Flatpack Festival
Film for all the senses

Ian Francis

Ian Francis

As a restless Shropshire teenager I was first drawn to Birmingham in the mid-90s by Oscillate’s legendary clubnights, and then moved here to work on the city’s Film and TV Festival. Their fast-fold screen gave me a taste for pop-up screenings, and when I left I took the screen with me. (It’s still here in the office. It’s a bit battered now.) I set up a regular Digbeth event in 2003 called 7 Inch Cinema, and out of this grew Flatpack and much more besides. As well as making things happen I also enjoy baking and writing, and have published pieces with Sight and Sound, Little White Lies and Electric Sheep.

News

The Electric is closing

Thursday 29th February, 2024

Gone to Earth

Thursday 23rd November, 2023
A photograph of the Elite cinema in 1974, with a big poster for 1973 Hindi film Chalaak out front.

Wonderland PhD

Monday 23rd October, 2023

Bob Linney Remembered

Monday 5th June, 2023

7inch stories

Wednesday 3rd May, 2023

Live from Birmingham

Friday 28th April, 2023

Taking A Moment

Friday 24th June, 2022

Latenight Tales with Cecil Morris

Tuesday 21st June, 2022

Paradise Revisited

Wednesday 23rd February, 2022

Share your cinema stories!

Wednesday 8th December, 2021

Interview: Ekky Imanjaya

Thursday 4th November, 2021

The Lion King at Georges Park

Monday 27th September, 2021

Wonderland: Research Volunteers Wanted!

Tuesday 14th September, 2021

Shy Radicals: A Conversation

Wednesday 26th May, 2021

We're hiring!

Tuesday 18th May, 2021

Presenting... CineCov

Friday 14th May, 2021

When We Build Again

Wednesday 2nd December, 2020

Six of the Best... isolation films

Thursday 19th November, 2020

Excerpt Interview

Monday 17th August, 2020

Six of the Best... RKO Classics

Thursday 11th June, 2020

Black and White Unite and Fight

Tuesday 2nd June, 2020

One week gone, one week to go...

Saturday 9th May, 2020

68 Book Extract: Enoch Power

Wednesday 6th May, 2020

Operation Jane Walk Interview

Friday 1st May, 2020

68 Book extract: The Double Zero Club

Monday 6th April, 2020

Flatpack 2020 :: get involved

Friday 3rd April, 2020

2020 Festival Cancelled

Friday 20th March, 2020

Flatpack's first book

Tuesday 3rd December, 2019

Brilliant Project Manager Wanted

Tuesday 5th November, 2019

Frank and Val

Thursday 2nd May, 2019

'Nuff Said!

Sunday 8th April, 2018

Sound Explorers wanted

Wednesday 31st January, 2018

Flatpack 2018, take a bow

Wednesday 13th December, 2017

Beware the Moon

Monday 7th August, 2017

The Long and Winding Road

Tuesday 27th June, 2017

Birmingham on Film

Thursday 15th September, 2016

A night at the Castle

Sunday 7th August, 2016

The Bride comes home

Thursday 28th July, 2016

Black Country adventures

Sunday 10th July, 2016

Flatpack 10: how was it for you?

Monday 9th May, 2016

Flatpack 10 Collective Memory

Wednesday 4th May, 2016

Flatpicks: Ian Francis

Friday 15th April, 2016

Positions Vacant

Friday 25th March, 2016

New beginnings

Friday 18th March, 2016

Flatpack: Assemble

Tuesday 5th January, 2016

Phil Fawke

Friday 20th November, 2015

An introduction to Celluloid City

Friday 7th August, 2015

Ghost Streets of Balsall Heath

Monday 29th June, 2015

VHS Memories

Tuesday 23rd June, 2015

Flatpack 2015 :: we care because you do

Thursday 16th April, 2015

Build your own paper cinema

Saturday 21st March, 2015

The Week Before Close-up

Tuesday 7th October, 2014

Things That Go Pop

Wednesday 10th September, 2014

Emett's haunts

Thursday 19th June, 2014

Busy month

Thursday 5th June, 2014

Cafe Neuro video

Monday 12th May, 2014

Tochka gif

Wednesday 7th May, 2014

Flatpack video roundup

Wednesday 30th April, 2014

Flatpack 2014 :: any thoughts?

Wednesday 16th April, 2014

Flatpicks: Ian Francis

Wednesday 26th March, 2014

Opening weekend

Monday 24th March, 2014

The day dawns

Thursday 20th March, 2014

Flatpicks: Simran Hans

Wednesday 19th March, 2014

Oh my GLOB!

