Issue 155

Alternatives to the silver screen

14th May 2007

As part of the Swansea Bay Summer Festival, the Swansea Bay Film Festival brings independent and experimental filmmakers to the Dylan Thomas Centre, VUE cinema and The Ramada Encore Hotel. Running from May 29 to June 10, it showcases independent films, documentaries, short films and animations.

Freeloader Productions' short They're Made out of Meat plays on May 29 at the Dylan Thomas Centre. Based on a short story by science fiction writer Terry Bisson, the film has won acclaim in short film and sci-fi festivals alike.

Although a UK film, David Fussel's Onkikudaki: Demon Destroyer is a horror film with more of a big budget sheen to it than most British independent movies. The marshal arts horror flick tells the story of genetically engineered Cold War superassassins and shows at DTC on the May 30. Whatever happens, it promises to be an interesting submission.

Richard Branson is one of the subjects of Lemonade Stories, a film that focuses on entrepreneurs and their mothers. The film outlines seven such relationships and airs on the June 3 at the IBIS Hotel.

With other such offerings as a stopmotion version of Poe's The Pit and the Pendulum, and with awards for innovation and excellence being judged, the film festival is likely to be a must visit for any film fan.

Holly Thomas