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Birmingham will host the first-ever DESIblitz Film Fusion Festival in June 2022. A first of its kind, the festival focuses on promoting and elevating, Punjabi, Pakistani and Sports films. Movies made by Kashmiri filmmakers are also an integral feature of the festival. The final selection of films will have a South Asian context, as well as a British and world scope to them. The festival is also running a film competition. This is for any young aspiring filmmaker to make a short movie around the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

About the DESIblitz Film Fusion Festival

The inaugural festival takes place from June 3 to June 12, at two iconic venues, in UK’s second-biggest city. These include ‘Odeon Luxe Birmingham Broadway Plaza’ and ‘Mac Birmingham: Midlands Arts Centre’. Film Hub Midlands, British Film Institute (BFI), BFI Film Audience Network (FAN), and The National Lottery are supporting the festival. The Indie festival will showcase ten plus films, giving a voice to the voiceless. It will also provide a platform for alternative cinema. The festival aims to promote diversity and equality that is stimulating, educational, and inspirational, with a super programme mix, talent, discussions and much more.

Here more about what you can expect from the festival here.

If you were shopping around for locations for a Yorkshire-based crime drama, the big city of Brum wouldn’t immediately come to mind. Tons of traffic, tall concrete towers, and big department stores don’t exactly scream “quiet, scenic northern town”. But when the BBC were on the hunt for filming spots for Dalziel and Pascoe in the 90s, this is where they landed. The two detectives served the fictional town of Wetherton – where murder and foul play were seemingly around every leafy corner. Through the magic of television, creative camera angles and many hours in the cutting room, busy Birmingham and the Black Country became the sleepy North. Viewers in Brum will still have had their “Hang on, isn’t that…?” moments, though.

The show featured Warren Clarke as the old-school cop Andy Dalziel, and the nicer, well-mannered Colin Buchanan played Peter Pascoe. Together they solved crime – but not without getting on each others’ wick a bit. The Internet Movie Database, or IMDb, shows us where the cast and crew were throughout the run of the show. Winson Green’s City Hospital mortuary and Solihull Hospital crop up a lot, as the TV victims are searched for valuable clues by the pair of detectives.

The University of Birmingham starts to star in the second episode, with the older buildings being useful stand-ins for more traditional sites up north. The Moorland Court flats in Edgbaston turn up in the third series – entirely unexpected places can be turned into film sets! The Moseley Road Baths, the Fox Hollies pub in Acocks Green, and the Rowheath Pavilion community centre in Bournville all popped up too. Imagine being booted out from your afternoon pint and seeing people off the telly walk in! Dudley Zoo serves as the scene of a grisly murder involving a victim found in a tiger cage in series 9. The ICC and Symphony Hall crop up in a episode from 2002.

Over in the Black Country, Walsall’s Town Hall has served as Wetherton’s police station and town hall through the years. The St. Matthew’s Hall pub appears in the very first episode, as the pair of detectives use a side-entrance to their station. A short trip down the A45 to Coventry brings you to the Wetherton Wanderers football ground. This high-flying team, mysteriously struck down in a train crash, played at Highfield Road – Coventry City’s old stadium. And finally, in the last series, Saltley’s Mainstream Way and signs for West Bromwich and the Jewellery Quarter can be seen hanging in the background of a two-part episode. No computer-generated touch-ups here!

The show wasn’t wholly shot in Birmingham, of course. There’s no way we’d get those shots of northern beach vistas, country homes and dense woodland in the middle of a Balsall Heath or Newtown. There were real Yorkshire locations too, along with plenty of Cambridgeshire for the leafiest scenes. But Brum played its part in one of Britain’s proper primetime dramas of the last 30 years.

Source: www.birminghammail.co.uk

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After three years Birmingham’s iconic Mockingbird Cinema will echo the sounds of martial arts action, and the passionate gathering of action film fans. The Fighting Spirit Film Festival returns to the city’s landmark Custard Factory, the events’ second home for an action packed extravaganza that kung-fu fans will not want to miss. The event, to be held on Saturday 30th April 2022 will features plenty of jaw dropping demonstrations, a special live Q&A and exclusive screenings of two spectacular feature films.

About The Fighting Spirit Film Festival

Through martial arts cinema Fighting Spirit aim to entertain and inspire people, promote martial arts culture, and support those who have chosen it as a career.

Fighting Spirit hope that by making this an annual event that it will help create a stronger market for martial arts and action films, support and grow the legacy of films in the genre gone before and continue to entertain, inspire, amaze and enlighten audiences. After selling out in both 2018 and 2019, they had to return to Birmingham and have put together a fantastic programme to make up for their absence.

