JUST IN... THE PORTOBELLO FILM FESTIVAL 2011

Details for this year's Portobello Film Festival have just been announced - one of London's best film events - and our film Getting Ready is in the line-up!

Here's the official release:

Staking its claim as Europe's largest independent film festival with a programme of over 700 films, the Portobello Film Festival is 17 days of non-stop cutting edge cinema from the modern masters of the medium – unimpressed with bling, spin and celebrity culture, these guys have gone out and made their films, often on budgets of next to nothing, for the sheer thrill of it. And keeping to its indie roots, the all events are FREE.
At the heart of Portobello Film Festival are shorts and features that embody the state of cinematic art from international upcoming directors. Evenings are programmed into drama, documentary, comedy, animation, music, art, sci-fi, horror and world. They’ll be non stop screenings at The Inn On The Green and Westbourne Studios, plus with a Filmmakers Convention and loads of fringe events - you can see why this is truly the biggest celebration of independent films in Europe!

Getting Ready will be part of the Video Cafe line up at the Westbourne Studios, screened in the cinema and the bar. This event runs from Monday 5th to Thursday 8th September, from 6pm-11pm each night.

HOWND DOGS...

Last night our colourful kaleidoscopic super-8 delight, Getting Ready, was shown at the fantastic Braine Hownd short film night.

Promising to showcase 'the best in new short films' our little movie was one of just five on the bill for this brand new film event, held every first Tuesday of the month at the Hideaway, which you can find in between Tufnell Park and Archway tube stations in LONDON TAAN!

This is what Braine Hownd's official blog made of the night:

There have been a few great sequels (Terminator 2, Aliens, Desperado, Three men and a little lady, Jaws 2) and some not so good sequels (Teen Wolf Too, Transformers 2, Sex and the City 2, Jaws: The Revenge). However, there was no sophomore slump for Braine Hownd Film’s second short film night (or as host Matt Prendergast put it ‘the first, second Braine Hownd Film Night ever”).

It was another packed night in The Hideaway basement, and, thanks to the summer coming to London for a few days, its lovely beer garden, which seemed to host both the pre and post film shenanigans... The last film before the interval was Getting Ready by Ben Barton. Though I wouldn’t call this a short film, more a music video, it looked stunning. It was shot on Super 8 film and on location at Chatham Brook Theatre. Getting Ready tells the the story of faded glories and past dreams.

You can read the whole thing here: Braine Hownd Film Blog

Right - let's sign off with some photos from the event. Enjoy!

ON THE SMALL SCREEN WITH... RONKE

ronke (ron-kay) Chiefly Norwegian Vulgar Slang
vb (intr) to masturbate
n an instance of masturbating

Yes – apparently 'Ronke' is the Norwegian word for an old fashioned five-knuckle shuffle. But more importantly, it’s also the title of the best short film show on British television!

Broadcast most days on the channels Showcase and InformationTV, Ronke is now in its sixth year and promises "strange, unusual, funny, moving and always entertaining short films from around the world".

I’ve tried for ages to get some Roundeye films on the programme – and I’m thrilled to say that they have finally snapped-up two of our finest creations – Getting Ready and brand-new film Little Red – for the show TOMORROW NIGHT!

So PLEASE tune-in to Sky channel 166 tomorrow at 9.30pm to watch some real super-8 cine films on the small screen! It doesn't happen very often!

The screening will be the virtual premiere of Little Red – our scary version of Little Red Riding Hood - it’s only ever been screened once before, last week at my solo film show for the Folkestone Triennial.

So please tune in, or SkyPlus it, or whatever… super-8 is great!


How to watch ‘Ronke’ - this Wednesday 13th June at 9.30pm
- Sky viewers - turn to channel 166 - or channel 189 for the +1 version which runs an hour behind.
- Freesat viewers - click on channel 402.
- If you're outside the UK - the channel can be received via any satellite equipment pointing at the Astra/Eurobird complex at 28.2E using frequency 11.623 H, FEC 2/3, symbol rate 27500 and service ID 50880.
- Or if all that's a bit complicated (no shit!) - then just visit the website here and watch the channel's live online streaming - it's completely free!


If you miss tomorrow's show - fear not. Word on the street is that our films will be repeated quite a bit over the foreseeable future, so keep tuning in...

Ben Barton


P.S. Here’s the brand new poster for Little Red, btw. Artwork is courtesy of the ridiculously talented Mr V. Big love. x

MOVIEBAR MAGIC

Now in it's third incarnation - I think - the new, more snappily-titled Movie Bar is still Brighton's best short film night... held the first Monday of every month at the Cornerstone.

This month is sure to be the best night so far. Why? - well because it will feature a trio of Roundeye films all directed by our very own Ben Barton - that's why!

