Meeces
A mountain of knitted mice, created by Joyce Hall. We've been steadily handing these out as we trundle around on the Travelling Picture Show, and will be distributing the last few this month. Beyond the jump is a list of the remaining tour dates, and a copy of this month's copious listings mailout. If you want to receive these things on a regular basis fill out the box on the left. hello,
Here’s yet another roundup of things going on in Birmingham and a few other places this month. (A third of which has already gone but what can you do.) This is compiled by 7 Inch Cinema, who reserve the right to plug their own stuff before you get to the useful bit…
7INCH NEWS Like pretty much everyone else who went we had our best Green Man yet, including a queue across the field for British Sea Power on Friday night, and rapturous hordes of children for Laurel and Hardy with live piano on Sunday morning. There’s a brief writeup on the blog. The Travelling Picture Show has also been rolling on through the summer with family matinees all over the Midlands, and can still be flagged down at the following places:
Sunday 13 September: The Hive, Shrewsbury
Saturday 19 September: Market Theatre, Ledbury and Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford
Saturday 26 September: The Courtyard, Hereford
Then we climax at the Electric in Birmingham on Sunday 25 October, with a gala show including Paul Shallcross on the piano and a premiere of the Magic Box film which has been made during the tour.
LONDON GIG By way of a Flatpack warmup we’ll be putting on some films and music at the Roxy Bar and Screen near Borough Market on Monday 19 October, in tandem with Electric Sheep magazine. Details coming soon.
POSITION VACANT Flatpack are seeking a Festival Coordinator. You don’t have to be mad, etc. Details can be found on the site, and the deadline is 28 September. The festival itself is on from 23-28 March next year, and the call for submissions will go out next week.
SO WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
Weds 9 September, 6.30 at Ikon Gallery in Birmingham A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS Photographer Stuart Whipps is the last one in this year’s series to get the Desert Island treatment.
Weds 9 September, 7.30 at the Glee Club in Birmingham THE LOW ANTHEM Providence trio, ‘Oh My God Charlie Darwin’.
Thursday 10 September at the Academy in Birmingham EDITORS Launch night for the newly relocated Academy, now where the Dome used to be.
10 September at the Victoria in Birmingham MOVING PICTURES Weekly filmnight. No word yet on what this week’s film is.
10-13 September around the UK HERITAGE OPEN DAYS Various old buildings open their doors. Birmingham highlights include Singers Hill Synagogue and Newman bros Coffin Fittings Works.
Friday 11 September, 6pm at Sence in the Arcadian, Bham BIRMINGHAM TWESTIVAL We’re all on Twitter. Hooray.
Friday 11 September at the Hare and Hounds in Kings Heath ZOVIET FRANCE Industrial ambience from Newcastle.
11-13 September in Birmingham city centre ARTSFEST Including the Electric Cinema Film Orchestra, film screenings at the Crescent theatre over the weekend, and Giant Steps at the Stans Cafe warehouse in the jewellery quarter.
Saturday 12 September, 2pm at the Herbert in Coventry MICROCOSMOS Free bug screening.
until 12 September at Margaret St School of Art, Bham BIAD FINE ART MA SHOW Worth a look – we liked the ninja Pollock and creepy projector-heads downstairs.
12/13 September at Ikon Gallery in Birmingham DAVID SHERRY Absurdist artist takes over the gallery for the weekend as a finale to his exhibition. This is also the last chance to sail on the Lubberland barge.
13 September, 12-4pm at Rea Garden in Digbeth FAMILY FUN DAY Hosted by the ‘Universal Family of Cosmic Xenogenesis’. Rated PG.
until 14 September at Coventry Ikea SELF ASSEMBLY Exhibition of works assembled from Ikea booty.
Weds 16 September, 8pm at the Bristol Pear in Selly Oak FILM RATS Monthly short film night which kicked off in the spring.
Thursday 17 September, 6.30pm at Austin Court in Bham RECASTING THE NET 4iP event exploring the limits of digital democracy and local politics online.
From 17 September at the Drawing Room in Hackney ALEJANDRO JODOROWSKY’S DUNE ‘An exhibition of a film of a book that never was’.
Friday 18 September, 12-5pm at Vivid in Digbeth SLEEVE NOTES Trevor Pitt invites you to contribute to a musical map of Birmingham.
Friday 18 September, 7pm at the Victoria in Birmingham ATTAGRRL + LET’S GO SWIMMING Screening of ‘Don’t Need You’ (about the origins of riot grrl) followed by allgrrl party.
18 September at the Hare and Hounds in Kings Heath SUGARFOOT STOMP Fresh from scaring the sheep at Green Man, the ladies celebrate their 5th birthday.
18-25 September at the Edge in Digbeth THE PhD SHOW Materials from the mysterious Darknosis project.
Sunday 20 September in Digbeth THE DIGBETH O’LYMPICS Including go-karting and telly-throwing apparently.
Tuesday 22 September at the Hare and Hounds F*CK BUTTONS Melodious noise duo, with support by one-man dynamo Theo.
22-26 September at the Back to Backs in Birmingham RESIDUUM Sound installation by Dreams of Tall Buildings. Private view on 24 Sept.
