Not strictly Salford Film Festival News, but something we thought might be of interest to our audience. Kinofilm, great granddaddy of Greater Manchester Film Festivals, is back with a series of feature screenings commencing in June with the North West produced feature “Diary of a Bad Lad”. This tense, darkly funny, harrowingly unpredictable exploration of criminality and complicity draws its stars from Salford's wealth of maverick acting talent, and will be the first of a season. We think you should check it out.
Here's what Kinofilm have to say about the film and the season which follows:
The idea behind this latest season of Kino screenings is to highlight the wealth of unrecognised talent in the North West currently producing low budget features. With a number of features produced in the region over the last couple of years – most are without funding and most never see light of day. There are presently several such features nearing completion, all made on miniscule budgets and through the goodwill and support of others in the industry.
With the exception of the limited UK Film Council’s “digital departures” scheme, the attitude to supporting independent filmmaking seems to be, “prove yourself first, make it genre based and get a couple of big name stars and we’ll maybe support your idea”, otherwise, most filmmakers don’t have a chance. That being said, the many talented producers out there fight on regardless and produce some remarkable results, which hardly ever get seen.
“Diary of a Bad Lad” from Blackburn filmmakers Michael Booth and Jon Williams is one of those very rare films. A gritty Northern expose, which breaks the boundaries of traditional story telling, reaching new levels of independent filmmaking.
Kino Director John Wojowski says; “this is by far one of the best independent features I have personally seen from the North West in over 15 years and is very different than the excellent but standard formulae of the current latest indie Brit flick IN BRUGES. Booth and Williams came out of nowhere and produced a film, which left a lasting impression on me – this is raw film making in the purest sense – a film that needs to be seen. Originally scheduled for release on fifty of the UK Film Council digital screens, the failure of the cinema network to deliver its promises of providing a platform for independent filmmaking resulted in the films’ release being dropped. This is why it deserves another screening in its recently completed state. Don’t miss it”.
The new Kino season kicks of with a -
Special pre-release screening with Q & A
Friday 6 June 8.00pm
The Greenroom
54-56 Whitworth St West
Manchester M1 5WW
Advance Bookings: 0161 615 0500
Admission: £5.00 (Full Price), £3.00 (Concession)
Diary of a Bad Lad (92mins)
Starring Joe O’Byrne, Donna Henry, Paul Birtwistle.
Written and produced by Jon Williams
Directed by Michael Booth
The Producer - Jon Williams; Director – Michael Booth; and lead actor, Joe O’Byrne; will be present at the screening to answer questions on everything from how they managed to pull it off, to why they chose to work outside the system. Plus we’ll look at the opportunities for distribution – or not – created by the UK Film Council’s digital screen network.
A film about property rackets, pornography, prostitution, drugs, and the media.
“The best film to come out of the North West in a decade!” Danny Moran
“I was totally taken in that this fiction film was an actual documentary… I was moved to horror, anger and outrage as I watched it, ready to protest to the organisers who screened it about how they could condone such journalism. Right up till the very end I thought I was watching a documentary about drugs, pornography and rape. But the real story, about the media's lack of ethics, crept up on me, caught me unawares; without me realising it I began judging the crew, in particular the presenter, for his incalculably inhumane and opportunistic behaviour. An excellent film.”
Kothai Kanthan, filmmaker, documentarist and ex-BBC reporter
“Diary of a Bad Lad” is a 100% independent production from Blackburn-based “Pleased Sheep Films” (www.pleasedsheep.com). It was made on ‘no-budget’.
“Diary of a Bad Lad” – a film made without compromise about people without principles by people without money!
Contact: Jon Williams, 01254 245157. Joe O’Byrne 01204 419510
To get on the mailing list for future Kino screenings send your name and email address to Kino. Contact: John Wojowski. johnw@kinofilm.org.uk