Portsmouth Film Society Presents ‘The Skin I Live In’

Tomorrow night (Wednesday 7:30pm) Portsmouth Film Society presents ‘The Skin I Live In’ by Pedro Almodóvar. Almodóvar’s latest film is a bizarre and stylish thriller and will be shown at Boathouse No 6 Cinema at the Royal Naval Dockyard.

Ever since his wife was burned in a car crash, Dr. Robert Ledgard, (Antonio Banderas) an eminent plastic surgeon, has been interested in creating a new skin with which he could have saved her. After twelve years, he manages to cultivate a skin that is a real shield against every assault. In addition to years of study and experimentation, Robert needed three more things: no scruples, an accomplice and a human guinea pig.

“The Skin I Live In feels unlike any other Almodovar film – a quasi-horror exercise that’s improbably august and elegant. Yet it’s also uncannily familiar – an Almodovar film to the hilt.” (Jonathon Romney, The Independent 28. Aug. 2011)

With an opening talk by Dr Deborah Shaw, Film Studies lecturer at the University of Portsmouth.

Kindly supported by the School of Creative Arts Film and Media, Portsmouth University. Entry is free for SCAFM students.

The Dead Coast – Behind the Scenes

The Dead Coast is now in rolling in full effect. Zombies have been rounded up and filming has begun for the pilot episode. It looks like serious fun. So gutted is couldn’t get down to show off my zombie skillllllllllllllllllllzzzzzz. Harriets got it down though, and man she wants to go Skating bad.

The Dead Coast are also holding a fundraising event on 5th Feb at the edge of the wedge. Its an acoustic night featuring Hometown Show, Cat Mclean, Caz Batten, Champ of the Day, Jimmy Broomfield and The Lion and The Wolf. Its £3 entry and kicks off at 8pm. Keep up to date with all their events and progress of the pilot over at their Facebook page HERE.

Submissions for The Big Screen

Portsmouth’s Big Screen at the Guildhall is opening the screen to submissions from the general public. Submissions could be an art project that you have been working on, a gallery of photographs of a day out in Southsea, a community project that you are involved with, an animation that you have created, a short film you have made and so on. All content submitted will be reviewed by the BBC who are responsible for the content on the Big Screen.

You can find out more at the Big Screen Facebook Page.

Cave of Forgotten Dreams at No. 6 Cinema

Portsmouth’s No. 6 Cinema continues in it’s fundraising with a screening of Werner Herzog’s ‘Cave of Forgotten Dreams’ tomorrow evening. The screening at the No. 6 Cinema in the Naval Dockyard begins with drinks from 6.30 and the film begins at 7.00. It is £10.00 a ticket which includes a glass of wine, soft drink or coffee.

Zombies and Lead Role Required for The Dead Coast

‘The Dead Coast’ is a web-series about a deadly pandemic that wipes out the majority of the UK’s population. A few survivors remain fighting for their lives against hoards of the undead and gangs that now roam the streets. Unable to escape the UK’s only island city: Portsmouth.

Shooting of the pilot episode will begin shortyly and they are on the look out for local actors/actresses who are interested in becoming a part of the cast. They are also looking for people who would be interested in getting “zombied” and being an extra in the pilot episode of the show. Being a Portsmouth based production they hope to use mainly Portsmouth based actors for lead roles and extra positions, local bands for the soundtrack, crew for make-up and filming etc etc.

If you would like to apply for a Lead role or a Zombie extra please get in contact with The Dead Coast at thedeadcoast@gmail.com. I’m so up for this……

Hometown Show’s Holiday Hoedown

“I’ve been performing as Hometown Show singing country-folk touring the UK and US since about 2007. The idea for Hometown Show’s Holiday Hoedown initially came around when Joel Ransom asked me to come down to the Express FM studios in Portsmouth to record a Christmas cover for his radio show.

Myself and Joshua Hibberd began knocking ideas around about a Christmas style chat show. A throw-back to the seasonal specials you used to see on TV such as Noels Christmas House Party where celebrity “guests” would show up. We thought that this would be a good platform to promote some of the wonderful musical talent that there is in Portsmouth, so we asked some of our favourite solo-artists to come down and record a Christmas song for us. Those artists were Jonny Bell, Dan Ogus and Andrew Ricks (Champ of The Day).

We shot the show over 3 days and we’re really happy with how its turned out. I hope you enjoy it.”

- Matthew Harrison (Hometown Show), www.hometownshow.co.uk and Facebook

Hometown Show’s Holiday Hoedown from Holiday Hoedown on Vimeo.

