FOMI Short Film Competition: Documentary Programme
BLOOMSBURY THEATRE
SATURDAY 27TH MAY
16:00 - 17:30
Book ticketsOur documentary programme celebrates films from the competition that exhibit exceptional nonfiction storytelling.
Katalina
A story of a bohemian woman, breaking the social norms, choosing an alternate way of living life by residing on a narrow boat. Having a spark in her soul that comes from her spiritual and creative family, Amanda came to London in 1989 from America to follow her dream of becoming an actor ended up being an eccentrically distinctive person, after all the set backs and uncertainties in life, she still persuaded living life on her own terms. This film is a portrayal of perseverance, finding joy and a sacred energy which she calls ‘The light at the end of the tunnel’.
dir. Zaeem Asad ~ United Kingdom ~ 2022 ~ 14min
Cinema Now
A fragmented collection of closed cinemas in London during lockdown, captured on Super 8mm film. Cinema Now is a short, observational documentary film (presented in the contemporary 'Direct Cinema' style) and shot entirely on KODAK Vision3 Super 8mm Film. The film depicts closed cinemas from the point of view of passers-by, taking a moments pause and looking patiently at building exteriors and facades. A range of cinema sites are included, though they all have one thing in common - they are all 'independent' in some way, shape or form, be that their structural/operational model and/or by virtue of their programming. There are many different types of cinemas presented in the documentary - from repurposed former industrial and historic sites to hidden gems and underground meccas. There is no limit to where cinema is found, and this is certainly true of London's thriving film scene which is currently under threat. The documentary also serves to document our cinemas through a historic moment in time, creating a capsule of a turbulent period in all our lives - the COVID-19 pandemic.
dir. Louis Holder ~ United Kingdom ~ 2022 ~ 14min
Golden Wedding
Author's grandparents are getting ready to celebrate 50 years of marriage in a small Serbian village Veles. Film examines the fear of losing someone dear.
dir. Miloš Radovanović ~ Serbia ~ 10min
MALMAISON
Malmaison is one of the most obscure landmarks of the last century, sheltering within its walls more than half of Bucharest's history. The building still preserves the emotional imprints of all the people who have ever set foot in it, brought along by major historical events or by existence itself.
dir. Stefan Schultz ~ Romania ~ 2022 ~ 12 min
The Birdcarver
The Birdcarver tells the story of Eloir, 55 years old, an artisan who makes replicas of the Lagoa do Peixe National Park's birds and undertakes a quixotic struggle for preservation of the Park; his wife ( Ivana, 43 years old) and daughter (Ingrid, 22 years old). Eloir will introduce us to the Lagoa do Peixe National Park and its own life story while he carves yet another of his hundreds of wooden birds, however, this bird has a special meaning for him. The Lagoa do Peixe National Park, located on the southern coast of Brazil, is a haven for migrating birds that cross the Americas to escape the winter, from both north and south. Due to its geographical characteristics and vegetation, the National Park is an important pit stop with abundant food source for the migrating birds. In its busiest, more than 300 species can pass through there. Thus, in this region adopted by birds, however divided between dependence on agribusiness and the need for preservation, can one man make a difference?
dir. Felipe Santos Rosa ~ Brazil ~ 2021 ~ 12 min
Susurros del Hormigón
Within the last years in the province of Marga Marga a drastic change in the visual and sound landscape has been witnessed at the cost of urban expansion, through observation and the need to explore the territory that seems increasingly strange and less proper, a film works as a material resource and support for the reflection on living in the midst of capitalist progress.
dir. Matias Rojas Ruz ~ Chile ~ 2021 ~ 12 min
Unknown Hand
An individual reflects on the inevitability of change, how we know ourselves and how we wish to be known. This film discusses the impact of degenerative illness on one's sense of Identity and Authenticity, asserting an individual's right to approach a major change in their health in a way that remains true to them.
dir. Saul Pankhurst ~ United Kingdom ~ 2021 ~ 3min
Bloomsbury Theatre
15 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AH