Marcus Armitage picks up Best British Film at this years London International Animation Festival

We're delighted to announce the news that Film Club's Marcus Armitage took home Best British film at this years London International Animation Festival with his Royal College of Art graduate short film 'My Dad'. 

The film - which runs at 5'50 - was made using oil pastels on paper and depicts a Dad's influence on an impressionable young boy's life. The relationship gives rise to a toxic mix, resulting in a world that strips away opportunity and experience for the young boy.  

Marcus used the film to graduate from the highly respected graduate school in June, and it is fantastic to see the project already doing so well on the festival circuit. 

Talking about the project, Marcus defines the film as existing 'somewhere between a documentary and fiction. A film created from personal experiences, of my own eye opening journey of moving to London, and the prejudices I see around me in people I know or things that I read see or hear'. 

The top right image shows Marcus collecting the award on stage at the Barbican, with the bottom left image showing one brief moment in the progression of Marcus' fantastic project.

Unfortunately, with the film still on the festival circuit, we're unable to screen the film in its entirety, however to watch a trailer of 'My Dad', please click here for a link to Marcus' Film Club directing reel. 

Congratulations, Marcus - we're all super happy for you at 199, Wardour Street!

Chris Shepherd's Directors Notes

Film Club's Chris Shepherd has given a comprehensive interview to online magazine Directors Notes about his new short film, The Ringer.

With Chris' film currently doing the rounds at International festivals - and with his first festival win at the Courtivore Film Festival only last week - Directors Notes investigated both the film-making process and Chris' insightful approach to film-making in general.

The article is very complimentary about Chris and The Ringer, even calling the film a 'contender for inclusion' for the 'classic' short film category. The magazine continues by describing the film as 'innovative, funny and distinctly British'.

It's always a pleasure to gain greater insight into any great film, and this article is definitely no exception.

What do you think: Has The Ringer persuaded Tom Cruise to sign up to Chris' next project?

To read the interview in full, you can follow the link here.

Kiss The Water, DVD release and yet more praise

Kiss the Water, with its' beautiful, hand painted animation by Film Club's Em Cooper has received yet another glowing review, this time from CineVue. The review pays particular attention to Coopers animation style, which is described as having an inherent 'compassion and warmth'. Read the complete review here.

The film has also recently been released on DVD, order your copy here.

Will Anderson's Latest Film: 'Big Dunc Loves Finder'

Still from Will Anderson's 'Big Dunc Loves Finder'

Will Anderson brings Big Dunc back to the screen for yet another sharp-witted and distinctive short film.

This time, Big Dunc and his pal discuss the merits of Finder: a new and exciting app for finding new birds. Unfortunately for Big Dunc, the app isn't effective as he makes out.

Kiss The Water: Press Roundup

Since its' premiere screening last Friday, Kiss The Water has packed out ICA theatres. To meet audience demand, the documentary has since been upgraded to a larger theatre for the upcoming weekend and will run over an extended period.

Over the past few weeks Kiss The Water has received a number of glowing reviews, with our own Em Cooper's oil painting animation described as 'exquisite'.

We've rounded up the best Kiss The Water reviews below:

"Gorgeous animation sequences, in Munch-like swirls of colour..." - The Financial Times

"Boasting exquisite animation..." - Empire Online

"...painted animations of water and women, flies and fish, go dancing across the screen..." - The Telegraph

"Definitely not your standard doc, this is something special ... a captivating journey through a landscape of mystery and imagination." - Timeout Magazine

"With its lyrical blend of atmospheric Highland footage and expressionist animation, this is much more than a documentary…" - The Observer

"“… featuring animated sequences that exude the vidid colours and energy of a Howard Hodgkin painting…”  - Sight & Sound Magazine.

UK Premiere Screening For Kiss The Water

Film Club director Em Cooper's documentary Kiss the Water will have its' UK premiere screening at the ICA London this Friday. Em Cooper directed the beautiful, oil painted animation for the documentary feature.

Kiss the Water has already been featured in a number of publications including Tuesday's Timeout Magazine, where the film was described as "something special". To read the full review of Kiss the Water in Timeout, click here.

Kiss The Water will also be reviewed on tonight's Front Row at 7.15pm on Radio 6.

TRAM makes OSCAR shortlist

Short animated film, Tram by Film Club director Michaela Pavlatova has made it into the OSCARs shortlist. Out of 56 qualifying films Tram is one of the 10 short listed films from which 3 to 5 will make it through to be nominated in the final round.

Tram tells the tale of erotic fantasy of a lady tram driver.

Good work Michaela!