Saturday 8th March, 2014

The Dark River

Monday 10th February, 2014

Back to the Lab: Pete Walsh

Friday 6th December, 2013

Box of Light slideshow

Tuesday 29th October, 2013

Box of Light - Mediatheque playlist

Thursday 24th October, 2013

Unexpected Journeys

Wednesday 23rd October, 2013

Julien Maire

Tuesday 22nd October, 2013

Fierce 2013

Friday 4th October, 2013

Miners' Hymns West Mids tour kicks off

Wednesday 2nd October, 2013

The Diamond Roadshow

Monday 23rd September, 2013

Designer wanted

Monday 16th September, 2013

A brief history of Flatpack in Tshirts

Wednesday 3rd July, 2013

Catherine O'Flynn on 7inch

Tuesday 2nd July, 2013

7 Inch Cinema is 10

Tuesday 11th June, 2013

Flatpack 2013 in under 4 minutes

Thursday 9th May, 2013

Flatpack videos

Friday 26th April, 2013

Flatpack 7 collective memory

Thursday 11th April, 2013

Photo highlights

Tuesday 9th April, 2013

Flatpack 7 Competition Winners

Monday 1st April, 2013

Eyes on the Prize

Sunday 31st March, 2013

Back to the Lab: Hunt Emerson

Sunday 24th March, 2013

Flatpicks no.2: Triumph of the Willy

Wednesday 20th March, 2013

Animated sting for Flatpack 2013

Saturday 16th March, 2013

Flatpicks no.1: Son of Man

Friday 15th March, 2013

Flatpack 7 is live!

Saturday 2nd March, 2013

Alan Moore on Arts Labs

Saturday 9th February, 2013

'Essentially, Birmingham is a drag'

Wednesday 16th January, 2013

Programme snippets

Tuesday 15th January, 2013

Delia's gas mask

Friday 11th January, 2013

Imminent deadlines

Monday 7th January, 2013

Silent Night images

Tuesday 18th December, 2012

Pete Walsh, RIP

Monday 10th December, 2012

Got any films?

Tuesday 6th November, 2012

Silent Night

Monday 5th November, 2012

A view from the Summit

Monday 22nd October, 2012

Flatpack Vacancy

Monday 17th September, 2012

Autumn gigs

Wednesday 12th September, 2012

Flatpack 6 souvenir

Tuesday 15th May, 2012

Digbeth Shuffle

Tuesday 15th May, 2012

Digbeth Shuffle

Thursday 3rd May, 2012

48SHEET Draw Off

Thursday 26th April, 2012

Light Fantastic

Friday 20th April, 2012

Flatpack survey

Wednesday 4th April, 2012

Fierceness

Tuesday 27th March, 2012

Flatpack 6 collective memory

Saturday 24th March, 2012

And breathe

Tuesday 20th March, 2012

Juan of the Dead - extra screening

Wednesday 14th March, 2012

Taa-daah!

Wednesday 14th March, 2012

Stan Laurel at Birmingham Hippodrome

Monday 12th March, 2012

Flatpack teaser

Friday 9th March, 2012

Postcard from The Edge

Friday 9th March, 2012

Trailerama, vol.2

Tuesday 6th March, 2012

Ben Javens print

Monday 5th March, 2012

Trailerama, vol.1

Sunday 4th March, 2012

Lawrence at the Midlands Arts Centre

Wednesday 29th February, 2012

Programme online

Thursday 23rd February, 2012

Bring Your Own Beamer

Wednesday 8th February, 2012

Highlights!

Thursday 2nd February, 2012

Citizen Kane, Five Stories High

Tuesday 24th January, 2012

Totoro tomorrow

Friday 6th January, 2012

Introducing this year's patron saint

Thursday 22nd December, 2011

Help wanted

Tuesday 20th December, 2011

Totoro!

