The East End Film Festival showcases hot new talent and homegrown films alongside larger independent releases and special events, informing and inspiring a new generation of filmmakers and audiences from across London and beyond, and raising the profile of this vibrant and diverse area - London’s East End.

Watch our festival podcasts!
Hope you enjoy them:

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Closing night gala, SOUNDS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT

30.04.09

East End-based, BAFTA, Broadcast and Grierson nominated film-maker Jamie Jay Johnson took us behind the scenes of the teenage Eurovision song contest in his rollercoaster documentary film, SOUNDS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT last night at the EEFF closing night gala. Audiences were treated to an intimate glimpse of a fiercely dedicated group of individuals as they prepared for the European finals and that coveted Eurovision prize…
The screening was followed by a night of glitter and dancing in EEFFs very own Euro Teen Party at the Rhythm Factory - the perfect opportunity to wind down from a mind-blowing week of films and events and enjoy live performances from some of our favourite Eurovision stars of the film!

Networking

29.04.09

Yesterday saw some more relaxed networking and general creative mayhem at our RIGHT PLACE RIGHT TIME event with film-makers, festival goers and East London’s young creative community rubbing shoulders and enjoying a drink and live music. Wednesday also saw a fantastic panel discussion on how the increased production of stereo 3D films will impact on the wider film industry. Novelist and cultural commentator Michael Bracewell discussed his obsessions while Will Self and Iain Sinclair joined us in a panel exploring the city’s fringes following THE LONDON PERAMBULATOR. DOCUMENTS showcased a varied programme of short documentaries from across the UK and beyond, including the gay village of Vauxhall and the illegal coalmines of Eastern Europe. HOMECOMING, the story of a Serbian man returning to his home village but obsessed and tormented by his memories, also had its UK premiere.

There are still a few tickets remaining for tonight’s closing night gala, SOUNDS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT and afterparty.

East End Docs

28.04.09

Getting straight to the heart of the East End, DALSTON DOCS showcased a triple-bill of documentaries - Save Our Heritage, Life on the Grave Side and Handsome Bastard - followed by an in-depth panel discussion with the film-makers. Iain Sinclair and Dave McKean teamed up for MAGGID STREET / DIARY FILM: HACKNEY 1969, a re-imagining of Sinclair’s unique diary film of late 60/early 70s Hackney. The work of Artists Against the War was movingly explored in NOT IN OUR NAME. Topping off the events for Tuesday was OPTIMISTIC IMMIGRANTS, a night of film, live music and discussion centred around migration. Looking at new techniques and technologies in film-making, the New Pathways Film Fund 2009 explored some altnerative routes of exhibiton and distribution. The raw and authentic RENE recorded the fate of a repeat offender over twenty years. WMD provided a gripping fictional account of what intellignce circles knew in the build-up for war. Audiences were treated to a sneak preview of FIRE BURN BABYLON, the story of a crew of Rastafarians evacuated to London in the aftermath of the volcanic erruption in Montserrat. Tuesday also saw the very special world premiere of ON/OFF: MARK STEWART FROM THE POP GROUP TO THE MAFFIA, Tony Schifer’s documentary about musical pioneer and godfather of the Bristol Sound, Mark Stewart (featuring interviews from Nick Cave and Massive Attack). Following the film, Mark hosted a live gig at the Rhythm Factory featuring The Bug and other special guests! Squeezing in at the end of the day, ELEVATOR tells the story of a teenage boy and girl who get stuck in a cargo elevator, and WORLD CINEMA SHORTS 1 offered the chance to sample some international delights.

