THE ORSON WELLES OF SALFORD

12 October 2009

Following on from our tribute screening last year, we are delighted to be hosting the launch of The Lost World of Cliff Twemlow: King of Manchester Exploitation Movies (Hotun Press, www.hotunpress.com) - the first critical study of the great man and his movies, by CP Lee and Andy Willis.

Maverick pioneer of low-budget independent filmmaking in the region, Cliff Twemlow was writer, producer, soundtrack composer, and star of a series of startling straight-to-video exploitation classics, shot in locations ranging from Manchester and Salford to Ibiza, the West Indies - and even Outer Space! Characterised by droll humour, cartoonish violence, and a general sense that everyone involved is having a wild time, the films offer a snap-shot of the golden age of UK home video entertainment, and are a testament to the drive and ambition of a filmmaker working without a net, in an era before the digital film revolution. As we focus this year on the New Wave of underground and micro budget feature filmmaking in the region, it seems a good idea to give ourselves a reminder of the man who led the way. CP and Andy will be there to give an overview and answer questions, and there’ll be a chance to see some of Cliff’s seminal work for yourselves.

Studio Salford, King’s Arms, Sunday 22nd November, from 2pm. To reserve tickets for this event - and to order your copy of the book! - email: books@hotunpress.com

STARRING…THE PEOPLE OF SALFORD

Born in 2003 the Salford Film Festival paid special attention to the huge variety that Salford communities are famous for, and in encouraging their involvement in film-making both on screen and behind the camera, paved the way for five more seriously succ

STEVE BALSHAW INTERVIEW

My primary role is to select, source and secure the films, and to build these into a programme of screenings and related events that will hopefully attract an audience - so I deal with filmmakers and producers, and often with the various screening venues,

INNOVATE, DON’T IMITATE!

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THE ORSON WELLES OF SALFORD

He was Salford's Welles and King of Manchester Exploitation movies. He was a pioneer of independent filmmaking in the region. And now there's a book. You should own it.

UNDERSTANDING THE PAST

In our past is our future. Understand one, and you can better visualise the other. This selection of films from the North West Film Archive offers a glimpse of the world that was, here in Salford - some of it now lost forever, some of it simply altered be