Film at Eleven

The call for submissions is now open for the 2008 Big Bang Film Festival (BBFF). BBFF is a celebration of exciting and inventive films in the Action, Adventure, Suspense and Asian Action Cinema genres. BBFF also welcomes documentary submissions featuring extreme sports and athletic events, activities and competitions which have contributed some of the most entertaining video of death defying speed, skill and daring. Each year Big Bang Film Festival showcases amazing films, some classics, some classics in the making. Every submission is posted on the BBFF Submissions Page so that all of our filmmakers can link to their listing.

TheBig Bang Film Festival is now calling for submissions. Visit their website for more information on the festival, our submission process, special events, and opportunities to join the team!

Independent British film distributor Wibbell Productions Ltd today announced the launch of their new niche DVD label The Weird World of Wibbell.

With a very clear identity right from the start, the new label is set to specifically target cult, horror and science fiction feature films, short film compilations and some ‘very odd’ special interest documentaries.

Wibbell’s ‘Head of Weirdness’, Content Manager, Allin Kempthorne explained:

“Wibbell are the new weird kids in town! We’re the freaks, the nerds, the geeks and the weirdoes. We’re the travelling freak show and the vampires castle! We’re seriously into the so-called ‘cult’ or ‘B-Movie’ areas of Horror, Sci-Fi and Nostalgia, as are our huge potential audiences here in the UK and around the world. The followers of these genres care about them passionately and have an insatiable appetite for quality genre films. We at Wibbell aim to supply those films!

We also want to unearth some of the enormous new film-making talent that is emerging on the independent scene outside of the established film industry. We know through our own experience as film-makers ourselves that there are many great independent films that just can’t punch through the Hollywood stranglehold on the worlds film markets. We aim to find the best of those films within the ‘cult’ genres and help get them out in front of the audiences they so richly deserve.”

‘The Weird World of Wibbell’ launches this Summer with the UK release of their first film title, the jaw-droppingly funny independent British Vampire Comedy The Vampires of Bloody Island, already being hailed by the press as ‘a new cult classic’ and ‘doing for vampire films what ‘Shaun of the Dead’ did for zombies!’

The Vampires of Bloody Island stars up and coming Scream Queen Pamela Kempthorne as the evil and scheming vampiress Morticia de’Ath. The film is set on an abandoned island off the Cornish coast which has become home for demons and vampires, and also stars Oliver Gray, John Snelling and Leon Hamilton.

The soundtrack to the film includes songs by such giants of the Goth-Rock scene as The Suburban Vamps (from the USA), Theatres des Vampires (from Italy), Fever (from Portugal) and Britain’s Premier Pagan Rock band, Inkubus Sukkubus - all names which are very familiar to their enormous international fan bases in the Goth music scene.

Following The Vampires of Bloody Island, The Weird World of Wibbell has a catalogue of several other DVD releases scheduled for over the next 12 months, showcasing the work of new emerging directors in the cult/horror/sci-fi genres, plus some very old nostalgic treats.

Releases will be initially in the UK and Irish markets while Wibbell forges relationships to release their titles world-wide.

Allin Kempthorne concludes “We aim to establish ‘The Weird World of Wibbell’ as a new name in weirdness for British B-Movie enthusiasts. We welcome interaction with our audience and have an active newsletter group which we encourage everyone to join on our website.

Stay weird. Stay watching. Stay Wibbell!

If you happen to be in New York, David Spaltro’s …Around is one of the films screening on June 1st as part of the New Visions New Visionary film series program at East Coast Aliens.

The world première for horror/war hybrid Blitzkrieg: Escape From Stalag 69 will happen at New York’s Pioneer Theatre in Saturday May 24th 2008 at 10pm

From Keith Crocker, director of 1997’s The Bloody Ape, comes a brand-new Nazi exploitation flick for 2008! For nearly 30 years no one has dared tackle the genre, leaving us rerunning Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS in our DVD players. Now, in period costume and refashioning New York, Long Island locales, Crocker has fathomed a return to the glorious ’70s when the Nazi genre was more grindhouse fodder rather than a political nod. Wild Eye Releasing is handling the limited theatrical release and eventually DVD duties.

The cast and crew will be present for a Q&A following the film, which will also enjoy a week long run at the Pioneer in the late summer, as well as dates across the country. Click here to purchase tickets in advance.

Daniel Fox originally released Dreamscape (review trailer), a science fiction film inspired by movies such as The Manchurian Candidate and the works of Philip K. Dick, last year.

And now there is a longer cut on the way which promises to bring the pace and style of a Hollywood production to the British indie scene, for a fraction of the budget. Given how effective the original film is this is no idle boast.

And now, with shooting for the final cut now completed, the official Dreamscape website has been totally redesigned and updated, with new features, behind the scenes photos and more.

The teaser trailer for the extended cut is due online this Wednesday so keep any eye out for it!

When I saw The Horror Vault – an anthology of nine short films centring on madness and cruelty – I was very impressed indeed. What I hadn’t realised is that this film is the first of a trilogy of anthologies with Part 2 due to be released in December and Part 3 in the Spring of 2008.

Kim Sønderholm has very kindly let me have a sneak peek at the posters for parts two and three and here they are:

Cetus Productions have announced the worldwide release of their feature film Craig (review, trailer) - the story about a young quiet man turning serial killer in dispair.

The film is directed by experienced actor Kim Sønderholm who also plays the lead as Craig. The film is his debut as a director and has been described as something as odd as an artsy horror slasher with depth and atmosphere - drama, blood, murder, a dark underworld with plenty of gorgeous undressed women on the way.

Supporting Sønderholm on the acting side is, among others - Lloyd Kaufman (playing an obscure part as the god inside Craig’s mind), Manoush, Merete van Kamp, Jan Tjerrild, Ian Burns, Christian Magdu, Peter Ottesen, Claire Ross-Brown, Barbara Zatler, Russ Diaper, Lars Bjarke, Anna Bård, Melany Denise, Karin Bertling, Alice Haaber, Anja Owe, Zöe Hunter, Simone Lykke, Christa Møller Nielsen and last but not least Danish pin-up models Sarah Louise Christensen and Jenni Lykke Olsen.

The film is now available from the “>official website with a limited edition double DVD to follow soon. The second disc will contain a feature documentary called “Craig - A Killer in the Making”, which is a look behind the scenes; an interview with director Kim Sønderholm and composer Russ Diaper; bloopers; alternative takes; deleted scenes and the full recording sessions with both Lloyd Kaufman and Manoush.

Film Friends Forever is a monthly event, a mailing list, and a community. They started their events in the intimate surroundings of The Parlour in Sketch in Mayfair for industry professionals and enthusiasts to come and show their work, have a drink and chat in a relaxed atmosphere.

Their monthly events showcase the best of short films, music videos, feature films, and talks from industry figures and are attended by those who love film and work in the creative industry and their friends and at the next one - on 6th May - they will be teaming up with Vice Magazine’s online broadcast network VBS.TV screen some of their best, silliest and unseen content.

Go check it out.