Tweetfest 2019 – Short Film Festival

With over 50 short films being screened over three days, Tweetfest, now in its fifth year, continues to provide a great showcase for new films.  Like last year, the main bulk of the festival took place at the Hen and Chickens theatre in Highbury & Islington, London, while a third event, the Gala evening took place at the Hackney Picturehouse.

This will be the third time I’ve attended the festival, so knew roughly what to expect. The first two days saw a number of films being screened in strands chosen by festival programmer Chryssanthi Kouri, which allowed attendees to see grouped films without the themes jarring.  These strands included:  ‘Dark Times’, ‘Somebody to Love’, ‘Funny Shades’, ‘In a World’, and ‘F Rated’, with the latter highlighting films from a female director, or at least female led.

A few of these films were also shown at the Gala night, but of the others, the highlights from the first two days included: Secret Santa (Dir: Vanessa Hehir), My Time (Dir: Giulia Gandini), Paparazza (Dir: Aurora Fearnley), Remembrance (Dir: Mark Jepson), Tracks (Dir: Rosie Day), Turning Tide (Dir: Andrew Muir), The Last Mermaid (Dir: Fi Kelly), Killing Christmas (Dir: Trudy Bellinger), The Other Side with Valerie Hope (Lucy Barrick and Kieran Grant), Short Straw (Dir: Ricky J. Payne), and Nothing Important (Dir: Tara Fitzgerald).

Alongside the screenings were a series of Q&A’s hosted by Mel Radloff and Liz McMullen, which were either with some of the filmmakers in the festival, or on specific subjects.  These included discussing the difficulties of moving from short form to feature length films, and insights into the casting process.

The Gala Night was a great evening as per usual, both as an opportunity to celebrate the films, but also a chance for filmmakers to network with their peers.  This year’s awards contenders were an especially strong and diverse group, from conceptual mysteries, to emotionally complex drama, and comedy.  Any of these would have been worthy winners, and it must have been difficult to choose between them.

Joining regular host Zara Symes this year was actor/comedian Steve Whiteley, and they guided the evening along nicely.  As well as giving out awards, they also introduced the ‘In Competition’ films, which were:

Rain Catcher (Dir: Michele Fiascaris)

Essentially this a conceptual piece with a nice twist.  Shot beautifully, especially in the rain, this looks great and draws you into the mystery.  To say too much about this one would give any the twists, but suffice to say, it’s a skilful job!

Promenade (Dir: David Elliott)

This is an emotionally powerful film that deals with loss, grief, compassion and mental health.  With a story rooted in the aftermath of terrorism, this reminds us of the long term effects, beyond the headlines.  Set over a single night, in a situation that brings two strangers together, both Mark Stanley and Selma Brook are fantastic as each character tentatively feels their way through the encounter.

Quiet Carriage (Dir: Ben Hyland)

This is a brilliantly executed comedy piece with Emma Sidi and Amit Shah playing their roles to perfection.  This is an interesting journey and definitely takes some unexpected turns along the way.  You also will have the word ‘disrespect’ echoing in your ears afterwards…

The Stain (Dir: Shoresh Vakili)

A relatively slow pace and contemplative mood make this a deep and slightly melancholic film.  Dealing with the aftermath of a war, Iranian director Shoresh Vakili has crafted a powerful piece that transcends language.

Who’s the Daddy? (Dir: Marysue Masson)

Producer Clancie Brennan who brought us last year’s award winning short, ‘Early Days‘ returns with a comedy.  It’s a great one too, written and directed by Marysue Masson, with a cast and crew containing a large number of working mothers.  A nice twist and wonderful performances make this a joy.

Little Monsters (Dir: Simon Harris)

A brilliant appearance by Dexter Fletcher makes this a fantastic short, with a deft and hilarious performance.  After his daughter is scared by a monster under the bed, a father decides to bring the full weight of the world to his parenting.  This unexpected, but great left turn works perfectly.

Bad Mother (Dir: Marnie Baxter and Nicola Stuart-Hill)

Written and directed by Marnie Baxter and Nicola Stuart-Hill, this examines the difficulties inherent in motherhood and delivers a tense and involving story.  This works so well as the actors, Baxter and Stuart-Hill themselves, are fantastic.  Without their skill, this could easily have fallen flat, but instead soars.

The Plunge (Dir: Simon Ryninks)

An uncomfortable tale from director Simon Ryninks, and actor/writer Omar Khan, this immediately jumps out as you as high quality.  Omar and his co-star, the brilliant Lydia Wilson have immediate chemistry, both comedic and personal, and deliver a painful, but all too believable story in a totally natural way.  You’ll want to double-check all the Amazon reviews on your purchased products again after watching this.

This year the final awards were decided by a VIP panel including Roland Moore (Award winning writer), Zara Ballantyne-Grove (Producer), Matthew and Tori Butler Hart of Fizz and Ginger Films, John Byrne (Writer for The Stage), Laura Smith (Award winning director), and Shakyra Dowling (Casting director). It must have been a tough choice as standards were high. The winners were:

Best Actor:
Omar Khan (The Plunge)

Best Actress:
Nicola Stuart-Hill (Bad Mother)

Best Cinematographer:
Evgeny Sinelnikov (Rain Catcher)

Best F-Rated Short:
My Time (Dir: Giulia Gandini)
Special Mention in the F Rated Category:
Bad Mother (Dir: Marnie Baxter and Nicola Stuart-Hill)

Best International Film:
Killing Christmas (Dir: Trudy Bellinger)

Best Film:
The Plunge (Dir: Simon Ryninks)

Audience Award:
Who’s the Daddy? (Dir. Marysue Masson)

Like the previous times I’ve attended Tweetfest, it has been a very rewarding experience.  Not only is there a chance to see lots of new films, but there is a real atmosphere of collaboration and support from all the attendees.  Unlike some festivals where there aren’t many opportunities to meet people, and there are just screenings, here it is very open and people want to discuss the films, as well as learn from each other.  All involved should be commended, so here’s looking forward to next year and more of the same!