Music and Video

27.04.09

Monday blues were most definitely lifted by the fusion of creative music videos and short films showcased in our special MUSIC AND VIDEO event, followed by music from one of London’s brightest new bands, Bretton LIVE. Shorts programme EAST END TRUE LIFE STORIES proved a heady mix of personal stories and social issues from new documentary film-makers. Elsewhere, LODOS explored alienation and domestic violence in Turkey. TRAIL OF THE SPIDER brought the classic Western to East London with a large cast of actors and non-actors (many of whom are themselves East London residents) and was followed by a discussion panel with film-makers and cast. PARK painted a stark and fascinating portrait of our urban parks and all who spend their time in them. Meanwhile, Estonia’s Oscar entry I WAS HERE followed the story of a boy spiralling out of control. There was also plenty of film, art and animation to be had in our ADVENTURES IN EXPERIMENTS programme. Lastly, directorial debut RAMACHAND PAKASTANI explored the tensions between India and Pakistan, and social-realist drama THE SHAFT showed ordinary lives at the harsh coalface of modern China.

The Sounds of The East

26.04.09

Day two of the Iain Sinclair weekend brought a great audience to HACKNEY: THAT ROSE-RED EMPIRE, a cinematic trawl through the borough via classic cinema clips and documentary pieces. Elsewhere CINEPHILIA took on ‘problem-length’ films in ten-hour their mid-length film jam at Vibe Live. Described catchily as “anarchy-punk-groove-electronica-free improv upsetters”, Polar Bear bid us farewell in POLAR BEAR LIVE AT THE SPITZ, followed by a Q&A with the film-makers and tied in with Rich Mix’s Sunday afternoon jazz sessions. Another musical treat came in the form of VASHTI BUNYAN: FROM HERE TO BEFORE, a documentary about the “Godmother of Freak Folk” directed by acclaimed film-maker Kieran Evans. Questions of identity and loneliness were raised in HELEN, followed by the elegiac WHO KILLED BROWN OWL and JOY. Finally, TWO LEGGED HORSE, a stunning but troubling film about a father who hires a poor boy for a dollar a day to carry his disabled son around on his back, was a powerful dissection of the injustices that society inflicts on the individual.

Young London

25.04.09

Saturday was jam-packed with events. Highlights included The Iain Sinclair Weekend, kicking off with a double bill of the cult classics CRIMINAL and MR ARKADIN. In the evening we enjoyed an atmospheric silent cinema screening of NOSFERATU with live music from Minima. The busiest day yet for films, Saturday saw the screening of THE DAY AFTER PEACE, the remarkable journey of film-maker Jeremy Gilley on his quest to establish an international day of non-violence. 60 X 60, a series of 60 one-minute films from the South Asian diaspora left our heads in a spin, while TALES FROM THE YOUTH SIDE, a series of drama and documentaries, gave some new angles on some serious issues. Meanwhile, EAST END LIVES provided a vivid snapshot of the area from long-term, culturally diverse residents. More fresh talent and powerful drama was showcased in THE HARD STUFF, and a good old fashioned Russian school disco was the order of the day in EVERYBODY DIES BUT ME. Finally, our Saturday spectacular was brought to a close with ZLOTY SRODEK, a gripping tale of tested loyalties and tough decisions set in East Warsaw, followed by a Q&A with director Olaf Lubaszenko.

Surrealism in Spitalfields

24.04.09

Only the second day and already so much going on! Our 3D strand kicked off with five specially commissioned time-lapsed 3D films compressing a whole East London day into several dreamy minutes (screening daily from 10am -10pm in Spitalfields market). The Filmmaker’s Centre provided plenty of networking opportunities as well as the first in a series of daily film workshops and seminars (all aboard a classic Routemaster - what more could you want!?) The UK Premiere of AFRO SAMURAI: RESURRECTION went down a storm, as did the after-party with music from Leveload. We also managed to squeeze in a special series of short films exploring black representation on screen, accompanied by a fascinating discussion on the themes surrounding this. On the international film front we had the wonderful SONG OF SPARROWS, a beautifully crafted and sometimes hilarious story about an ostrich farmer from Iran. Set in early 20th Century Calcutta, FOUR CHAPTERS (CHATURANGA) saw its European premiere and was followed by a lively Q&A with director Suman Mukhopadhyay. THE WORLD IS BIG AND SALVATION LURKS AROUND THE CORNER followed the story of a young man who loses his memory in car crash (also followed by a Q&A from director Stephan Komandarev). Finally, CITY RATS provided a stylish end to the night topped off with a very special star-studded party.

