Cast:* Tamer Hassan as Jimbo Jones...
, Elevator, Junior Eurovision Song Contest
Junior Eurovision Song Contest
The Junior Eurovision Song Contest , is an international song competition which has been organised by the European Broadcasting Union annually since 2003 and is open exclusively to broadcasters that are members of the EBU. It is held in a different European city each year.The competition has many...
documentary Sounds Like Teen Spirit
Sounds Like Teen Spirit
Sounds Like Teen Spirit is a 2008 documentary and debut feature film of Bafta-Award nominated director Jamie Jay Johnson. It follows the lives of the participants of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2007, specifically the entrants from Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Georgia...
, discussion panel The London Perambulator, and 3-D cinema event Another Dimension And How To Get There as highlights. There was also a screening of Not In Our Name
Not in Our Name
Not in Our Name was a United States organization founded on March 23, 2002 to protest the U.S. government's course in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks; it disbanded on March 31, 2008.-Two key documents:...
at Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
's Human Rights Action Centre. The 2009 East End Film Festival trailer was directed and designed by Lucy Izzard, an annimation director and illustrator at Slinky Pictures
Slinky Pictures
Slinky Pictures was a London based film and television production company. The company was created in 2000 by Maria Manton and Chris Shepherd and closed on its tenth anniversary in 2010. It animation and hybrid output included commercials, short films, pop promos and television shows...
, and featured a variety of comic characters visiting various festival venues such as RichMix, the Whitechapel Gallery, and the Genesis Cinema. In 2009 the festival incorporated almost 200 screenings and events, and broke all past festival records as audiences rose to over 30,000.
The 2010 East End Film Festival took place 22–30 April 2010 Actress Jaime Winstone was announced as a new festival patron for 2010 The full programme was announced at an event at The Brickhouse in East London on 23 March 2010 by festival director Alison Poltock The festival kicked off on 22 April with a preview screening of Barney Platts-Mills' cult 1969 film Bronco Bullfrog
Bronco Bullfrog
Bronco Bullfrog is a 1969 British black-and-white film directed by Barney Platts-Mills and stars Del Walker and Anne Gooding. It is set in London's East End and features the suedehead subculture...
, set in Stratford, East London and starring local kids, prior to its re-release this summer Highlights included Mark Donne's The Rime of the Modern Mariner, narrated by musician Carl Barat
Carl Barât
Carl Ashley Raphael Barât is an English musician, actor and author. He was the frontman and lead guitarist of Dirty Pretty Things, and recently debuted a solo album, but is best known for being the co-frontman with Peter Doherty of the garage rock band The Libertines.-Early life:Carl Barât was...
; SUS, based on the 1979 play about Margaret Thatcher's "stop and search" laws by Barrie Keeffe
Barrie Keeffe
Barrie Colin Keeffe is an English dramatist and screenwriter, best known for his screenplay for the 1981 film The Long Good Friday....
; and a series of events commemorating Rock Against Racism
Rock Against Racism
Rock Against Racism was a campaign set up in the United Kingdom in 1976 as a response to an increase in racial conflict and the growth of white nationalist groups such as the National Front. The campaign involved pop, rock and reggae musicians staging concerts with an anti-racist theme, in order...
, the grassroots movement against the National Front in the late 1970s There was also a free screening of Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
's classic silent film The Lodger in Spitalfields Market, accompanied by an improvised soundrack performed live by Minima
East End Film Festival 2011
This year East End Film Festival will celebrate its 10th Anniversary, with the festival running 27 April to 2 May 2011. The full programme will be announced on 29 March 2011.Awards
Each year the festival hands out awards on the festival's closing night. These include:- Best UK Short Film
- Best UK First Feature
- Best International First Feature
- Best Documentary Feature
- Short Film Audience Award
Patrons
Oscar winning director and festival patron Danny BoyleDanny Boyle
Daniel "Danny" Boyle is an English filmmaker and producer. He is best known for his work on films such as Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, 28 Days Later, Sunshine and Trainspotting. For Slumdog Millionaire, Boyle won numerous awards in 2008, including the Academy Award for Best Director...
said "I always film in the East End when I can. I love it. The area really hasn’t properly been explored, both visually or culturally and it needs to be represented more. Festivals like the East End Film Festival make people more aware of the area, and that’s a good thing." The current patrons of the East End Film Festival are:
- Steven BerkoffSteven BerkoffSteven Berkoff is an English actor, writer and director. Best known for his performance as General Orlov in the James Bond film Octopussy, he is typically cast in villanous roles, such as Lt...
(actor, playwright, author, and director) - Danny BoyleDanny BoyleDaniel "Danny" Boyle is an English filmmaker and producer. He is best known for his work on films such as Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, 28 Days Later, Sunshine and Trainspotting. For Slumdog Millionaire, Boyle won numerous awards in 2008, including the Academy Award for Best Director...