Films and Events

The festival will start with a conversation with Birmingham filmmaker Ranjeet S Marwa who will be talking about his new film Rupture along with stars Mark Strange, Nick Khan, and James Bryhan. Following this are the award winning films from Fighting Spirit 2021 – Deviants, The Cocktail Party, Survivors, Jiu Jitsu Saved My Life Twice, and Duty: Out Of Line.

After that they will be presenting the documentary Kung Fu Stuntmen: Never Say No! This definitive documentary chronicles the Hong Kong action industry, with first-hand accounts from the people who made it great. Featuring icons Sammo Hung, Yuen Woo-ping, Donnie Yen, Tsui Hark, and veteran stunt performers Yuen Wah, Mars, Yuen Qiu, Chin Kar-lok and many many more.

FSFF is proud to present this documentary in the UK for the very first time, in association with the Hong Kong Stuntmen Association, and with support from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office.

To finish the day, showing in Cantonese, and the original Hong Kong theatrical cut, Drunken Master II – the smash-hit sequel to the film that made Jackie Chan an international star. The 1994 Chinese New Year blockbuster sees Chan return to his kung fu roots – featuring genre icon Lau Kar-leung, Cantopop queen Anita Mui and legendary superkicker Ken Lo. This rare screening is not to be missed, and is presented with support from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office.

On top of that, there will be live Martial Art demonstrations throughout the day. The event will be a great chance to meet some filmmakers, and other like minded fans of martial arts and action films.

The Birmingham event will take place on 30th April, view the schedule and get tickets here.

Source: cine-bijou.blogspot and britishcinematographer.co.uk

For more industry information, visit Film Birmingham’s news page. Or add us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

From the creators of the Grierson Awards nominated Terms & Conditions: A UK Drill Story comes the follow-up YouTube Original Documentary, Terms & Conditions: Deeper Than Drill. Narrated by Academy Award winning actor and rapper, Riz Ahmed, Deeper Than Drill gets to grips with the most challenging and prevalent issues affecting millions of young people across the country today through the eyes of some of the most promising up-and-coming music artists across the UK & Ireland.

In a post-pandemic, post-Brexit world, Terms & Conditions: Deeper Than Drill takes a tour of Britain and Ireland to discover how young artists are making sense of their world through music. In Ireland we meet drill rapper Offica, a refugee from Nigeria who has put strong roots down in the small town of Drogheda; he uses his music to raise issues of race and identity. Sixteen-year-old Kavo lives in Birmingham with his Rwandan parents and paints a vivid musical picture of life in modern Britain for young people. Also in Birmingham is Mowgs, a survivor of county lines drug dealing, and addiction issues. He’s cleaned himself up and is forging a strong musical career. Amongst the dreaming spires of Oxford is rage rapper BVDLVD (BadLad), a thoughtful artist who takes on the online trolls with kindness. And in Bolton is Crystal Millz, an energetic young rapper who uses music to navigate her complex family issues.

Terms & Conditions: Deeper Than Drill is another example of YouTube Originals’ intention to amplify the voices of the UK’s brightest up-and-coming young creatives by providing opportunities to anyone, regardless of their background or location.

Source: www.top10films.co.uk

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Budding film-makers are being offered the chance to find out about life behind the camera at a bootcamp. The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has teamed up with digital agency The Space and Solihull College and University Centre, so people can learn skills directly from professionals working at high profile performing arts organisations like Birmingham Royal Ballet, Birmingham REP, Birmingham Hippodrome and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. The bootcamp is said to offer an opportunity an insight from some of the best in the industry on how to become a producer, vision mixer, or multi-camera director.

The WMCA has provided £129,000 funding for the skills bootcamp to encourage more people into the performing arts industry and help shape the region’s future film makers. Dr Julie Nugent, director of productivity and skills at WMCA, said: “The live performance bootcamp is a fantastic opportunity to not only get hands on experience for those aspiring to develop a career within the arts but also get the chance to meet some of the best performing arts organisations which are based here in Birmingham.

“We know that the pandemic has impacted the performing arts industry dramatically and this bootcamp is a fantastic way for individuals to learn the skills of the future to bounce back into employment quickly.”

The bootcamp is said to give students an overview of how live performances are recorded and put together as well as offering a hands on experience, working with arts organisations to record and shadow events. After the training, the curriculum development team works with each student to provide CV clinics and industry contacts that can help secure a job.