Check out tomorrow’s line up for more great events and exclusive films!

Opening night gala, THE END

23.04.09

Living up to its reputation for showcasing fresh home-grown talent, the opening night of the 2009 East End Film Festival got off to an explosive start yesterday with the premiere of an extended cut of documentary THE END. A debut from Director Nicola Collins and sister Teena, THE END explores the life of the sisters’ father and his friends, an infamous of gang East End criminals operating in the war-torn 1950s. Unashamed, brash and unapologetic, the men live their lives by a brutal code of honour in a violent underworld. Through a series of exclusive interviews, we are given a revealing insight into the history and psyche of the cockney gangster. Dark, disturbing, yet somehow irresistible, this is a debut not to be missed. And if all that wasn’t enough audiences were treated to a post-screening guest appearance from all the (ex!) gangsters featured in the film and a monster of an East End party to boot!

Click here for The End Podcast

Podcasts live!

We are very excited to announce the arrival of our first two festival podcasts! Over the following week, the podcasts will bring you
more information about upcoming events, and reports on how some of the festivals biggest events have gone, almost as soon as they’ve happened.

Hope you enjoy them:

Opening Night Gala: The End
Click here for The End Podcast
More information, venue and screening times for The End can be found on our programme pages

Special Event: New Dimensions: 3D Time Lapse Commissions
Click here for The New Dimensions Podcast
More information, venue and screening times for New Dimensions can be found on our programme pages

Afro Samurai: Resurrection

Afro Samurai is back and hes coming to kick butt at the East End Film Festival 2009! On Friday April 24, Manga, SkepEvents and the EEFF present the UK premiere of Studio Gonzos AFRO SAMURAI: RESURRECTION, ahead of its DVD and Blu-ray bow. This will be followed by a wild party into the early hours, featuring live performances from virtuoso J-Rock duo Levelload and flavoursome hip-hop DJs Haruka and Butcherd Beats. Throw in a mind-blowing VJ mix by The Photon Shepherds, playable demo pods of the exciting Afro Samurai videogame from Atari, specially commissioned aerosol art by End Of The Line, a goody bag worth £25 and much more and an unforgettable night is in the making.

Filming for the 3D project is now completed!

On the 18th March, our 3D guerrilla filmmakers completed shooting their 3D time-lapse installation due to be unveiled on 24th April as part of our 2009 festival. The last view they captured was this amazing sunset over the Thames seen from the Tower of London (pictured above). All five films are now in post production. Look out for our ‘making of’ podcast, coming soon! 

3D time-lapse project

Five short 3D films are currently in production to be premiered at East End Film festival ‘09 as part of our cutting-edge 3D cinema strand. Local artists Brian McClave and Gavin Peacock have constructed a special camera for the project, which combines 3D technology with the time-lapse film method - compressing a whole day’s activity into several minutes to present a view of East London as never seen before. During the festival you’ll be able to visit our outdoor screen in Spitalfields Market, where you can don 3D glasses and marvel at these unique films which play with time, space and sound to create a whole new way of experiencing the city. Films shot so far feature Columbia Road Flower Market (pictured above), Victoria Park and Blackwall Tunnel.

2009 Submissions are now closed!

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Project Base

Project Base is a week long film business skills course aimed at improving producer development and managerial skills, increasing knowledge of new technologies, international markets and Knowledge of key players using a combination of producer training, project development and network creation. This course is being supported by Skillset’s Film Skills Fund.

Project Base is a 5 day intensive program developed for producers who are moving from short films to producing their first feature film. It seeks to actively recruit from groups currently underrepresented in the UK film industry workforce particularly from BAME backgrounds.