WHISPERS...

There are lots more film screenings in the pipeline: at the Workhouse Festival in Wales, Tangerine in Australia, Discussions on Film at The Corridor in London, and at the Pink Festival in Cambridge. We’re also working on Getting Ready, the latest from the cinema of small gestures.
We can’t give any proper details just yet, but watch this space…

THE VERY BEST OF CINEMATOPIA 2009

Our cheeky Stag Movie has been chosen for a special event this Friday 26th June at the Mad Ferret, Fylde Road, Preston. Doors 7pm. £3 entry. It's part of the indoor Glastonferret Mini-Festival... Here’s the official blurb:

The Very Best of Cinematopia 2009 will showcase an awesome line-up of the grooviest short film, music video, animation and digital media from our past events. The outdoor screenings will be on the Orange Peel stage. And all this with a turfed pub, live bands, barbeque and real scrumpy (and the outdoor area’s roofed so you don’t need to worry about the British weather!)

Hosted by Kitsch Monkey Productions and the Mad Ferret, Cinematopia is Preston’s only regular movie night, screening a themed programme of weird and wonderful films.

THE HARRISES LIVE IN CONCERT!

Robert and Jennifer Harris, the copiously talented brother-sister combo who have provided the music for many Roundeye films, will be performing live at this year’s Concert in the Park, in Goodnestone Park, Canterbury, Kent.

Our talented duo are the opening act for the event, which is this Saturday 20th June. Gates open at 3pm, and tickets can be purchased here.

BEN BARTON & KENNETH ANGER - AT THE PICTURES!

Just a few days to go until Roundeye's latest appearance at The Pictures, without doubt London's coolest film night, who have supported us from the beginning.

This Wednesday June 17th two of our films will be sharing the programme with the legendary Kenneth Anger - Benny B's true hero. Both Insects and Stag Movie will be up there, followed by Anger classics Rabbit's Moon, Invocation, the Scorpio & Lucifer Risings and even Puce Moment - the inspiration for our new film (still very much in progress) called Getting Ready.

Get there for 8pm and expect to stay late!

STRAWBERRY SEASON

This Friday is the first night of the Strawberry Fair Film Festival in Cambridge, where Ellen Love will screened in the Big Top Tent. Our section starts at 9:45pm and is being sold as the "best new short films from around the world". That's what I call hype!
And yes I know I've said it before, but admission is free!

JESUS AT THE SYNCH FESTIVAL, ATHENS

A few months ago Ben created a special edit of Uphill for Jesus for the brilliant Synch Festival, held in Athens Friday June 12th to Sunday 14th.

The film will be projected onto large screens outside the Technopolis building, a historic old factory in the city centre.

It's part of Synch's moving image programme, a non-competitive show that promotes work from international audio-visual artists. Now in its sixth year, I'm assured this fest is one of the bestest in Europe!

Florence and the Machine, a personal favourite of Roundeye star Benny Harris, are part of the incredibe line-up for this event, as are Benny B's fave, the New Young Pony Club.

Here's a wee trailer to whet your appetities:

B:FEST THIS SATURDAY

B Involved, B There, B Inspired, B Fest!

Starting at 4pm this Saturday 6th June, our dark and moody little cine flick The Return of Ellen Love will be part of the B:Fest film screenings, which are described thus:

“More innovative and experimental work - a perfect alternative for those fed up with formulaic Hollywood blockbusters! An opportunity to see short films submitted by filmmakers from all over Europe”

See the Luton Arts Festival website for all the info.
Screening held at Manhattans, Cumberland Street, Luton. Admission: £5.

FRISCO FEVER!

We’ve just had late notice of two screenings over the pond in San Francisco, for the Cinematheque Avec night, a new event held at the Hotel Utah, 400 Bryant Street.

Both Uphill for Jesus and The Return of Ellen Love will be shown later today, Thursday May 28th at 8.30pm.

It’s described as “a mingling of indie films with original music from SF-based songstress, Brittany Shane” whose new album Have Heart Live Young comes highly recommended!
Ms Shane will introduce each film as well as providing the musical entertainment with her band.

Plus, continuing the (accidental) trend for the Roundeye film screenings – they’ll be free popcorn too!

ELLEN LOVE IN EDINBURGH!

Yep, Ellen Love is the girl that just keeps on giving! The undead star of our underground offering The Return of Ellen Love, captured on super grainy super 8, is fast becoming our most popular personage to date!