They will be showing our super-8 films Getting Ready, The Lighthouse and Initial Prospect, described in the programme as 'three stories of love, loss and dreams presented as visual poems'.

So get down to the Cornerstone at the bottom of Elm Grove in Brighton on Monday June 6th... the usual movie quiz starts at 8pm, followed by the screenings...

NICE FRINGE!

We're very happy to be a part of the inaugural Shorts Festival as part of this year's Stratford-upon-Avon Fringe.

It's our sparkly delight Getting Ready that will be screened, at the town's fab Picturehouse Cinema, this weekend on June 5th. The films start at 1pm and admission is absolutely FREE!

TIME FOR MORE CRAIC

Our rattling short film Getting Ready is winging her way back to the Emerald Isle this week, this time for the Underground Cinema event in Dunleary.

Click here to read the full line-up for the night which is this Thursday, March 24th at the Kingston Hotel. Admission is by a crisp or crumpled €5 note - tis your choice...

KOMING SOON AT KINOKULTURE

There's something of a Benny B retrospective coming up this month at the KinoKulture Short Film Night in Shropshire, with four Roundeye films being screened in one sitting. That's Getting Ready, The Return of Ellen Love, Initial Prospect and our little-seen art film The Lighthouse.

KinoKulture is an independently-run boutique cinema in Oswestry, which offers a varied programme of film screenings and events throughout the year. Our films will be shown at The Ironworks on Sunday 27th March, starting at 7.30pm. Tickets are a bargain £3!


UPDATE... We've just heard that Getting Ready and Initial Prospect have been moved to the next Short Film Night, being held sometime in May. We'll keep you updated!

SHOWROOM SHORTS SHEFFIELD - TOMORROW!

Wow - well the fab Roundeye technicolor film Getting Ready is having another screening tomorrow night - the fifth this year to be exact, but who's counting eh?

This time it's at the super Showroom Shorts night, held at Sheffield's legendary Showroom Cinema. Here's the info blurb from the programme:

Join us again for a FREE evening of top-quality short films. This instalment of the immensely successful shorts night is a strong one featuring ten new films - so don't miss it! We’ll also be giving away a Showroom Take Two package on the night (that's two main meals, two cinema tickets and a bottle of wine).
Showroom Shorts - March 1st @ 7.30pm

Sounds good, don't you think?

VARIETÉ IS THE SPICE OF LIFE

We're back to our favourite city in the whole wide world next Sunday - yep - the ancient streets of LONDINIUM aka LONDRES aka LONDON TOWN...

It's our bestest film Getting Ready that's being screened, for the Cinema Varieté event which is being pushed as "the capital's new vibrant arts night".

Cinema Varieté is held at 10 Gales, hailed as Bethnal Green's 'best kept secret' and offering the curious but cool mix of contemporary art space, live venue, second-hand boutique, coffee shop and hair salon - all tucked under the railway arches by Bethnal Green tube station. If you wanna go, it's Sunday 20th February at 7pm.

As well as the films you can look forward to an edible art installation from Tony Di Chirico and plenty of live performances - all for the diminutive sum of £3. Sounds good eh?

COME WATCH SHORT CINEMA IN LONDON...

Getting Ready is getting lots of air at the moment, and we couldn't be happier!

The next screening is the fab Short Cinema, being held at the legendary Phoenix Cinema in London. It's on Sunday 6th February at 1:30pm. Tickets are just a Lady Godiva.

To watch the trailer for the night - including a 30 second little snippet of our film [CLICK HERE]

THE NEW VOLTA FILM CLUB

It's over to the Emerald Isle for some Roundeye films tomorrow...

Yes, yes it's super short notice, but no matter, because Dublin's New Volta Film Club are holding a special screening of FIVE of our films!

The celluloid delights on the menu are Getting Ready, Ellen Love, Uphill for Jesus, Initial Prospect and The Lighthouse - all part of their special evening of new independent short film.

So if you're up for the craic, place yourself at Bewley's Cafe Theatre, Tuesday February 1st at 8.30pm. It's FREE!

'GETTING READY' SELECTED FOR THE BRITISH SHORTS FESTIVAL IN BERLIN

Our spies have been out on the streets of Berlin, and there seem to be posters for this British Shorts film festival everywhere...

Well good job too, because our little Roundeye super 8 film, Getting Ready, is part of the Official Selection. Woop! (It's the second time we've screened at the festival - last time was 2009).

So if you want to watch our fave Technicolor cine opus, it'll be screened at the Sputnik Kino - Berlin's highest cinema apparently and the one with the funky brick seats - this Sunday 16th January at 6pm.

You can download the festival programme [HERE]...

BACK WITH A BANG!