(Oscar winning director of Slumdog MillionaireSlumdog MillionaireSlumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British epic romantic drama adventure film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup...
, TrainspottingTrainspotting (film)Trainspotting is a 1996 British satirical/drama film directed by Danny Boyle based on the novel of the same name by Irvine Welsh. The movie follows a group of heroin addicts in a late 1980s economically depressed area of Edinburgh and their passage through life...
, and Shallow GraveShallow Grave-Track listing:# Leftfield – "Shallow Grave" – 4:38# Simon Boswell – "Shallow Grave Theme" – 3:30# Nina Simone – "My Baby Just Cares for Me" – 3:38# Simon Boswell – "Laugh Riot" – 3:02# Leftfield – "Release the Dubs" – 5:45...
) - Tony GrisoniTony Grisoni-Biography:He has co-written several of director Terry Gilliam's films, including Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Tideland.Tony Grisoni worked in many different areas of film making before turning to screenwriting. QUEEN OF HEARTS, 1989 was his award winning first feature directed by Jon Amiel...
(screenplay writer of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) - Asif KapadiaAsif KapadiaAsif Kapadia is a British filmmaker of Indian descent. He directed several award-winning films, including The Sheep Thief , winner of the 2nd Prize Cinéfondation for Short Film at the Cannes Film Festival, The Warrior , which won the BAFTA Award for Best British Film and Senna , winner of the...
(director of The WarriorThe WarriorThe Warrior is a 2001 film by British-Indian filmmaker Asif Kapadia. It stars Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan as Lafcadia, a warrior in feudal Rajasthan who attempts to give up the sword....
) - Michael NymanMichael NymanMichael Laurence Nyman, CBE is an English composer of minimalist music, pianist, librettist and musicologist, known for the many film scores he wrote during his lengthy collaboration with the filmmaker Peter Greenaway, and his multi-platinum soundtrack album to Jane Campion's The Piano...
(composer of the score for The PianoThe PianoThe Piano is a 1993 New Zealand drama film about a mute pianist and her daughter, set during the mid-19th century in a rainy, muddy frontier backwater on the west coast of New Zealand. The film was written and directed by Jane Campion, and stars Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill, and Anna Paquin...
and GattacaGattacaGattaca is a 1997 science fiction film written and directed by Andrew Niccol. It stars Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Jude Law with supporting roles played by Loren Dean, Ernest Borgnine, Gore Vidal and Alan Arkin....
) - Pawel Pawilowski (director of My Summer Of Love)
- Nitin SawhneyNitin SawhneyNitin Sawhney is an Indian-British musician, producer and composer. His critically acclaimed work combines Asian and other worldwide influences with elements of jazz and electronica and often explores themes such as multiculturalism, politics and spirituality...
(multi-award winning composer, musician and producer) - Jason Solomons (journalist and film critic)
- Paraminder Vir OBE (producer of Babymother)
- Jaime Winstone (actress)
- Jeremy Wooding (director of Bollywood Queen and Peep ShowPeep Show (TV series)Peep Show is a British sitcom starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb. The television programme is written by Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, with additional material by Mitchell and Webb themselves, amongst others. It has been broadcast on Channel 4 since 2003. The show's seventh series makes it...
) - Stephen WoolleyStephen WoolleyStephen Woolley is an English film producer and director. He is best known for his work with director Neil Jordan, which has resulted in a number of critically acclaimed films including the Oscar-winning The Crying Game....
(producer of The Crying GameThe Crying GameThe Crying Game is a 1992 psychological thriller drama film written and directed by Neil Jordan. The film explores themes of race, gender, nationality, and sexuality against the backdrop of the Irish Troubles...
, Sounds Like Teen SpiritSounds Like Teen SpiritSounds Like Teen Spirit is a 2008 documentary and debut feature film of Bafta-Award nominated director Jamie Jay Johnson. It follows the lives of the participants of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2007, specifically the entrants from Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Georgia...
) - Joe WrightJoe WrightJoe Wright is an English film director best known for Pride and Prejudice, Atonement and Hanna.-Early life and career:...
(director of Pride and PrejudicePride and PrejudicePride and Prejudice is a novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1813. The story follows the main character Elizabeth Bennet as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of early 19th-century England...
, AtonementAtonement (film)Atonement is a 2007 British romantic suspense war film directed by Joe Wright. It is a film adaptation of the 2001 novel of the same name by Ian McEwan. The film stars James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, and Saoirse Ronan. It was produced by Working Title Films and filmed throughout the summer of 2006...
, The SoloistThe SoloistThe Soloist is a 2009 American/French/British drama film directed by Joe Wright, and starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey, Jr. The screenplay by Susannah Grant is based on the book, The Soloist by Steve Lopez...
)