BIFF | 2011
Poole Lighthouse Cinema | Friday & Saturday, May 6th & 7th
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The film on everyoneʼs lips this year seems to be ʻThe Kings Speechʼ. And rightly so, itʼs a great movie. But what most people donʼt know is that it started out on the festival circuit.
Thatʼs right, long before the BAFTA buzz and the OSCAR campaign, screenings were being held and awards won all over the world, from Telluride in the USA to Leeds, Toronto, Dubai and even the Bahamaʼs!
It didnʼt just go to the big festivals either, Mill Valley Film Festival screened it, as did Hamptons International Film Festival.
The world of film is changing and festivals are becoming of greater influence to distributors and an essential component of a marketing campaign. Fifteen million dollars and Colin Firth, isnʼt going to guarantee your film a cinema run anymore.
With this in mind, weʼre very proud to be the organisers of the second British Independent Film Festival and holding it in such a great venue.
Our aim is to grow the festival every year, giving greater opportunities for more film-makers to gain exposure for their projects.
If your here as a film-maker we wish you the best of luck with your project, as a distributor, we hope you like what you see and if youʼre just a regular lover of films; enjoy!
If you were a part of this year's selection and would like to make a contribution or correction, please do let us know via the "Contact Us" page.
The Official Selection
Little White Lies
Way Back When
Broken Glass
(Adam Wareham)
17-year-old Lou is juggling the jigsaw of a double life that just won’t click. She’s handling the curve ball of daughter Rosie the best she can but can’t give up her teenage existence...it’s the only way she knows
how to be.
The Birthday Circle
The Birdman of Tamworth
Vacant Posession
(Rob MacGillivray)
Note to Estate Agents: When trying to sell a property with a grisly history to a prospective client, do not ignore any warning signals. For instance, if the client knows more about the house than you do, he might have been there before. And don't go in the loft.
Lay Down and Die
Jericho
(Liam Gavin)
Recently widowed, Franky Bannon can’t cope. He's suicidal. Until his imaginary childhood friends return to show him that the world is beautiful.
Paperman
(Richard Kelly)
A lone man's quest to find his true love in a busy paper metropolis. Will he find the Papergirl he hopes for? This is the story of Paperman.
Do Men Die of Cancer or Embarassment
Moths
Watching
Best Before
(Mark Boggis)
It is one minute to midnight and a young couple are quickly running out of time.
Alleyman
(Andrew Ellinas)
A small unit of British soldiers are dangerously entrenched during World War One. As morale ebbs away, a soldier returns from ‘over the top.’
For Alan
(Dimi Nakov)
A touching documentary about a man who attempts a marathon of marathons in New Zealand’s mountains for charity and in memory of his brother!
A Little Brighter
SIS
(Deborah Haywood)
When Lauren and Amy hear there is a man who 'likes children' living in the area, they decide to track him down to show him their handstands.
The Last Duel
Dan: Driven to Succeed
Take Your Medicine
Love at First Sight
(Michael Davies)
The idea for Love At First Sight came from personal experience, and a desire to portray a different side of living with dementia, emphasising the importance of retained emotional memory, and the reciprocal nature of the lasting love between two people.
Risen
(113m)
Director: Neil Jones
Writers: Stuart Brennan & Neil Jones
Producers: Stuart Brennan & Nein Jones
Cast: Stuart Brennan, John Noble & Erik Morales
Howard became Featherweight Champion of the World at the age of 29 in 1968. What makes Howard's story quite remarkable is that as a young man he lost the tips of three fingers in an industrial accident of his home town of Merthyr Tydfil. The accident was so severe that he was unable to make a fist with his right hand, a devastating blow for anyone, but a blow made all the worse for one who's entire career demands the use of both hands.
Masterpiece
(100m)
Director: Andrew Charles Tanner
Writers: Rhys Hills & Andrew Charles Tanner
Producer: Andrew Charles Tanner
Cast: Boyd Clack, Hayley Greening & Madeleine Havell
Martin, a struggling writer, starts writing his first novel. However his Masterpiece leads him and those around him down a path of darkness, despair and violence. His Masterpiece could make him, or ultimately break him.
Whatever Happened To Pete Blaggit?
(94m)
Director: Mark Jeavons
Writer: Mark Jeavons
Producer: Mark Jeavons
Cast: Rob Leetham, Gabrielle Amies & Adam Rickitt
Pete Blagmore, once a happily married man and owner of successful wedding production company is now losing everything- his wife, his business, his friends and even his mind. His life is spiraling out of control. He is stuck in a mid-life crisis and is forced to try and re-build his life from scratch or risk losing everything.
Lovelorn
(86m)
Director: Becky Preston
Writer: Becky Preston
Producer: Christine Cheung
Cast: Phillip James, Orlando Seale & Olivia Chappell
After a tragic accident John begins an obsessive crusade to bring his comatose sister back to the waking world. In his sleep he walks the afterlife where she is trapped and soon John finds himself playing a game for her soul, a game that canʼt be won, against the only opponent who can never be beaten, Death .
The Awards
Category Judging
Best Feature
Whatever Happened to Pete Blaggit?
(Dir. by Mark Jeavons)
Best Short
The Last Duel (Dir. by David Landau)
Best Cinematography
Lovelorn (Dir. by Adam Etherington)
Best Music Video
Take Your Medicine
Best Actor
Mark Paul Wake (Masterpiece)
Best Actress
Emily Beecham (The Calling)
Best Short Film Actor
Ian Hart (Watching)
Best Short Film Actress
Phyllida Law (Love at First Sight)
Best Documentary
Dan Driven to Succeed (Dir. by Tom Greenidge)
British Lion Award
(Best achievement on a low budget)
Alleyman (Dir. by Andrew Ellinas)
Best New Screenplay
Body Count 1968 (Written by Martha Pinson)
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