Braine Hownd Film Blog

Part 3’s of trilogies are often the worst – Godfather 3, Scream 3, X-Men 3, but not here, not tonight.

Yes, we had obstacles to overcome (horrendous weather and the England match showing on TV), tension (would Enrique get here on time with his film), guys typing on computers (our tech expert Fred trying to get the discs to work) and shameless nudity (provided by our gregarious host Matt Prendergast and his ‘Chopper’).

But in the end, we succeeded. This was out Back to the Future 3. And this was in no small part of the high quality of films showing, including an award nominee, some great sketch comedy, a beautiful silent movie and an international entry.

First up was not Enrique Rovira’s A Beautiful Funeral. Enrique, with copy of said film, was busy teaching people how to speak Spanish. So, instead of waiting on tenterhooks, we decided to push on with The Waiting Game by Emma Stickland. Written by Braine Hownd’s Mark Brown, it was a ‘film noir’ with a twist. It captures the sense of the genre well, with an array of beautiful women entering a building and being counted off by a sweating, tense Matt Vardar – but for what reason.

Next up was sketch group, Worst Case Scenario. There were plenty of laughs to be had here with sketches about having your own personal Geordie, the worst ‘person’ ever to play spin the bottle with, an unlucky lottery winner and more. Expect to see more of these guys and girls – this stuff is made for TV and could easily become the next big thing.

After a short break, we came back with Eight. This film goes to show how a bit of innovative marketing can go a long way. I found this, in an intriguing DVD book in among a load of flyers at the Cannes Short Film Corner. And it was worth picking up. A story about a dwarf and his briefcase – what’s in the case? What does the woman in his office want? And was is the significant of the number eight? Beautifully shot in Istanbul and totally silent, this was a great little (pun intended) film.

The, potentially, last movie of the night was A Political Life by Mark Brown and Mike Shephard. Nominated for Best Screenplay at the Can in a Van Awards, this satirical and obscure film was received well by the audience. It’s a film that defies description and just needs to be seen.

And, then, just when we thought it was all over, in walks Enrique with his film, A Beautiful Funeral. Shot in brilliant black and white (and very little grey), this does everything a short film does and has an excellent twist ending that makes you want to laugh and grimace at the same time.

And that was it for another month.

BRAINE HOWND SHORT FILM NIGHT 2

There have been a few great sequels (Terminator 2, Aliens, Desperado, Three men and a little lady, Jaws 2) and some not so good sequels (Teen Wolf Too, Transformers 2, Sex and the City 2, Jaws: The Revenge).

However, there was no sophomore slump for Braine Hownd Film’s second short film night (or as host Matt Prendergast put it ‘the first, second Braine Hownd Film Night ever”).

It was another packed night in The Hideaway basement, and, thanks to the summer coming to London for a few days, its lovely bear garden, which seemed to host both the pre and post film shenanigans.

So, to the films:

First up was The Lighter by The Clemens Bros, which we’ve been told is to become part of a feature. Viewed as a short film, it was a hugely enjoyable comedy. Though some of the performances veered a bit too close to parody (the slightly camp Latino lover), it was a funny, heartfelt piece with a good Macguffin (can you guess what it is). And it also has one of the best voiceovers ever provided by Bond Number 2, Roger Moore.

Next up was The Instigator, directed by Emma Stickland. This was developed as part of a 48 hr sci-fi film competition in which the teams were given the name of the film, a line of dialogue and an item that should feature in the film. Writer, Mark Lindow, adapted these into a story of corporate mind control. It goes to show what you can do in a short period of time.

The last film before the interval was Getting Ready by Ben Barton. Though I wouldn’t call this a short film, more a music video, it looked stunning. It was shot on Super 8 film and on location at Chatham Brook Theatre. Getting Ready tells the the story of faded glories and past dreams.

After the interval was Keith Eyle’s spooky The Baby Watcher. Part of his urban chills series, this was a classic ghost story, the type told around camp fires when you are young, and had a few genuinely unsettling moments. I don’t want to give too much away for those who might want to track it down, but I’d always check who you are leaving your child with.

