Festivals & Screenings

12.15pm Tuesday 28th June 2011

I am on a number 76 bus on the way to the south bank. Today DEP screens as part of the London UK Film Focus, an event that showcases UK films for foreign distributors. When Kevin booked this event for our film I was overjoyed. Our film will play in the NFT2 which has great sound and projection – I know it well, having seen many films there over the years including many silent films that have been part of the LFF.

On Thursday I sent Chiara (the new Marina), to pick up the DCP from 179 Films. Unfortunately Anita from 179 Films called to say they couldn’t find it. After a long telephone conversation with Charlie, the programmer on the South bank, we decided to project the film from the original HDcam s/r, which like the DCP is also in 5.1. Very few places can afford to have a HDcam s/r player so the quality of the screening should be as high as using the DCP. That doesn’t stop my annoyance at the misplaced DCP though.

In my bag I have two other tapes on other formats in case there is a problem.

1.36pm
I’ve just completed a sound and picture test. As Kevin and others from Elixir Entertainment are not here I see it as my job to do it. Of course, I ended up switching tape but now we will have amazing sound here. The frogs and other creatures in the forest in scene 1 have a great effect.

I’ve just bumped into Phillida Lansley who has told me that the screenings have been very under-attended, her own film had just 13 people. Xavier Rachid, from Raindance, who I also bumped into just told me the same thing.

Then I chanced upon Derek Malcolm (my favourite film critic in the world), who I had last chatted to in Cannes 2010. He was lost and looking for directions to a meeting he was due at. He asked me why I was at LUFF and I told him about our film. He apologised that he didn’t have time to see it because of the meeting he had. I promised to invite him to the UK press screening when we have a UK release date.

2.04pm
Our screening is underway now. People are turning up late as usual at market screenings. At the last minute I was told I could introduce the film. Before I was able to make myself known, the screening started. So no introduction this time and thus no joke about Kate Winslet or Danny Dyer. Outside it is pouring with rain now.

2.52pm
The film went out of sync again (now I know why the original DCP was out of sync in reel 2). Luckily it came back in. Buyers have been going in and out of the screening like clockwork. The ‘normal people’, guests of Jonnie and I, who are seeing the film have kept to their seats of course. All told, I think there are about 12 in there now. It probably had 20 at its peak. Just as the film started I got a text from Bianca Rohman wishing us luck.

A few minutes ago a German distributor came out of the screening. A friend of his, who hadn’t been in the film, asked what he thought?
The German shrugged and said “I don’t know what it’s about.”
Unable to edit myself, I shouted out “You missed the first two minutes! How can you know what it is about??”
“I didn’t”
“You went in as he walked home. I know the film frame by frame.”
“There couldn’t have been much before that.”
“There was. And you missed it.”

4.16pm
I got some nice comments from the ‘normal people’ who saw the film. One said “Wow. That is such a departure from Boston Kickout. It’s the sign of greatness when you can be so versatile!”

I am now meeting with Ian Manson and Paul Hamer from the Googleheads Reading festival. Ian has just informed me that DEP is actually the closing film of the festival! Also, I have learnt, there is a competition this year. I hope that doesn’t mean we loose our unbeaten record!

9.46pm
Just back from a hard evening slog. Kevin has just e-mailed me the list of distributors who saw the film. A lot more than Berlin or Cannes.
 

PH