The flick has been chosen as one of “the best films shown over the past six months” by The Pictures, London’s best subversive film night, and so is heading north for an offshoot event at The Bowery in Edinburgh.

This free night out is bolstered with free popcorn – so bring a date this Sunday May 31st at 5pm to The Bowery at the city's Roxy Art House.

P.S. We can’t even see the word ‘Bowery’ without thinking of the devilled demi-god of everything bad taste, Leigh Bowery, our idol, hero and favourite former resident of Sunshine. RIP Leigh x

ALL THE FUN OF THE FAIR!

Roundeye’s nearly-cult classic The Return of Ellen Love has been selected for the delectable Strawberry Fair Film Festival 2009 - Cambridge's finest festival held every year on the Midsummer Common.

Late at night under the Big Top Tent on Friday 5th June, Ellen will be the penultimate film of the evening.

This year's Strawberry Fair will include ten fantastic short film programmes over two days – and is just part of Cambridge’s best free festival – and yes I said FREE!

Read the film programme here: [1] or peruse what the BBC has to say about the whole event here: [2]

SPEND ANOTHER NIGHT AT THE PICTURES

Last year we were delighted to be part of the line-up for the first ever Pictures Underground Film Night - and we're happy to be returning with The Return of Ellen Love and Dance of the Coward - this Wednesday 20th May at Bardens Boudoir, Stoke Newington High Street, London N16*

Please come and support this crowd of moviemakers, dreamers, cinephiles and budding underground stars, s'il vous plait!

Showtime is 7pm and not only is it free entry - but it's happy hour all night long too - so get happy you wannabe Candy Darlings!


*Sadly we can't make this one because we're otherwise engaged at the Kent University student film night - but we hope to make it to the next one where there's been a whisper that we may be screening some other films...

TASTE THE 'CABARET SORBET' THIS FRIDAY!

A selection of Ben Barton’s short films from the Roundeye oeuvre will be screened this Friday May 15th as part of the Cabaret Sorbet, Nottingham's night of alternative arts absorption.

Be prepared to enjoy an evening full of music, poetry, performance art, short films, dance, comedy, theatre and even a spot of body art if you're lucky.

It all kicks off at 8pm at The Art Organisation, 21 Station Street, Nottingham (next to the train station) and we’re promised that a beautiful selection of brewed beverages will be available from the famous Tea Bar, although feel free to bring copious amounts of your own booze, if you so desire…

FEELING HUNGARY? - BRITISH SHORTS IN BUDAPEST...

The Return of Ellen Love, which had its premiere this January at the Lichtspielklub Film Festival in Berlin is one of the few films to be taken on tour to Budapest, as part of the festival's 'British Shorts' programme.

"The festival aims to bring a taste of contemporary British films to a Hungarian audience. It includes films from students from the National Film and Television School, London Film Academy, Royal College of Art, London College of Music and Media, and also from young professionals" (we'll be the latter then!)

Throughout the two-day event lecturers from the University of Bedfordshire will be running a filmmaking workshop, and after the screenings there will be a set by DJ InfraGandhi.
The Return of Ellen Love will be shown on the last night of the festival, May 21st.

It's not our first time in Hungary either - we screened Uphill for Jesus last year at the Szeged Super 8 Film Festival.

There are lots of thanks needed for this: to all at the Lichtspielklub Film Festival, the British Embassy in Hungary and the guys here at the University of Befordshire.

Go to british-shorts.com for more info.

I SMELL (VEGGIE) BACON... THIS SUNDAY

'Initial Prospect' the first Dungeness film from your favourite low-fi studio, Roundeye, will be screened this Sunday May 3rd at Bacon Street Project, on, surprisingly, Bacon Street, just off Brick Lane in London.
The screenings start at 1pm - so there's no lie-in allowed I'm afraid ye burners of the candle at both enders!

APRIL COOL - ELLEN LOVE'S IN NORWICH!

The latest screening from Camp Roundeye is The Return of Ellen Love - this Tuesday April 21st as part of the SHORTS film showcase at the Norwich Arts Centre.
Click here for more info: [1] [2]

DEER-Y ME! STAG MOVIE IS BACK!

The stag has reared its head again! Remember Stag Movie, our little 'found footage' film, based on those cheeky bachelor-party movies of the 1920s and 30s? (Mazza Monroe and Joan 'Mommie Dearest' Crawford are both reputed to have appeared in some).

Well following the first screening in London late last year, it is now back on our screens!