Thursday 15th December, 2011

7inch October listings

Friday 30th September, 2011

Submissions wanted

Wednesday 21st September, 2011

Latenight treats

Thursday 1st September, 2011

Summer update

Wednesday 17th August, 2011

Metal on Film

Friday 12th August, 2011

Bobby Yeah

Thursday 23rd June, 2011

Submission calls

Monday 6th June, 2011

Kids watching films

Wednesday 1st June, 2011

Book Bash: 1 day left

Sunday 29th May, 2011

Postapocalypticpics

Saturday 21st May, 2011

Invisible Cinema slideshow

Saturday 21st May, 2011

On a Ragga Tip

Friday 13th May, 2011

Chilean downhill bike race

Wednesday 4th May, 2011

Women on Film

Thursday 21st April, 2011

Reliving Flatpack no.5

Friday 15th April, 2011

Flatpack 2011 slideshow

Wednesday 13th April, 2011

Colour Box projections

Tuesday 5th April, 2011

That'll do pig.

Monday 28th March, 2011

Ra prop

Friday 25th March, 2011

Rubber posters

Wednesday 16th March, 2011

Some screening highlights

Wednesday 9th March, 2011

Sunrise in London

Friday 4th March, 2011

David Wilson

Wednesday 2nd March, 2011

Live!

Monday 28th February, 2011

Wurld

Saturday 26th February, 2011

Passenger Films

Saturday 19th February, 2011

Celestial Navigations

Wednesday 9th February, 2011

Crispin Glover at the Light House

Wednesday 9th February, 2011

Flatpack pluggery

Monday 7th February, 2011

Shadow Shows

Thursday 27th January, 2011

Glasgow trailer

Friday 21st January, 2011

Lichter Filmtage

Thursday 6th January, 2011

Bad Things That Could Happen

Monday 6th December, 2010

Blockhead: The Music Scene

Monday 6th December, 2010

Competition winners

Monday 6th December, 2010

Town Called Panic giveaway

Tuesday 9th November, 2010

The Clock

Friday 5th November, 2010

Spit Bars Jump Cars

Wednesday 3rd November, 2010

Carlton Cinema, Balsall Heath

Sunday 24th October, 2010

Todays 7inch mailout

Monday 18th October, 2010

Festival Assistant

Friday 15th October, 2010

The Man With the Beautiful Eyes

Tuesday 12th October, 2010

Jarnowia

Thursday 30th September, 2010

The Oyster Princess

Sunday 19th September, 2010

2011 submissions call

Thursday 16th September, 2010

Photos of punters

Friday 10th September, 2010

Kawamoto, Kon in memoriam

Thursday 9th September, 2010

Cream/Egg

Thursday 26th August, 2010

Gruff Rhys Q and A

Wednesday 18th August, 2010

Separado! at Green Man

Wednesday 18th August, 2010

Library roundup

Thursday 29th July, 2010

Bioscope digest

Thursday 15th July, 2010

Hospital 100

Wednesday 7th July, 2010

Pebble Mill images by Stan Morgan

Thursday 1st July, 2010

Alan Plater, r.i.p.

Tuesday 29th June, 2010

Cinema vans

Saturday 19th June, 2010

Synth Eastwood at Flatpack

Tuesday 15th June, 2010

Incoming

Friday 11th June, 2010

The New Moscow

Sunday 23rd May, 2010

Bendito Machine

Tuesday 18th May, 2010

Graham Vick at the Barber

Tuesday 27th April, 2010

Raymond Scott doc

Friday 23rd April, 2010

Odeon cross-section

Monday 19th April, 2010

Jafar Panahi

Saturday 17th April, 2010

Beyond Flatpack

Thursday 15th April, 2010

Jim le Fevre Phonotrope talk

Wednesday 7th April, 2010

Flatpack dossier

Sunday 4th April, 2010

Animated vegetables

Saturday 3rd April, 2010

Ian Emes

Thursday 1st April, 2010

Odeon photos

Thursday 1st April, 2010

Taking stock

Tuesday 30th March, 2010

Uncle Hans-Peter comes to Birmingham

Tuesday 23rd March, 2010

Installation pic

Monday 22nd March, 2010

A few trailers

Sunday 21st March, 2010

Errata, addenda, and so on

Saturday 20th March, 2010

Going going gone

Friday 19th March, 2010

Alex Smith at Unpacked

Tuesday 16th March, 2010

Film Dash etc

Thursday 11th March, 2010

Flatpack 2010 sting

Tuesday 9th March, 2010

Fast Forward

Saturday 6th March, 2010

Taa-daah!