Last Man in Space – Pete Codling Film

Sock Puppet Productions is a new, local media production company and they just released a new documentary short film on local artist Pete Codling and his recent charcoal instillation at SPACE. The film covers Pete’s earlier years in the location as an art student right through to his final, site specific work in the gallery before it’s demolition.

No.6 Cinema fund raiser

No.6 Cinema is planning to re-launch in early 2012 with an exciting new programme of quality films. However, until then the cinema are looking to do some fundraising. The next event is a showing of Romantics Anonymous.

Tickets are £10, this includes a glass of wine and a chocolate making demonstration. Dawn Shrives from Le Salon Du Chocolat will be on hand before the film to guide you through the best ways to get to know chocolate, how to taste it, and what to look out for when purchasing it. She will be offering insider knowledge and tasting tips for those who would like to develop their appreciation of chocolate.

Event starts at 19.00 and the film starts at 20.00. For more information click here.

Ken Russell

Very sad to hear about the death of a true original and maverick film director Ken Russell. As a director Ken Russell had strong links to Portsmouth including much of his film Tommy being filmed in Southsea (and famously being ‘involved’ with the pier fire). RIP.

Ye Olde Bike Shoppe – Southsea Series Episode 4

All round nice guy and proprietor of Ye Olde Bike Shoppe in Southsea, Stuart ‘Beast’ Trett is the focus in Wide Aperture Media’s latest episode in their ‘Southsea’ series of short films.

Beautifully shot and edited, this look in to Stus Bike Shoppe and his personal thoughts and aesthetic surrounding bikes is a real insight in to small local businesses that support the creative scene and their whole mentality as to why they do what they do.

You can view the rest of the series HERE, and if you’re in the market for a new ‘old’ bike, or just what to have a chat and see what’s on offer then drop Stu a line via Facebook and pop in for a coffee and discuss his taste in tee shirts.

Ye Olde Bike Shoppe – Southsea Series Episode 4 from Wide Aperture Media on Vimeo.

PRIMARY – A Phoneography Exhibition by Strong Island – Call for entries

This coming new year we will be proud to announce our latest exhibition PRIMARY, a Phoneography exhibition by Strong Island and we are even happier to announce that it’s open to you, the readers.

With the continuing increase in impressive camera technology in mobile phones and the ability to alter, tweak, post process and upload the photos to social media networks and websites like Instagram, the popularity of Phoneography has never been greater.

The ‘of the moment’ ability to take a photo at almost any time and any place by most people has really driven the fact that the camera does not make the photographer. By which I mean, you don’t need an expensive camera to take outstanding photos.

Agreed, the quality of the physical image may not stand up to the big guns, but new learnings in composition, style and aesthetic by a new generation of camera users via online media has really driven this popularity, and encourage people to go beyond a ‘quick shot’.

PRIMARY invites you to get out and about around Portsea with your mobile phone camera and take photos of anything and everything based around the three primary colours red, yellow and blue. What you photograph is entirely up to you, but submissions will only be accepted if they stick to the theme.

The call for entires has now begun and the deadline is the 31st of January 2012 with the exhibition being held in March of 2012. Photos can be taken on any mobile phone model and we ask that a maximum of 3 photos per applicant are sent in to primary@strong-island.co.uk.

Please submit along with your photographs your name, photo title, phone model, location of photo on the island and any post process apps you used, if any, to achieve the final shot.

We look forward to seeing all the entries, and the final installation will be something special using every photo submitted in a slightly different fashion from your average photographic exhibition. CLICK HERE TO PRINT YOUR OWN POSTER

Poster by Tristan Savage & Photo by Paul Gonella

It’s going to be a Strong Movember – Closed at £725

Righto chaps, it’s time to clean shave your boat race and get that mighty moustache on the grow in support of Movember for The Prostate Cancer Charity and the Institute of Cancer Research. For 30 days of November you can help support and raise awareness through selflessly parading your top lip for charity.

You can sign up yourself, as I’m sure many of you already have, or you can join the Strong Island team and seek out sponsorship as a team. Through the Strong Island Movember page you can ask people to join the group, make donations, upload photos and post updates via the MoSpace page, Facebook and Twitter.

Head over to www.mobro.co/StrongIsland if you would like to get involved and grow a Strong Moustache to help raise awareness, or simply head over to www.uk.movember.com and sign up to personally raise money.

The funds raised in the UK support the number one and two male specific cancers – prostate and testicular cancer. The funds raised are directed to programmes run directly by Movember and our men’s health partners, The Prostate Cancer Charity and the Institute of Cancer Research. Together, these channels work together to ensure that Movember funds are supporting a broad range of innovative, world-class programmes in line with our strategic goals in the areas of awareness and education, survivorship and research.

Poster: Tristan Savage