North West movie-makers night: Filmed-Up @ Cornerhouse – March 23

REGION ON SCREEN: Filmed Up

By Sophia Rahman

The North West’s hotbed of filmmaking talent was showcased at Manchester’s favourite independent cinema, Cornerhouse, on Friday.

Cornerhouse, on Oxford Road, held a spectacular evening of ten short films – for the bargain price of £4.50 for the evening.

The broad variety of films on display included tense and brooding drama, dark and light humour, British social realism, anti-realist horror, a quaint and humorous love story and a vibrant and colourful musical documentary.

Many of the films were shot in and around Manchester and starred actors from the city.

The competition winner voted by the audience, KISS, is a gripping drama made on a budget of £200 that concerns the seedy underbelly familiar to anyone who has ventured around certain parts of Ancoats after dark.

Each piece was fresh and unpredictable, which was just the ticket for anyone jaded by the majority of Hollywood fayre, often criticised recycled plots and character-types.  

A selection of the films screened – all with running times of less than five or ten minutes and available to watch online – are:

Endless A chilling anti-realist horror film. Beautifully shot, lit and executed solely in slow motion.

Bon Appetit A funny animation that can be enjoyed by adults and children alike.

Souk Kitchen A musical documentary that shines a light on a joyous multicultural slice of British life.

Monday A funny shoestring budget piece packed with schadenfreude that anyone who suffers Mondays in Britain can relate to.

The Union Choir: Eleanor A quaint and humorous indie love story in the shape of a music video.

MM will be continuing to cover Filmed Up and Manchester’s short films. Watch this space for interviews with the directors behind the project.