Friday 26th February, 2010

Fort Dunlop

Thursday 18th February, 2010

Facts About Projection

Friday 12th February, 2010

Flipbook history of the world

Thursday 11th February, 2010

Mucking in

Wednesday 27th January, 2010

Snow

Thursday 21st January, 2010

Escaping the office

Wednesday 20th January, 2010

Engine Room Pitch

Wednesday 6th January, 2010

Filmmakers at the movies

Wednesday 6th January, 2010

Rayogram results

Thursday 31st December, 2009

Happy birthday, Electric

Tuesday 22nd December, 2009

Spacy article

Friday 18th December, 2009

The New World

Sunday 13th December, 2009

Sleep

Thursday 10th December, 2009

The TV Show

Wednesday 9th December, 2009

Introductions

Tuesday 8th December, 2009

New look

Friday 4th December, 2009

Lightbox pics

Sunday 15th November, 2009

Submission of the day

Tuesday 3rd November, 2009

Hugh Cooney

Tuesday 3rd November, 2009

Fairbrother time-lapse sequence

Thursday 29th October, 2009

New flyer

Wednesday 28th October, 2009

Efterklang etc

Friday 23rd October, 2009

The Magic Box

Wednesday 21st October, 2009

Pontypool

Tuesday 20th October, 2009

Bit of bad news

Monday 19th October, 2009

Onde Sonore

Thursday 15th October, 2009

Living and listings

Monday 12th October, 2009

The Cat Piano

Friday 9th October, 2009

The wonderful world of Spectrum animation

Tuesday 6th October, 2009

London jaunt

Tuesday 29th September, 2009

Bloodface

Monday 28th September, 2009

New distractions

Thursday 24th September, 2009

Call for submissions

Friday 18th September, 2009

Newman Brothers Coffin Works

Tuesday 15th September, 2009

R.I.P. Metro Life

Friday 11th September, 2009

Meeces

Wednesday 9th September, 2009

Position Vacant

Tuesday 8th September, 2009

Home again

Tuesday 25th August, 2009

August flavours

Thursday 20th August, 2009

Beautiful Losers

Thursday 20th August, 2009

Curzonora slideshow

Wednesday 22nd July, 2009

Zoologic

Wednesday 22nd July, 2009

Balloons

Saturday 18th July, 2009

It started with a .font

Wednesday 15th July, 2009

Stalker and Shadow Shows

Tuesday 14th July, 2009

The Mole and the Radio

Wednesday 8th July, 2009

Big beastie

Wednesday 1st July, 2009

Edge of the world

Monday 29th June, 2009

Lavatory Lovestory

Wednesday 17th June, 2009

Vote Bibio

Friday 5th June, 2009

Walsall antics

Thursday 21st May, 2009

Flavours of the month

Friday 15th May, 2009

Feedback cloud

Wednesday 13th May, 2009

Origami cats

Thursday 23rd April, 2009

Recent additions

Wednesday 22nd April, 2009

Back in the saddle

Tuesday 31st March, 2009

Flatpack flipbooks

Thursday 26th March, 2009

The grave of Waller Jeffs

Tuesday 24th March, 2009

Guy Sherwin and Kevin Timmins

Wednesday 18th March, 2009

Flatpack collective memory

Tuesday 17th March, 2009

Morning after

Monday 16th March, 2009

Drumroll

Wednesday 11th March, 2009

Warehouse action

Monday 9th March, 2009

Confession

Saturday 7th March, 2009

Morning Elegance

Thursday 5th March, 2009

Windows launch

Friday 27th February, 2009

Privilege in Birmingham

Thursday 26th February, 2009

Flatpack stories

Monday 23rd February, 2009

Figgis in Birmingham

Sunday 22nd February, 2009

Web vs. print

Sunday 22nd February, 2009

Flatpack site

Tuesday 17th February, 2009

There!

Monday 16th February, 2009

Nearly there..

Saturday 14th February, 2009

Please Say Something, big in Berlin

Thursday 12th February, 2009

Flatpack map

Sunday 8th February, 2009

Call for volunteers

Wednesday 4th February, 2009

Gas press

Friday 30th January, 2009

Trailers

Thursday 29th January, 2009

Installation trail

Monday 26th January, 2009

Bombin

Friday 16th January, 2009

Bubblicious

Thursday 15th January, 2009

Little White Lies

Friday 9th January, 2009

The Way We Were

Wednesday 31st December, 2008

Mystics in Bali

Monday 22nd December, 2008

Please Say Something

Monday 22nd December, 2008

New B.I.F.S. site

Friday 12th December, 2008

Curzonora advert

Thursday 11th December, 2008

Oliver Postgate, r.i.p.