23-27 September in Liverpool ABANDON NORMAL DEVICES New festival bulging with films, installations and happenings. Things on our hitlist include Mary and Max, the ATP documentary, zombie wordgames in Pontypool, new movies by Matt Hulse and Craig Baldwin and special guest Carolee Schneemann.
24-27 September in Coventry A THING ABOUT MACHINES …Or if Liverpool is too much of a trek for you, there’s the second edition of this festival of sound and pictures exploring rejiggled technology. Inspired by a Tangerine Dream gig at Coventry Cathedral, and featuring Modulate, Kinopixel and Janek Schaefer.
Thursday 24 September, 6-9pm at Millennium Point in Birmingham MY JOURNEY TOGETHER with DAVID ROSE The man who attempted to bring the French Connection to Birmingham, and gave a legup to filmmakers including Alan Clarke, Stephen Frears and Mike Leigh. An influential drama producer who will be talking about his time at Pebble Mill and the fledgling Film Four.
Friday 25 September at the Edge in Digbeth HAPPY ARTIST SOCIAL CLUB Monthly artists’ kneesup. Write to info@frictionarts.com if you fancy going along.
Tuesday 29 September, 7pm at Wolverhampton Light House SCREEN FORUM: BLACK COUNTRY CINEMA First showcase for a new video poetry group. Is the next Kiarostami living in Wednesbury?
Weds 30 September, 6:30pm at the Victoria pub in Bham SHORTS ON SCREENS The latest animation forum gathering – the last one during Flatpack in March was rammed.
Weds 30 Sept, 7.30pm on a barge outside the Flapper and Firkin in Birmingham LISA KNAPP & LEAFCUTTER JOHN Concluding their Grand Union Canal tour.
1-4 October in St Helier, Jersey BRANCHAGE FILM FESTIVAL Second edition of the boutique filmfest which features British Sea Power, drive-ins, Paper Cinema and a Spiegeltent. No John Nettles.
Friday 2 October, 6.30 at the Electric in Birmingham JOSIE LONG’S ELECTRIC ADVENTURE CLUB pt3 Return visit for ms Long & friends & activities, kicking off the Bham Comedy Festival. Curate’s Egg are also putting on a couple of nights at the Hare and Hounds featuring John Cooper Clarke (2 Oct) and Simon Munnery and Ted Chippington (9 Oct)
2 October at Birmingham Symphony Hall CBSO REMEMBERING NUSRAT Tribute to Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. He played his first non-Asian gig at the Luxor cinema in Balsall Heath about 30 years ago.
9-29 October in Birmingham BIRMINGHAM BOOK FESTIVAL Including Nick Hornby, George Monbiot and Smiths short stories.
MORE BIRMINGHAM LISTINGS AT: http://russl.wordpress.com and also: http://morecanalsthanvenice.wordpress.com/
SOME FILMS SHOWING
AFTERSCHOOL (dir: Antonio Campos) Creepy US indie about a school video club. 11-17 Sept at Wolverhampton Light House
MESRINE: PUBLIC ENEMY no.1 (dir: Jean-François Richet) Second edition of the Gallic Goodfellas. Part one is also on over the weekend. 11-17 Sept at the Electric
AWAY WE GO (dir: Sam Mendes) Mendes goes indie. Gawd help us. Preview 14 Sept at Birmingham Cineworld
THE THING (dir: John Carpenter) Now that’s more like it. 15 Sept at Birmingham Cineworld
SLEEP FURIOUSLY (dir: Gideon Koppel) Beautiful portrait of a Welsh farming community. 18/19 Sept at Warwick Arts Centre
BITS AND BOBS
AURORA CLOSING Adam and Kelly at Aurora in Norwich have announced that the next event in November will be their last. This is a real shame; we discovered some great films and a lovely city through this festival. The final programme includes Jem Cohen, Milena Gierke, Andrew Kotting and Alasdair Roberts. http://www.aurora.org.uk/
FILM COURSES Retrofilm are running a selection of ten-week courses in Birmingham during the autumn, on subjects including black cinema and film noir. (Apparently not the same thing.) Starting around the end of September, with more info at: http://retrofilm.biz/courses/
CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS 10 September: KINO FILM Shorts in Manchester 15 September: FALSTAFF INT. FILM FESTIVAL New festival in Stratford-on-Avon. 25 September: ELECTRIC DECEMBER Bristol Watershed under-21s shorts scheme. 1 October: ROTTERDAM INT. FILM FESTIVAL
More filmmakers info and meetups at http://www.filmforumwm.co.uk
LINKYPOOS
FILMFICCIONES HAVE A SNAZZY NEW SITE
THERE IS A BETTER LIFESTYLE Glorious 80s promotional film for Birmingham.
ARTISTS TAKING THE LEAD Contenders for a chunky cultural olympiad project.
WE LOVE YOU SO Wild Things blog, full of good stuff.
IT FELT LIKE A KISS Adam Curtis’ latest film.
THIS IS WHAT SHE’S LIKE ‘Well you know how the English upper classes are thick and ignorant.’ 12 minutes of Dexys heaven.