It was recently shown at the The Film Den in Manchester, and also as part of Cinema Rivalry at the Ping Pong Club in Kreuzberg, Berlin - the theme was 'Poetry Film vs Dance Film'.

And now we've just had wind that you can catch Stag Movie at this Monday's Cinematopia Kitch Trash Movie Night in Preston, Lancashire. Held at the city's 'best music venue', The Mad Ferret, it's being screened as support to John Waters' spellbindingly legendary cult trash classic Female Trouble. We're over the moon. So you know where to find us, right?

P.S: I want Cha-Cha heels !

MONDAY MONDAY... ELLEN LOVE HITS LONDON

Short notice I know - but The Return of Ellen Love is going to have its first London screening this Monday 2nd March, courtesy of Urban Forest Pictures. If you wanna be there, get your bums down to Clapham Junction and the splendid Project Orange where you can watch for absolutely FREE!
Can't say fairer than that my friends...

SHORT FILM CENTRAL

You can now find out more about Roundeye's films on Short Film Central.
Just thought you should know. x

THE RETURN OF ELLEN LOVE - UPDATE

Well The Return of Ellen Love, our latest and greatest little cine film from 'the cinema of small gestures' is now coming to a small public screen near you! We have confirmed screenings at upcoming shows from Urban Forest Pictures in London, Film Chess in Tokyo, and the Secret Movie Night in Burlington in the grand old U S of A.

Also big love to the Lichtspieklub Short Film Festival for the German premiere of the film, and the Odder's Mini Cine Picture Show for the Manchester screening.

We are now working on the next Roundeye release, called 'Getting Ready'. It is our glossiest, most ambitious film yet. So keep your fingers crossed for us!

Just so you know what it's all about, we've included the poster and some screenshots from 'Ellen Love'. Over and out (for now).

ROLL UP TO THE MINI CINE PICTURE SHOW!

We've been a bit lazy on the blog posting front - it's taken us a while to settle in to 2009, to be honest. But some exciting news just in... the newest and best-so-far film from Roundeye - The Return of Ellen Love - will be screened as part of Odder's Mini Cine Picture Show in Manchester! So get your bums down to the Odder Bar in the Southern Quarter this Sunday, 8th February for the UK premiere of our little master-work.

BERLIN! BERLIN! BERLIN!

Here's a little bit more info on the British Shorts programme at the Lichtspieklub Short Film Festival which they have described as "three days of films from the mother country of bad weather".

Ellen Love will be shown January 17th at the Sputnik Cinema, Berlin. Screenings start at 10pm and admission is free.

Our film is described as "Traumwandlerisch erzählter, düster-romantischer Experimentalfilm zu dem song 'Black Eyes' von Jennifer Harris" or for you non-natives "A dark and romantic experimental film to the song 'Black Eyes' by Jennifer Harris". For the full festival listing you can download a snazzy pdf-thingy HERE. Danke!

BRITISH SHORTS IN GERMANY

Roundeye's newborn The Return of Ellen Love is leaving on a jet plane for the Lichtspielklub Short Film Festival in Berlin. The theme this year is British Shorts, with the event sponsored by the University of Bedfordshire.

Here are some of the posters for the show, featuring a pack of random Blighty rugby boys in various arse-grabbing poses (and in, I guess, British 'shorts'. Clever eh?) So what if they're a bit young? - we all love a rugger-bugger don't we? Just me then.

HAPPY BLOODY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year to you dear reader! We're back!
With Roundeye's head honcho Ben Barton now well and truly married and Christmas just a distant memory, we can't wait to get stuck into 2009 with a big dollop of relish... Great things are happening already - with a few new film screenings in the pipeline - coming VERY soon indeed!

ELLEN LOVE - WATCH THE TRAILER NOW!

Here is a little teaser for our spooky new cine film, The Return of Ellen Love. Maya Deren eat your f**kng heart out! Hope you like the dark vibe we have going on at the moment, because Gothic is just so 2009, we have just decided...

This little clip is all you're getting, for now - so wait until Christmas and see what Santa brings you. Maybe we'll show some more then. Or maybe you'll just end up with a tangerine and a lump of coal. No biggie.

STRIP!

With Ben Barton still recovering from his very own stag night, it seems fitting that his new film Stag Movie has just had it's premiere at the Striplite night in London. This mix of burlesque, short films and other saucy entertainment is the perfect venue for the film, which uses found footage of old girlie movies and a 70s disco soundtrack. Marilyn Monroe and Joan Crawford are both said to have starred in 'stag' movies early in their careers, so we're in good company, I guess...