Tuesday 9th December, 2008

Youtube search box

Thursday 4th December, 2008

Bozo Texino

Thursday 4th December, 2008

Lange and Donnellan

Thursday 27th November, 2008

Pedal-powered cinema

Thursday 27th November, 2008

Sell-outs

Wednesday 26th November, 2008

Introducing Waller Jeffs

Tuesday 25th November, 2008

Stinks

Tuesday 25th November, 2008

Worcestershire finale

Tuesday 18th November, 2008

In a Dream

Tuesday 18th November, 2008

Komaneko

Wednesday 12th November, 2008

Osbert Parker

Friday 7th November, 2008

Hallelujah

Wednesday 5th November, 2008

Sita Sings The Blues

Tuesday 4th November, 2008

Dunkirk

Monday 3rd November, 2008

Outer Sight no.3

Friday 31st October, 2008

A feast of Georges

Thursday 30th October, 2008

First booking

Wednesday 29th October, 2008

Gideon Baws

Monday 27th October, 2008

Internships

Wednesday 22nd October, 2008

Halfway there

Monday 20th October, 2008

Film Dash

Thursday 16th October, 2008

Overcoming Dictatorships

Tuesday 14th October, 2008

New Flatpack site, call for submissions

Monday 13th October, 2008

Call for submissions

Saturday 11th October, 2008

The People and the Whale

Friday 10th October, 2008

Pram shop

Tuesday 7th October, 2008

A new one from PES

Tuesday 30th September, 2008

Codswallop

Wednesday 24th September, 2008

Delia roundup

Monday 22nd September, 2008

More flipbooks

Monday 22nd September, 2008

Stalking Delia

Friday 19th September, 2008

Lots of rice

Sunday 14th September, 2008

Love Letters and Live Wires

Friday 12th September, 2008

Dummy Jim

Wednesday 10th September, 2008

Tusalava

Wednesday 3rd September, 2008

New view

Sunday 31st August, 2008

French Fancies and Freaky Kids Flicks

Friday 29th August, 2008

Notes from Nairn

Thursday 28th August, 2008

The road to Ballerina

Thursday 21st August, 2008

Floods, asparagus and ferrets

Wednesday 13th August, 2008

Bruce Conner, r.i.p.

Monday 28th July, 2008

Flipbook results

Thursday 24th July, 2008

Knitflicks pics

Monday 21st July, 2008

Vampire love

Friday 18th July, 2008

A few loose ends (arf)

Wednesday 16th July, 2008

Birthday greenscreen footage

Tuesday 15th July, 2008

Supersonic bits and bobs

Friday 11th July, 2008

Knitflicks, pt.4

Tuesday 8th July, 2008

Strange Attractor

Monday 7th July, 2008

Oliver Laric

Wednesday 2nd July, 2008

Birthday pics

Tuesday 1st July, 2008

Lucent Harmonic Color

Monday 30th June, 2008

Birthday collage

Wednesday 25th June, 2008

Favourite Things

Monday 23rd June, 2008

Jaygo Bloom

Friday 20th June, 2008

My Winnipeg, live

Thursday 19th June, 2008

Knitflicks pt. 3 - the trailer

Tuesday 17th June, 2008

Some exciting news

Monday 16th June, 2008

Home of the Flipbook

Wednesday 11th June, 2008

Venn Festival

Thursday 5th June, 2008

Bo Diddley, R.I.P.

Wednesday 4th June, 2008

The Bays in Brum

Tuesday 3rd June, 2008

Knitflicks, part 2

Friday 30th May, 2008

Telectroscope

Wednesday 28th May, 2008

Knitflicks, part 1

Friday 23rd May, 2008

Tamworth on my mind

Wednesday 21st May, 2008

Edgar returns

Monday 19th May, 2008

Rotunda film

Thursday 15th May, 2008

Live Brum

Wednesday 14th May, 2008

New Blu

Tuesday 13th May, 2008

Birmingham, folk city

Thursday 8th May, 2008

Weird films for kids

Monday 5th May, 2008

Hazel Court, R.I.P.

Friday 2nd May, 2008

Telly on the radio

Tuesday 29th April, 2008

Films in clubs

Friday 25th April, 2008

Rainbow Hunters

Thursday 24th April, 2008

Home movies as art?

Tuesday 22nd April, 2008

Brief encounter

Sunday 20th April, 2008

Lots of filmnights going on

Friday 18th April, 2008

Sandhya Suri interview

Wednesday 16th April, 2008

Writing your name in the snow

Monday 14th April, 2008
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