Two award-winning directors to screen debut short and feature films at London’s new Film Club.
On Wednesday 17th July, The First Film Club will be launching its first screening and Q&A event, with two award-winning directors and their award-winning debut films, at the Phoenix Cinema (East Finchley, London) – Information and tickets available here.
The inaugural event will showcase Mike Leigh’s directorial feature debut, “Bleak Moments” (1971) followed by the award-winning directorial debut short film “Family Affair” (2019), from emerging director, Florence Keith-Roach.
After the showcase, both directors, Mike Leigh and Florence Keith-Roach will take part in a live discussion – chaired by journalist and critic, Hanna Ines Flint – exploring both their careers so far, their inspirations, lessons from film school, their methods and approaches to filmmaking, the difference between and the development of directing a short film and a feature film and much more.
This new, unprecedented take on ‘film club’ aims to highlight and celebrate the diverse range of talented filmmakers and bring the film-loving community together, welcoming everyone with a love for film to ‘join’; from filmmakers to film fans, students and scholars, writers, critics and everyone in-between can now watch and participate in the discussion about the art of film, they typically would not have access to. This fresh new take on the ‘traditional’ film club encourages cinephiles to (re)discover the importance of shorts as creative pieces of film, and the importance of the very feature film as a step in a filmmakers career, as well as giving film-lovers the opportunity to immerse themselves in discussions about craft and creativity with two prominent filmmakers, during the exclusive Q&A post-screening.
The First Film Club is a new series of screening events across London, showcasing two directorial debut films; a short film from an exciting, emerging filmmaker, followed by a feature film, as the main presentation, from an established director. Each screening will be followed by a live Q&A with both directors who will explore their individual creative process and craft of filmmaking, the struggles and successes associated with the art of movie making and what happens after that all-important debut. Guests and members of the audience can also take part in an exclusive Q&A with the directors. The entire discussion, from each event, will also be made available on the First Film Club podcast, for fans and film-lovers across the UK and around the world who are unable to make it to any event.
Public tickets for The First Film Club are available from Tuesday 25th June 2019), at phoenixcinema.co.uk
Event and venue details:
The First Film Club: Mike Leigh x Florence Keith-Roach
Wednesday 17th July at The Phoenix Cinema, 52 High Road, East Finchley, London, N2 9PJ, at 7pm (for a 7:30pm start).
* Mike Leigh x Florence Keith-Roach will be in attendance*
Recordings of each event, First Film Club Q&A series will be available on Soundcloud (and iTunes).
ABOUT THE FIRST FILM CLUB:
New film club, First Film Club, deals in directorial debuts, showcasing the films that kickstart careers. Created by a professional team of women working in the film industry, Hanna Flint (film journalist/critic, interviewer and host), Natalie Gothelf (film producer) and Tolu Rachael Akisanya (film publicist), the First Film Club hosts regular screenings across London, showcasing a debut short film from an emerging director followed by the feature debut of an already established director, ending with a Q&A with both filmmakers to discuss their craft, their inspiration and what happens after that all-important debut.
The First Film Club is on Twitter & Instagram handle: @First_FilmClub
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS:
MIKE LEIGH
Mike Leigh is an award-winning screenwriter and playwright from Salford, Lancashire. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and at Camberwell and Central Art Schools and the London Film School. He gained acting and directing experience with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and his first original play, Bleak Moments. His career began as a playwright and theatre director, his stage plays including Smelling A Rat (1989), It’s A Great Big Shame, Greek Tragedy, Goose Pimples (1982), Ecstasy (1989) and Abigail’s Party (1979). Later he began to make films for television, then became involved with feature film production. His television plays, which he wrote and directed, include Nuts in May, Home Sweet Home, and Vera Drake. His multi-award-winning films include All or Nothing (2002), Life is Sweet, Secrets and Lies (1997), Topsy Turvy (1999), Happy-Go-Lucky (2008), Another Year (2010), Mr Turner (2014) and most recently Peterloo (2018) which received its UK premiere in Manchester, as part of the BFI London Film Festival.
FLORENCE KEITH-ROACH
Florence is an actor, writer and director working across theatre, film and television.
She was selected to partake in Channel Four Drama’s 2017 screenwriting programme and is now writing several TV shows and films, including Enid with Left Bank Pictures, Raging with Ecosse Films and Bound with Annapurna Pictures. Her latest play, Straight Lines was a finalist for the 2019 Platform Presents Playwright’s Prize. Florence is one of two filmmakers to win a 2017 BFI Future Film and SAI Bursary award for feature film development. She finished her short film, A Family Affair, in January 2019, which she wrote, directed and acted in. It won Best British Short at the Discover Film Awards, and over the next few months it is showing at Inside Out Festival in Toronto, Palm Springs’ Shorts Festival and LOCO Film Fest at the BFI, where Florence has been nominated for best performance.