ANYONE FOR A BRAZILIAN?

Yep, Brazil here we come...! OK - we couldn't afford the air fare, and we're watching those nasty carbon emissions too, but the Roundeye films are winging their way to the Curitiba Super 8 Film Festival. Uphill for Jesus is one of dozens of films that will be screened in the Caixa Cultural Cinema from November 25th. Tickets are free too.

DO NOT ADJUST YOUR SET - ELLEN LOVE

Check out these pictures taken from the rough cut of The Return of Ellen Love - Roundeye's latest film. Still very much in progress (we're hoping to screen this early in the new year) it has been all hands on deck, with Jennifer working on music, the Vanstones busy lino cutting the new titles and Ben splicing the film. We can't wait for you to see it, so don't go changing channels anytime soon, okay?

ROUNDEYE, CROSS THE MERSEY

Ben Barton's film Uphill for Jesus has been shown at the Wolstenholme Screenings in Liverpool. It was one of nine artist's films installed throughout the gallery, projected continuously for one night only in a show collated by Leo Fitzmaurice.

Here are some photos from the show - to watch the Jesus film visitors had to perch on a little wooden chair and view it one at a time.

WE'RE AT THE SALFORD FILM FESTIVAL

Yes - our super 8 opus Uphill for Jesus is being shown at this year's Salford Film Festival. It's part of the Super 8 In A Digital World event, which promises 'a selection of the most exciting work currently being produced in the medium'. Come on down to the Islington Mill on Saturday 22nd November at 2pm.

TWO DAYS TO GO UNTIL FLICKER

Over the pond and two days to go until the Flicker Film Festival's 'Projector Bulb Fundraiser Show', with Scott's Garden part of the line up. They're showing a few other Roundeye classics too. Exciting eh?

ROUNDEYE AT THE CANTERBURY FESTIVAL

Friday night saw two of our films being shown at the Big Lens.Small Films event at the Canterbury Festival. Two hours of moviemaking brilliance ensued - and the wine was free too! (our favourite vintage) so a great night out was had by all.

Here are a few grainy snaps of the tipsy Roundeyes at the event...

THE 'INITIAL PROSPECT' POSTER

Thanks to the endless talents of Mrs Jennifer Harris, here is the poster for the Initial Prospect film, which follows the two Bennies on a trip to Dungeness.


Fresh from its screening at this year's Canterbury Festival (more of which later) this super 8 delight was made as part of the ongoing PROSPECT project. It follows two people as they journey to Dungeness on the famed RHDR train and walk around this unique place, which is Britain's only desert. The film's soundtrack, 'Chester' is a collaboration between Jen and legendary film composer George Fenton, and is written by her father Jack Harris, also a successful musician.

PREMIERING AT THE FLICKER FILM FESTIVAL

Two films from the cinema of small gestures will receive their American premiere at the Flicker Film Festival - and we couldn't be happier about it! Flicker is one of the longest-running super 8 events in the world, with film screenings held in several countries.

The date is set for November 9th at the Nightlight in Chapel Hill, NC @ 8pm.

PREVIEW - 'THE RETURN OF ELLEN LOVE'

Here is the two Bennies (that's Ben Barton and Jennifer Harris to you) on the 'set' of guerrilla film shoot The Return of Ellen Love filmed in the beautiful, tiny village of Acrise in Kent. We're shooting more tomorrow; then it's all up to Kodak and the laboratory as to what becomes of this 200ft of celluoid.

ENJOY A NIGHT AT THE PICTURES

We're pleased as punch that three films from 'the cinema of small gestures' collection will be shown tomorrow at The Pictures underground film night.

Uphill for Jesus is being shown, along with the first Dungeness film, Initial Prospect, and fresh from the lab, Scott's Garden - so it's a triptych of super 8 delights, just for you. The event is at Bardens Boudoir and entry is free, so there's no excuse not to be there. OK?

Uphill for Jesus




Initial Prospect




Scott's Garden

All images © Ben Barton 2008

WE'RE ON TOUR!

Yes, we’re on tour! Sort of. As reported previously the ‘Jesus’ film has been winging it’s way around the country to all your favourite festivals and film nights.

If you still haven’t seen the film, the next dates on the Jesus Tour are at the fabulous Final Cut in Brighton on October 19th, or at the Canterbury Festival on October 24th in the Michael Powell Theatre for the Big Lens.Small Films event. Be there or be square my Jesus fans (rosaries are optional but highly recommended).

