A reminder to BSFF folk about the second British event of the International Woman and Film History project – meet old friends, discover more about the women working in silent British films….

Women and Silent Britain 2: Writers

Saturday 7th November 2009, BFI Southbank, NFT3 10.00 – 17.00.

This is the second study day of the British contingent of the international project to rediscover the work of women in cinema. It will consider all aspects of writing for the screen by the surprisingly large number of women involved in the cinema industry of the silent era, whether as screenwriters, critics, columnists, publicists, or authors of source novels and plays. Featuring new research on the delightfully catty critic, Nerina Shute , Elinor Glyn, the novelist who put the it in IT! and the prolific screenwrier Lydia Hayward.The day will consist of screenings from the BFI National Archive, talks and workshops, followed by Adrian Brunel’s rarely screened silent classic The Constant Nymph (1928) which was based on the play of a novel by Margaret Kennedy and Basil Dean and adapted for the screen by Alma Reville.

The study day will include contributions from Christine Gledhill, Jane Gaines (Duke University), Drake Stuseman (editor Framework), Alexis Wheedon (University of Bedfordshore), Laurence Napper (Kings College, University of London), Claire Watson (UEA), Matthew Sweet (journalist and broadcaster), Amy Sargeant (Warwick University) and Nathalie Morris and Bryony Dixon of the BFI.

Tickets  for the day are £15 (concs £10) which includes the evening screening Of Constant Nymph which will be accompanied by Stephen Horne

To book:    http://www.bfi.org.uk/whatson/calendar/southbank/day/20091107

Hot Ticket at the Times London Film Festival

 

Tickets are going fast for BFI restoration of Asquith’s ‘Underground’ (really) 

in the wonderful Queen Elizabeth Hall with the Prima Vista Social Club and score by Neil Brand

12th British Silent Film Festival_report

Here is our report on this year’s festival – thanks again to those who attended and we’ll keep you posted with news of next year’s festival and other British Silent film events of interest.

Thank you

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks from us to all for attending the 12th British Silent Film festival. We had a great time at the Barbican Cinema which is a fantastic space for showing silent cinema with music. Thanks to all those who gave up their time so fully and cheerfully to save the Festival in its time of need. We are confident that we can take the Festival forward and start planning a more secure future for it. Our musicians excelled themselves with their contribution to the theme of Music and Sound and the British Silent Film  displaying their dazzling ability to ‘read’ film and take it to the heights the filmmakers might have imagined for it and perhaps beyond. The performances were superb, moving, passionate and fun. We learned also about the lost silent musicians of the pre talkie era, a story that is beginning to reveal a complex and fascinating world. For the next two days the Sounds of Early Cinema in Britain Conference will be revealing more about this hidden history.

Thank you everybody – we’ll put up some pictures, programme notes and a round up the Festival when we’ve recovered a bit.

 

Friday 5 June

4pm

WKL Dickson in London presented by Paul Spehr

‘Too British to be American -too American to be British’ says Paul Spehr, Dickson’s biographer.  Maybe that’s why this key figure in the birth of movies, inventor, pioneer (and maker of the first sound film in 1895) - is the not the household name he should be.  What brought this charismatic man to London? and what did he do while he was here? Featuring some of the most beautiful images shot in London you will ever see on the large 68mm format used by the Biograph cameramen. With piano accompaniment by John Sweeney. AND for those interested in London history – on Sunday at 11 Ian Chrisite leads a walk round some of the sites connected with the early film industry including sites where the great WKL Dickson made and exhibited his films.

See Barbican website for details.

Ukulelescope

STOP PRESS

Sorry Folks – apparently reports of the change of time to 9pm have been greatly exaggerated

it’s at 8.30

‘Ukulelescope’  Saturday 6th, June 8.30pm BFI Southbank

Festival goers who wish to attend this Ukulele extravaganza (and we strongly reccomend it – I mean, when else will you get to see film acccompanied by 7 ukuleles?) will need to book a ticket with the BFI box office – a number of tickets have been put aside for festival attendees who get a discount -  the promotion code to quote will be given to you and bookings can be made through the BFI website www.bfi.org.uk or by phone 020 7928 3232.

12th British Silent Film Festival

 We are delighted to announce that the timetable for the British Silent Film Festival is now available

12th British Silent Film Festival presents

Sound, Music and the British Silent Film

Barbican Cinema 4 – 6 June 2009

For bookings, timetables and further details see

http://www.barbican.org.uk/film/event-detail.asp?ID=9237

timetable

12th British Silent Film Festival

 Welcome to the temporary blog of the British Silent Film Festival. We are revamping our website but we’ll be parking here for a little while so we can bring you news of the forthcoming Festival.

The 2009 Festival will take place at the Barbican Cinema from 4th to 6th June 2009.

Our theme this year is Music and the British Silent Film which will encompass all aspects of music and sound relating to silent film. Although we be selecting slightly fewer papers than usual this year please do email us with any proposals for papers relating to the theme or new research into British Silent Cinema. Please email director@britishsilentfilm.org.uk

Highlights

 Opening night will feature the fantastic Dodge Brothers playing their unique blend of American retro music to a rarely seen gem from our cousins over the pond… which we can now reveal is a rare-as-hens-teeth silent Western from the greatest lonesome cowboy of them all, William S Hart.  The Dodge Brothers (trains and Death a speciality) are Mike Hammond, Mark Kermode, Alex Hammond and Aly Hirji and will be playing with Neil Brand. These guys sell out wherever they play so don’t wait too long to get hold of a ticket.  Book it here:

http://www.barbican.org.uk/film/event-detail.asp?ID=9237

 

 

 

 

 

 

and it’s an all British night on Saturday as we feature the spectacular talents of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain with their own very individual take on Brit silents in Ukulelescope!

This will be taking place at the BFI Southbank tickets available through the BFI website www.bfi.org.uk

For those with festival passes there is a goodly discount – we’ll give you a promotion code