Red Carpet Screenings

Central Studio, QMC

RED Carpet Screenings returned to Central Studio recently for another evening of short films and guest panellists.

The long running event has become a regular fixture on the Basingstoke calendar for filmmakers and fans alike.

Having graced the big screen in the film adaptation of Phantom of The Opera, actress Julia Florimo was involved in two films screened over the course of the evening.

The challenging drama Leap screened early in the evening and, despite not being perfect, certainly dealt with some dark challenging issues. It depicted a young woman’s struggle with an abusive relationship and her battle with OCD.

Better though was the intriguing Roommates that, despite initially heading in a predictable direction, certainly blindsided the audience (the less you know in advance, the better) with an interesting twist.

Both films highlighted Florimo’s skills as an actress and we should expect to see her in demand and on screen in many more shorts in the future.

There was a slight to change format this time round. In addition to a chat with the panellists at the end, there was an interesting on stage interview with Paul Friend from local production company Face TV who gave us a fascinating insight into what to expect from the forthcoming That’s Basingstoke TV channel.

Soror by the incredibly talented James Webber proved to be one of the highlights of the show. His gritty downbeat drama explored similar themes to his earlier work but was once again visually stunning, more proof of his position as a rising star of British filmmaking.

Closing the evening was panellist’s choice Pebble Moon, which stood out from the crowd with its simple heartwarming story and fantastic performance from its young star.

Equal parts dramatic and funny, the film is an even bigger achievement when you factor in that it was directed by Lian Furness as a third year university project - impressive stuff.

The evening was a little lighter on films than usual, but the slight changes to format kept things feeling fresh and the consistent standard of film making on offer certainly made it well worth a visit.

Paul Anderson, Strangers In A Cinema