Applicants must be aged 19 or over and have a postcode within one of the seven metropolitan authorities of the WMCA (Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton). A CV and covering letter should be submitted to livecapturebootcamps@solihull.ac.uk

The deadline for applications is April 10.

Source: www.solihullobserver.co.uk

Award-winning writer Kit De Waal is the newest Patron of Screen and Film School Birmingham. Kit joins Adil Ray OBE, Big Narstie, and Antonio Aakeel on their high-profile roster of student mentors. Whilst still in their first year in Digbeth, the Film School is making great strides in industry engagement and are forging relationships with real experts in the world of the creative arts. Kit is a perfect addition to this illustrious group: she is their first out-and-out writer, and joins actor Antonio, and the multi-talented comedy, music and television personalities Adil and Big Narstie.

About Kit de Waal

Kit is an award-winning writer; her debut novel My Name is Leon won the 2016 Irish Novel of the Year and was being adapted for the BBC. This adaptation is currently being produced by Douglas Road Productions, which was founded by Birmingham hero, Lenny Henry. Set against the backdrop of the race riots in Birmingham in the 1980s, this tender and inspiring tale balances gritty realism with charm and gentle humour, exploring the issues of identity and belonging.
Kit’s other works include The Trick to Time (2018), Becoming Dinah (2019), and Supporting Cast (2020). She also has written for BBC, Radio 4, The Old Vic and The Abbey Theatre in Dublin and co-wrote The Third Day for SKY/HBO/Plan B. Kit’s Production company, Portopia Productions, has also become an Industry Partner to Screen and Film School Birmingham. Kit founded Portopia with her brother Dean O’Loughlin, basing themselves just outside of Birmingham during Lockdown in the summer of 2020. No stranger to the spotlight himself, Dean was also the runner-up on the second series of Channel 4’s ground-breaking reality show, Big Brother. Their mission statement is to actively seek out existing and emerging talent, particularly from under-represented communities, to access, generate and develop ideas they feel will make compelling viewing across film, TV and digital platforms. A notion that chimes with everyone at the Film School.

Response from Kit

This is what their Patron, Kit, had to say about the announcement: “I’m delighted to be a Patron of Screen and Film School Birmingham. It’s a privilege to be right at the beginning of the journey for so many talented young people and I look forward to sharing skills, knowledge and know-how with the Film School and the students. And it’s on my home turf too, so it couldn’t be better!”

College Principal Hannah Stevenson had this to say about the brilliant news: “I am so thrilled to welcome Kit as a Patron to Screen and Film School Birmingham, as well as her production company Portopia as an Industry Partner. It’s exciting for us all to have people who have such strong ties to the region that share our vision. Kit will undoubtedly bring her experiences as a successful writer to the table when mentoring our students. I look forward to developing a long, prosperous relationship between Kit, as well as our new Industry Partner Portopia, and our students.’

Everyone at Screen and Film School Birmingham is thrilled about this announcement and they are looking forward to introducing their students to Kit and for the expert mentoring to begin.

Are you interested in being a part of the new legacy at Screen and Film School Birmingham?
Sign up to one of their Open Days here.

Or find out more information on their courses here.

For more industry information, visit Film Birmingham’s news page. Or add us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

Women in Film and TV (WFTV) has launched its 2022 Four Nations Mentoring Scheme, designed for mid-career women working in film, television and creative media looking to take a significant step in their career. In a highly competitive process, 41 mentees were selected from hundreds of applicants from across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The seven-month-long scheme will see each of the participants paired up with senior industry professionals for one-to-one mentoring alongside peer-to-peer training and bespoke career and personal development workshops.

This year, the scheme has attracted many of the country’s leading TV and film experts to mentor the candidates, including Channel 4’s head of drama Caroline Hollick, director Gurinder Chadha, global head of factual at Fremantle Mandy Chang, actor, writer and producer Sharon Horgan, Jonny Taylor and Zainab Ali Khan from commissioning, original documentaries, Netflix, creative director and Co-Founder of ENVY Post-Production Natascha Cadle, DOP Seamus McGarvey, talent executive at BBC Studios Jane Zurakowski, composer Nainita Desai, founder of British Blacklist Akua Gyamfi, and chief marketing officer at BBC Studios Nicki Sheard. The England scheme is backed by the BBC, Channel 4, EON Productions, Indigo Talent, Panalux and Panavision, Pinewood Studios, Sara Putt Associates, the Women’s Network at NBC Universal and UKTV. Netflix continues its support of the schemes in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Read the full list of England Mentees here.

