CENTRAL Studio once again played host to the Red Carpet Screenings event at the weekend, compered by its founder, Seb Hall.

The event saw an eclectic display of films by a variety of different film makers situated across the whole of the UK. 

Guest panellists were Rebekah Louisa Smith (The Film Festival Doctor) and Geoff Harmer of Fraught Productions. Both have had their fair share of experience in the film industry and were fantastic. They provided extremely useful and invaluable feedback for the film makers.

The evening began in style with the first episode of the new web-series Today, Tomorrow written and directed by Daniel Estevez Garcia and produced by Anna Kelly. This piece had highly distinctive qualities and looked like it would fit perfectly in art house, using mostly sound/lighting to portray the downbeat mood. The narrative was purposefully vague.

When asked if the duo could shed more light on the storyline, producer Anna Kelly replied: “We haven’t shot it from the position of us as students. We’ve shot it from the point of view of us being people who have found themselves in a really awkward equilibrium between being a child and trying to be an adult.”

The film was also the only one of the evening to include English language subtitles, with much of the dialogue being in Spanish. The first four episodes are now available to watch on YouTube. 

No Pressure by 4six3 Productions was another short film that impressed.  In December 2012 it was chosen as the winner of the National Nativity Factor competition from ITN and Jerusalem Productions. The short film included elements of comedy, which provided lots of laughter around the room. 

Amongst the tiny cast were two young actors, Matilda Shearing and Roo Royal.  Seb Hall asked Matilda what she enjoyed most about working on a film. She replied: “I think it’s the end result. Sitting down and watching all the editing come together.  It makes all the difference.”

Both are hoping to break into the film industry as an actor/actress. The film's creators Nick Willoughby and Sarah Robinson are currently in the process of editing a new series called Walk With Jay, an educational resource (aimed at seven to 12 year-olds) for church leaders and parents, due to be released late 2013/early 2014.

Arguably one of the best (and longest) films of the evening was Picture Perfect directed by Irina Izmestieva and produced by Rebecca Knapp who has worked on big budget feature films such as Bridget Jones’s Diary, Harry Potter and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

Expertly shot and edited, it told a brilliant love story of the older generation. A surprise appearance came from John Carson, a well-known U.K actor who has starred in Midsomer Murders, Doctor Who and Silent Witness to name just a few, as the lead character. The trailer can be found on the IZM Productions website.

Another art house short film that I was totally astounded by was Samson and Delilah by Jessica Hughes and VV Brown, an art house interpretation of the biblical story. The quality of the footage was immediately visible, and the whole production is somewhere between a film and a music video.

Rebekah Louisa Smith revealed: “The film was actually shot in Brighton but included some VFX and CGI. The budget itself, believe it or not, was £3000.”

The film features multiple songs from VV Brown, a growing indie-pop artist who recently performed this October on the Jools Holland show. Her music is dark and thoughtful, which, when combined with the footage, provides an extremely powerful effect.

Once again, the Red Carpet Screenings film festival did not disappoint. It is the perfect event for networking, which is ever important in these types of industries, and film makers are able to get a closer look at their competitors.

After each film is shown, the directors/producers are interviewed, which help to gain a fresh insight into how other people work.

It’s an inspiring experience, and if you’re a film fanatic who hasn’t been yet, you’re missing a brilliant opportunity to watch and get involved with such a friendly community. 

Tristan Noon