THE JESUS JUGGERNAUT CONTINUES...

‘Uphill for Jesus’ continues to rear its beautiful head at screenings. We are very proud that it was shown at this month’s Quickflick World International Short Film Festival, at the Roxy Bar & Screen in London, which claims to “debut the world’s best filmmaking talent at monthly screenings in Sao Paulo, London, Berlin, Barcelona, New York, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Mumbai, Beijing, Tokyo and Tel Aviv”. Wow.


The film can also be seen this weekend at the Videophile Festival in Brighton, supported by Phoenix Arts.

NEW FILM - 'THE LIGHTHOUSE'

For your eyes only - here’s some photos of the two Bennies down and out in Dungeness, shooting new super 8 opus ‘The Lighthouse’ which is at the lab as we speak.

All photos by Jennifer Harris

'EXPLODING CINEMA' - A BELATED POSTER

Better late than never – here is the poster for the Exploding Cinema event at last month's Collision Festival, which featured 'Uphill for Jesus' in the programme.

UPHILL FOR JESUS POSTER

I almost forgot (how could I) - the poster for the Jesus film...

Artwork is by Jennifer Harris, who also lent her songwriting and vocal skills to the film, clever girl that she is.

SEPTEMBER IS OFFICIALLY ‘JESUS’ MONTH

September has been super exciting for Roundeye and geography fans – ‘Uphill for Jesus’ has been screened all over the shop. The world premiere was provided by Rotoreliefs (London) @ the uber-cool Vibe – you should have been there daaaling - followed by a screening at the Collision Festival (also London) with the Exploding Cinema team. It was also selected as part of the Szeged Super 8 Festival (Hungary).

You can watch ‘the Jesus film’ (as we have come to call it in the Roundeye ‘Factory’!) at upcoming screenings - both September 29th - at The Forest (Edinburgh) and also at the Over Exposure film night (Chorley). Now that's geography.

‘Uphill for Jesus’ is the first film to be publically shown from the ‘cinema of small gestures’ project, in case you didn't know.

More screenings are coming up – so boys and girls, watch this space please...

YES, IT'S COMING...

Patience is a virtue they say, and yes we have been enormously busy with other projects - such as the super 8 films - but The Hospital is still going ahead, perhaps a little later than planned...

Bear with us - some things are worth the wait, don't you think?

BEN BARTON INTERVIEW TALKS ABOUT UPCOMING BOOK

Ben Barton has recently spoken about The Hospital in an interview with Gloom Cupboard editor Richard Wink:


Q) You are releasing a book titled ‘The Hospital’ this year chronicling your experiences on a NHS ward. I’m interested to know more about this and whether putting together this book was more difficult than other collections you have previously had published?

BB) It’s the most personal book I’ve written. It began when I was in hospital, back in 2002. I’d broken my legs so was bedridden, and tanked-up on intravenous morphine. So I just hallucinated and sweated for weeks, scribbling this mad account of what was happening on scraps of paper. The book is basically my diary of my time ‘inside’. The lack of soul in the place nearly killed me. And I saw some horrible things, so of course it’s been difficult – I guess that’s why it’s taken me six years to put it out there.


To read the full interview, visit Gloom Cupboard online

READ EXTRACT FROM THE HOSPITAL ONLINE

Poems From The Hospital, an online chapbook featuring 14 of the Hospital poems, is now available to read at the Open Wide Magazine website

From the editor, James Quinton:

"We have just added a new online chapbook ‘Poems from the Hospital’ by Ben Barton. Ben is a major talent and we’re thrilled to have his work on the site."

OPEN WIDE MAGAZINE TO PREVIEW 'THE HOSPITAL'

Britain's best independent arts magazine Open Wide will soon be previewing a selection of The Hospital poems in an 'online chapbook'

PREVIEW OF THE HOSPITAL POEMS

A poem from The Hospital has been published in Concrete Meat Sheet #8.

Another poem will be featured in the second print edition of Gloom Cupboard, published by the erbacce press.

THE HOSPITAL COVER DESIGNS

Here's a sneaky peek at some of the cover designs for The Hospital book... still a work in progress.

They are linocuts are by the ridiculously talented Mr V – see the link to his 'Illustration Emporium' on the right…

ROUNDEYE'S FIRST BOOK - COMING SOON

The first book from Roundeye Books will be The Hospital by Ben Barton

See www.benbarton.co.uk