Stephen Moyer’s A Bit of Light, starring Ray Winstone and Anna Paquin, will feature in the opening gala of the festival.
Essex talent is front and centre of this year’s festival with short films, historic documentaries and a world premiere
The Southend-on-Sea Film Festival is back with a showcase of over 53 features, shorts and documentaries, including homegrown favourites, as well as a world premiere.
The festival will kick-off on Thursday 8 June with Stephen Moyer’s second feature as a director A Bit of Light, starring Festival Patron Ray Winstone and Oscar-winner Anna Paquin.
Moyer started his career in the theatre of his hometown Brentwood, before achieving incredible success in Hollywood with his starring role in the TV series True Blood, and a film career including the popular After series. Now, he is returning to Essex where he will join the film’s stars at the opening gala at the Odeon for a black-tie reception, screening of his sophomore film, and after-party.
A Bit of Light is a moving drama focusing on the relationship between newly sober Ella (Paquin) and her father (Winstone) following the relinquishing of custody of her young daughters to her ex-husband (Youssef Kerkour). The film is an adaption of a play by English writer Rebecca Callard, which was championed by the UK’s foremost playwrighting competition The Bruntwood Prize.
The festival gets into full swing on Friday 9 June with a duo of classic comedies from the 1950s. Pulp writer Richard Sale directs glamour star June Haver in her final film The Girl Next Door, while British cinema icon Margaret Rutherford finds herself involved in the running a brothel in Aunt Clara. There is more classic Hollywood on offer with the footwork of Fred Astaire in Broadway Melody of 1940, as well as 1960s adventure The Truth About Spring starring the father-daughter casting of John and Hayley Mills.
An important film in British and queer cinema begins the evening programme with 1964’s The Leather Boys, a powerful drama that captures the atmosphere of the decade featuring shooting locations such as Wembley’s Ace Café, and Silvertown’s Tidal Basin Tavern. International offerings include Finland’s Gas, Inspector Palmu! another entry from the comedy-mystery series following the brilliant reception a previous instalment received at last year’s festival, and 60s psychedelic thriller When Night Falls on the Reeperbahn, which follows a West German investigation into an LSD dealer, leading to murder and mayhem.
Friday also focuses on the cultural history of Southend and Essex, with the screening of So you wanna be a rock’n’roll star?, an 80-minute fly-on-the-wall documentary made in 1975, following Southend’s own The Kursaal Flyers. Members of the band will also be present for a Q&A session, ahead of the screening of 2004’s When Essex Rocked, a contemporary look back at the period that put the county on the musical map.
The spotlight remains on Essex on Saturday 10 June with twenty short films, produced from within the county. Topics such as divorce, therapy, ADHD, war, asylum, poker and crime, spanning different genres from drama and documentaries to high-concept sci-fi will showcase the talent that Essex cinema has to offer. Local historians will also be introducing important films about the area, including The History of Transport on the Thames, featuring footage shot on 8MM film, as well as Flood 53, a documentary focusing on the Canvey floods featuring interviews with those who witnessed the devastation.
Across the weekend, the UK will be represented with a variety of different films. Richard Sandling’s experimental sci-fi comedy Phase, set entirely on a Zoom call during the pandemic, will be seen on the big screen. Short films by filmmakers across the country will be screened throughout, focusing on themes of mental health, nature, autism and relationships. The varied stories on offer include the stop-motion animation Triskelion, a Celtic fairy tale involving tribal conflict and magic, to Viper’s Nest, a pitch meeting with real snakes, and many more.
Attendees will also get a chance to see recent critically acclaimed international releases on the big screen, including the winner of the Grand Jury Prize at 2021’s Sundance Flee, a Danish animated documentary telling the story of a man who escaped Afghanistan to Europe, Oscar-nominated Quo Vadis, Aida?, a powerful war drama on the Bosnian war, and 2021 Cannes Grand Prix Winner Compartment Number 6, a Finnish-Russian road trip film.
Official Competition, a smash-hit co-production between Spain and Argentina starring Penelope Cruz, 100 Things, a German comedy about contemporary materialism, Machan, an Italian-Sri Lankan comedy about the true story of a fake national handball team, and Father of my Children, the Jury Special Prize winner at 2009’s Cannes Film Festival from acclaimed director Mia Hansen-Løve, round up the other international screenings for the weekend.
Film historians and lovers will get a real treat on Sunday 11 June with the restored version of Laurel & Hardy’s final film Atoll K. Fans of the duo will also be able to see their final silent film, Angora Love, with accompanying soundtrack. Celebrating British icons continues throughout the day with a triple feature of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Terrahawks, Joe 90 and Thunderbirds will all get an episode each, in 16mm film. And the retro vibe remains with a new 2023 documentary on British Punk and New Wave, Are They Hostile?, taking a look back to the Croydon music scene in the late seventies.
This year’s festival will close with a genre close to Essex culture – the British gangster film – although this time it’s a comedy, with the world premiere of Best Geezer, which is set in the county.
Ahead of this year’s Festival, Director Paul Cotgrove says: “It’s great that the festival can serve as a homecoming for one of Essex’s bright talents, and we’re excited to host Stephen and the cast of A Bit Of Light for our opening gala.
“Essex has a proud film culture and the festival will showcase the very best, from a new generation of filmmakers and their exciting short films, to looking back at our past through documentaries on music and the events that shaped us.
“Of course, there’s something for everyone here. Whether you are a lover of silent film and Golden Age of Hollywood, or a casual cinema-goer who might’ve missed the big international releases in the last few years, this is a chance to see films back on the big screen where they belong. We look forward to seeing you down by the sea to start off your Summer with us.”
For full listings, details about venues and where to buy tickets, go to www.southendfilmfestival.com
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!