Katie Bailiff, CEO of WFTV, said:  ‘The WFTV mentoring scheme is going from strength to strength, and past outcomes show us that the scheme’s carefully curated ingredients successfully unlock our mentees’ potential – enabling them to become the next generation of leaders. It’s an absolute thrill to witness.’

Heading up the scheme is WFTV’s director of mentoring Tracy Forsyth, who is also the board advisor to Channel 4’s Indie Growth Fund. Mentoring producers Karen Kelly in Scotland, Hannah Corneck in Wales, and Sarah McCaffrey in Northern Ireland will continue to run the scheme in their dedicated nations. Forsyth said: ‘It’s thrilling to put together this group of talented women across all aspects of the film and TV industry from producers and screenwriters, to composers and cinematographers, to acquisitions, marketing and business affairs leads. Together they will form a powerful cohort and, with the help of their mentors and all the WFTV scheme offers, I have no doubt they will make a huge impact on the industry.’

You can view the full list of 2022 WFTV Mentees and Mentors here.

Source: www.theknowledgeonline.com

For more industry information, visit Film Birmingham’s news page. Or add us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

Best film

Outstanding British film

Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer

Film not in the English language

Documentary

Animated film

Director

Original screenplay

Adapted screenplay

Leading actress

Leading actor

Supporting actress

Supporting actor

Original score

Casting

Cinematography

Editing

Production design

Costume design

Makeup and hair

Sound

Special visual effects

British short animation

British short film

EE Rising Star award (voted for by the public)

Source: www.bfi.org.uk

Hundreds of refugee and asylum-seeking women across the world are turning their life stories into artwork for a short film directed by an award-winning Birmingham artist. The Migration Blanket: Climate Solidarity – released to mark International Women’s Month 2022 – tells the story of how climate change is destroying women’s lives, causing early marriage, preventing access to education, causing hunger and leading to violence against women.

From Sierra Leone to Small Heath, the 25-minute film features stories from women and girls who have fled danger from around the world. The film also pays tribute to leading climate activists Greta Thunberg and Vanessa Nakate. Salma Zulfiqar, the founder of the ARTConnects social enterprise and a migrant rights activist, put the film together to give a voice to refugee women around the world – some in Birmingham.

The drawings for the film were created in ARTconnects workshops led by Salma. The artist collected the artwork during sessions from her Small Heath home, where she gave mental health and women’s rights advice. Speaking of her first award-winning film – The Migration Blanket – she said: “I created this film with refugee and migrant girls and women in Birmingham and around the world as many are suffering in silence.”

The project – which was inspired by Salma’s migrant mother, Bano, who died from covid in 2021 – empowered the women involved to take a stand against the climate emergency and call out how it was disproportionately impacting their lives globally.

“The film gives vulnerable refugee and marginalised women a voice, empowers them with knowledge on climate change and encourages them to take action, as well as improving their mental health,” Salma said. “This film is a call to ensure women’s rights are protected as a key element in climate action and any policy making,” she added.

The project highlights the shared experience of women in the face of climate change.

I’ve witnessed women in Bangladesh who’ve been widowed, left destitute and can’t fend for themselves due to cyclones caused by climate change,” Salma said. “Women in Kenya who’ve lost their cattle and farmland destroyed by drought and were forced to move, live rough on wasteland and become vulnerable to violence, including rape.”

Shofika, a Rohingya refugee, is one young woman who shared her story and art for the project. She said: “Our house was destroyed and we couldn’t go to school when the floods came. Climate change destroyed our agricultural land.”

Molika, a Bangladeshi student in Birmingham, shares Shofika’s pain in seeing her beloved village swept up in harsh rains and violent floods. She said: “Flooding caused by the heavy rains is stopping girls from going to school. Girls face many problems at home when the parents can’t earn money from their land due to drought or heavy rain. In Bangladesh, this is happening in the village I came from and it’s making life hard for women.”

The ARTConnects workshops are supported by MAC Birmingham and support refugees and asylum seekers. The film is a sequel to the first award-winning film, which won Best Animated Short at the Berlin Independent Film Festival.

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “This is a powerful film which raises awareness of the urgent action we all need to take together to tackle the climate emergency and help make a positive difference to the lives of some of our sadly isolated and marginalised women in the West Midlands and right across the Commonwealth.”

The film will be shown at the Commonwealth Games 2022 and during the Venice Biennale, from April to November 2022, with other venues across Europe and the US too.

Source: www.birminghammail.co.uk

For more industry information, visit Film Birmingham’s news page. Or add us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.