The last film of the night was once again one from the Braine Hownd stable, and again featured director Phil Haine. Written by Mark Brown, Stalker, was shown in Raindance 2010 and the Seabreeze Festival in Florida. Comedian, David Whitney, plays a stressed out city boy who, seemingly, might need his stalker more than she needs him.

And that wrapped up the evening. Next month’s event will feature Mike Shephard’s A Political Life, Beautiful Funeral by Enrique Rovira and Worst case scenario from JCBC films, along with two more shorts, which are to be confirmed. To put your name down, go to: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/event.php?eid=218484928198741

BRAINE HOWND FILMS – SHORT FILM NIGHT

Short film nights can be an odd thing. There always tends to be an air of self involvement to them – people dragging their friends along to see their film then disappear, or some old ‘film industry’ veteran regaling us with stories about how he once saw Michael Gambon’s balls.

Our host, Matt Prendergast

However, Braine Hownd is keen to avoid these pratfalls and has vowed to keep their short film nights simple. Turn up, have a few drinks, watch some films (not too many – there was five this time), then have some more drinks.

In total, the short films only took up around 45 mins of the evening, with the rest dedicated to friendly chit-chat.

Contacts were made, feedback given and friends made in the relaxing atmosphere of the excellent Hideaway Bar in Tufnell Park. Its downstairs basement is the perfect venue for watching films, while its beer garden proved to be the hub of post-film analysis.

Speaking of which, here’s a rundown of what went on.

The Host

Actor, pub quiz maestro and water-based London guide, Matt Prendergast was our host for the evening, bringing a relaxed atmosphere to the proceedings (though I did fail to get his one pub quiz question wrong).

The Films

1.       Shot Reverse Shot by James Thompson – First up was this excellent little mind-bender. A story told in reverse about a dying outlaw and his over-eager friend. I’d seen a different version of this at Cannes this year, but this was an equally good take and shows how much editing can change a film.  You can check in out here - http://www.vimeo.com/twoplustu

2.       Canbury by Alex Barrett – A mini trilogy of short films set around a lake. Some beautiful visuals combined the three stories – two woman consider life’s biggest question, ‘are you ready to settle down?’; a tale of missed opportunities; and a final story of boredom. Check it out here http://vimeo.com/9106015

3.       Ping Pong Bullet Rally of Doom by Renee Lea Thackham – The final film before the mid section brake was short, sharp and very to the point. Excellently shot and edited, with a couple of funny twists – A really good example of how to make a good short in under two minutes. View it here -http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePeterWrenProject

4.       Comfort Food by Sandy Nicholson. I’d seen this performed as a rehearsed reading and enjoyed it then - the film was just as good. It’s a sweet tale about trying to make long distance relationships work. I can’t find it online but Sandy does have a blog here http://breakfastepiphanies.wordpress.com/

5.       I Am Lonely by Phil Haine and Jonathan Brown. As this is my film, I’ll not go on too much about it (needless to say it was awesome and probably one of the best examples of short film making ever). We did get a really good response from the audience though, who laughed in all the right places.

So, all in all, a successful night. The venue was packed out and no one broke Mike’s projector. A new screen might be on the way for next month though.

Good morning world,

This is my first blog entry, so I thought I’d introduce myself. I’m Jonathan Brown - I’m part of Braine Hownd Films, a short production company with big ideas. We’ve produced a number of short films including ‘Stalker’ (Raindance 2010, Seabreaze Festival 2010), ‘Empty Chair’, ‘A Political Life’ (Cannes in a Van Award nominee 2011) and ‘I Am Lonely’ (Winner of the NFB Canada Short Film Competition 2011).

This blog will not only be about the making and marketing of short films and the progress of our company but also about films in general. It’ll include reviews, feature articles, top ten lists (this is a blog after all) and more.

Stuff coming includes ‘Judd vs Judge’, a report from the first Braine Hownd Short Film Night, my impressions of the Cannes Film Festival and reviews of X-Men First Class and Transformers 3 (along with any other films I see in the meantime).

Hope you enjoy!

Jonny