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Charlie's Blog 27 August 2008
Here in Doc/Fest towers, we're manically geeing up for the festival. People are always amazed that we're so busy, let alone that yes, we do this year-round and not just for a few months before the festival. Have you ever tried organising a major international film festival? It really takes time you know.Anyway, progress is going well. We have 85 buyers of various backgrounds signed up to come to the MeetMarket event (the unique pitching bit that's part of my remit at Doc/Fest), coming from all across the world. Plus the project submissions from producers and filmmakers are rolling in - deadline's September 12th for any of you North-Easters out there who want to apply. And please do apply - anyone can do so, with a project at any stage of development and for any platform, plus it's free to apply, so there's nothing to be scared of. More details here - http://www.sheffdocfest.com/view/meetmarket
In the wider world, there's been a bit of fuss about the seriousness, or lack of, of documentaries on TV in the UK at the Edinburgh TV festival. I wasn't there, but it seems that a Channel 4 documentary clip reel was met with some derisive comments about showing a depressing lack of quality. I think clip reels often do that, so not to worry too much. I also think that I've seen some wonderful ultra-serious documentaries on all channels, including Channel 4, recently, so there's nothing major to worry about in my eyes - there's always the dregs at the bottom of a fine documentary barrel, and you need those dregs to appreciate how good a barrel you're in.
If that makes sense. Anyway, onto this site again - I've been taking a pleasure cruise round some fiction, taking myself out of my comfort zone. I loved "Jumpy" - perfect use of a minute to do something really simple and make you smile. What more do you need? Low-budget films often try and do far too much, this one did exactly what it could in a minute and as a result made you want a lot more. I also really liked "5 items only" - again, simple, witty and sharp, it felt like it went in an instant but still left you with a real after-image. Plus it managed to be a bit rude without making you cringe - one thing short films often fail on is convincing scenes of passion, but this felt real enough to fully convince. Finally for today, I thought "Rocket Science" was a lovely sweet film about building a space rocket. Gorgeously shot and edited, it's full of colour and action, and really made me very happy. Surely it's a documentary though? Yes, it was set-up a bit, but he really did build a rocket!
Cx
August 29 2008
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Charlie Phillips is the Marketplace Producer for Sheffield Doc/Fest, co-ordinating the MeetMarket, a unique opportunity for filmmakers and producers to present their most innovative and passionate ideas to commissioners, buyers and distributors. Before that, he was the Editor of FourDocs, Channel 4’s BAFTA-winning online documentary channel, and he continues to bring a cross-platform perspective to Sheffield’s marketplace activities.
My favourite film: Gallivant by Andrew Kotting
What my school report said: Charlie is an intelligent but shy young man prone to flights of fancy
Posts from Charlie Phillips:
Charlie's Blog 29 Sept 08 - September 29 2008
Charlie's Blog 9 September 2009 - September 09 2008
Charlie's Blog 27 August 2008 - August 29 2008
Welcome to the first industry blog - August 11 2008
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