Well folks - we're back at Nottingham's finest Bang! Short Film Festival this year - this time with our colourful little cult offering, Getting Ready. As always, the festival promises "to mix local, national and international films to create an original and exciting programme".

Once again it's being held at the Broadway Cinema, and you can catch our film on Saturday night - 27th November at 7:30pm.

Go to the festival website for the fundown with the rundown...

BIRTHDAY FUN @ THE LANCASHIRE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Well what better way to celebrate Benny B's birthday weekend than with this fab new film festival?

Enjoy two days of films, performances, workshops, masterclasses and conferences during the inaugural Lancashire International Film Festival.

All tickets are free and there is good food and a licensed bar area to sit back and relax between shows.

We invite you to enjoy the films and the opportunity to share time and space with other film lovers, makers, writers and creators. This is LIFE in its many shorter forms.

You can read the full programme for our screening here - it's being held in the Media Factory's Theatre 1 on May 23rd at 9pm.

THERE’S NOWT AS QUEER AS FILM

Following the low-key premiere of Getting Ready on Wednesday, the latest Roundeye film is now off to London for the fantabulosa Queer As Film night.

The event is part of the London Independent Film Festival, and we’re honoured to be part of what has been dubbed ‘the best of the New British Queer Cinema’. Kudos indeed.

As the title suggests, all the films come from those within the exclusive friendship circle of Dorothy, so we’re looking forward to a camptastic event which promises ‘desperate visions, trash chic imaginings, video nasties and midnight movie epics’.

If this sounds like your cup of Earl Gay, why not head to Soho’s The Crown and Two Chairman on Dean Street, this Sunday at 7:30pm.

The line-up for the night is thus:

‘Diana’ - directed by Aleem Khan
‘Homoworld’ - directed by Max Barber
‘Greg and the Luck Factory’ - directed by Alan Friel
‘Notice’ - directed by Amy Hill
‘Getting Ready’ - directed by Ben Barton
‘Latecomers’ - directed by Olivia Humphreys

Be there or be... queer.

WHAT'S THIS?

Well it's a fuzzy mobile phone shot of our Jennifer Harris on the big screen, during the Cinesaurus Film Society screening, that's what!

Hopefully Getting Ready will be coming to a screen near you soon!

x

THE FUTURE’S ORANGE

As said a couple of weeks ago – we’ve been busy organising screenings for the latest Roundeye film, Getting Ready, and the premiere is nearly here...

First out the blocks, the film will be shown at Canterbury’s coolest venue, the Orange Street Music Club as part of the Cinesaurus Film Society evening. The main event for the night is ‘500 Days of Summer’, but before that there will be a selection of short films by local independent filmmakers as a warm-up to the main feature.

Late notice – but it’s this Wednesday 21st April at 8pm. Entry £3.
Oh – and for that oh-so-authentic movie going experience - there’s popcorn too! We love that.

'GETTING READY' IS... READY

Yep, finally it’s here! Getting Ready directed by Ben Barton and starring Roundeye starlet Jennifer Harris, will soon be coming to an underground venue near you*.


In Getting Ready we peer into the mirror as a fading actress prepares for the greatest performance of her life – a star-studded suicide. After applying her make-up for the last time, she goes to bed with her pills and Champagne. In her final dream she returns to the stage – but are the standing ovations and roses real, or just an illusion?

Filmed in the old dressing rooms of Chatham’s Brook Theatre, this super 8 poem is an opus of Technicolor glamour and peacockish preening, à la Kenneth Anger’s classic avant-garde gem Puce Moment.

We’ve previewed a short one-minute version of the film (called ‘Adored’) a few times since Christmas, but the final cut has taken some jiggery and pokery to get right. If it gets screened, you’ll be the first to know. Scout’s honour.

Thanks to Mr V for the film artwork.


*OK, nothing’s been confirmed yet, but we’re hopeful...

YOU WILL BE ADORED

Tomorrow, January 17th, we will be making a welcome return to Manchester's kookiest short film night, the Odder Mini Cine Picture Show.

It's the Picture Show's first anniversary celebrations, and they promise the "best short film oddities" from around the world. The night is held the third Sunday of the month in Manchester's Odder Bar on the Oxford Road.

Exactly one year ago our film The Return of Ellen Love was premiered there, and for the birthday party we will we back - screening a special two-minute sneak-peek of our latest film Getting Ready.

It's called Adored.

Entry to the Mini Cine Picture Show is free and so is the popcorn!

Films begin at 8pm.

IT'S TAKING AGES TO 'GET READY'

Boy do some people take ages to get ready! Films are a bit like that too, as we've discovered working on the latest super 8 project!

So until Getting Ready is, ahem, ready - here's some screenshots from the rough cut. Enjoy.