Web: www.nightpiecemedia.co.uk
FILM FESTIVAL
Film programmes nightly at 23.05pm.
Monday 19 - Saturday 24 August 2024 (65m - 80m)
v43, theSpace @ Symposium Hall, Hill Square EH8 9DW
TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM:
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/nightpiece-film-festival https://www.thespaceuk.com/shows/2024/nightpiece-film-festival-3
2024 - Thirst and It Starts In This Room
Dear Audience Members and Filmmakers,
Firstly, thankyou to all the filmmakers whose films we are screening over the course of this week. In this, our 11th season we present a broad range of content from directors across the World. The focus of Nightpiece is always built around platforming short films and their respective production teams. This year, and realistically for the first year ever, we've seen a large amount of films from Scottish filmmakers. Post pandemic the short film game has taken a long time to recover. Quite simply, many people have got out of the habit of making narrative driven short film. We pride ourselves on building a diverse programme that reflects the ethos of indie filmmaking across the World but remember we've never been funded, sponsored or externally supported!
Keep filming!
Al Carretta, Director, Nightpiece Film Festival, August 2024
Thirst Dir: Al Carretta (80m)
Dying of thirst and adrift at sea for weeks on a small life raft, the eccentric survivor of a shipwreck recalls his fight for survival to doctors who are suspicious of his wild claims. A true stage to screen production Al Carretta's adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's 1913 debut play 'Thirst' began life on stage in Symposium Hall in the 2023 EdFringe and was filmed in Spring 2024. An intense character study, Carretta's performance should have returned to the EdFringe stage in but costs dictated it was cheaper to produce a feature version of the project than stage a cost effective theatrical run. The film is released on digital platforms this Autumn and is Carretta's 23rd independent feature Web: www.nightpiecemedia.co.uk IMDB:
Nightpiece Film Festival Present - Shorts Programme 1
AMERICAN EYES
From acerbic wit to subtle psychological horror we open the 11th annual Nightpiece Film Festival in the Edinburgh Fringe with a smart collection of short films from across the pond.
Because I Love You
Dir: Bob Celli
Marco and Joanna enjoy an electric marriage, until Marco is witness to a series of events that lead him to suspect Joanna is having an affair with a co-worker. Starring Bob Celli (Gotham), Jennifer Plotzke (Blacklist), Dave Roberts (Blue Bloods), and Melissa Joyner (The Morning Show).
(8m)
I Already Went
Dir: Allegra Eve Oxborough (3m)
I Already Went is a pitch-black comedy set in a not-so-distant future, where our craving for convenience has reached an all-time high. The side effects can be a bit uncomfortable, sure, but there's a pill for that... Web:
The Unquiet Dead
Dir: John Gray (8m
A therapist treats an unstable young woman who claims to be harassed by an assortment of malevolent spirits - who are demanding something from her.
Swine
Dir: Jim McQuaid (8m)
A woman tries to hide the body of the abusive husband she was forced to kill, but an unexpected visitor forces her into a brutal fight for survival.
Solo Duet - Who's On First
Dir: Paul Michael Snider (8m)
Apocalypse Book Club
Dir: Anthony Goertz(8m)
Inspired by Charlotte Cranston's short story of the same name, "Apocalypse Book Club" is a raw yet lighthearted romantic comedy that follows the unlikely friendship between Raymond, an unemployed accountant, and Evelyn, a socialite recovering from a broken leg.
Web:
Stuck
Dir:C.Fraser Press (8m)
When a teenager who’s on her way to a post-funeral reception gets stuck in an elevator with a newly single woman in her twenties, the two strangers begin to bond as they realize that their biggest obstacle isn’t that they’re stuck physically — but emotionally.
Nightpiece Film Festival Present - Shorts Programme 2
MYSTERIOUS WORLDS
A breadth of perspectives. From the doom and memories of closed Scottish mines in 'Pits' to the breathtaking visuals of 'Return To Skye', these are unique filmmaker visions from artists across the World.
Pits
Dir: Clark Allan (6m)
The small town of Auchinleck, has been left as a shell of what it once was, after the closing of the Barony Colliery, one of Scotland's largest mines.
Red Bird
Dir: Henry McGrath (8m)
A man investigates a strange room, unsure how he arrived there. As he explores, apparitions allude to the presence of a being whose impact drives a fractious and frenzied rebellion. As he confronts the being, a metamorphosis occurs where structures of identity fall away, revealing a monstrous reality. Wandering this horrifying underland, the man meets the Red Bird, who invites him into its extraordinary, essential, and exotic life. Web:
Return To Skye
Dir: Scott Johnson (8m)
A Scottish clansman survives the Battle of Culloden (1745) and returns home to bid farewell to his wife, and wee child, before fleeing for his life. He and his wife agree that his ancestral home, the Isle of Skye, will provide him refuge from the pursuing British.
Bare
Dir: Jenna Lucas, Duncan Currie (5m)
Liv is forced to seek retribution on her ex after he shares an intimate video of her online. Web:
Dangle The Cat
Dir: Niall Reynolds (8m)
3 thieves are chased into a messy situation, involving 2 cat thieves, an unhappy couple, a con man and yes... A cat.
Common Fly
Dir: Ian Castracane (8m)
Nobody cares about Jeff, a middle aged housefly crushed by unfulfilled expectations. A dissatisfying marriage, insufferable children, and mindnumbing job push him to try to regain control of his life.
Web: www.nightpiecemedia.co.uk
Paint
Dir: Corran Gourlay (10m)
An old man deals with his grief by painting a room with layer after layer of paint. He hopes that by the time he has completely filled the room, he will have come to terms with life without his wife.
Web:
Monitored Dir: Chris Sexton Fletcher (5m)
When a babysitter finds herself under domestic surveillance, she decides to give her employers a good reason to keep an eye on her.
Web: www.nightpiecemedia.co.uk
Nightpiece Film Festival Present - Shorts Programme 3
LATE ADDITIONS
Female lead roles dominate the first half of the late additions programme. All of these films have been curated from the late deadline window.
Marina
Dir: Brodie Young (10m)
Within the stark confines of an unfamiliar space, Marina confronts an eerie sense of solitude, with unsettling events gradually testing the thin veil between reality and the mysterious. In "Marina," the audience is drawn into a subtle exploration of the psychological intricacies surrounding the protagonist's existence, with each unfolding moment hinting that all may not be as it appears.
Web: www.nightpiecemedia.co.uk
Unwell Woman
Dir: Daniella DeVinter (10m)
Cambridge University, 1979: A night at the library turns into a nightmare when a psychology student comes across a creepy painting, and the haunted past of her long-dead mother threatens to impregnate the present...
Web:
Reflection Of A Deadman Dir:
Michael Shlain (8m)
Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's "The Man of the Crowd." A man's obsession with a stranger leads him through the underworld of Paris to an uncanny revelation. Web:
Dead Man Talking
Dir: Matthew Thomson (5m)
Following an accident on his bicycle, Colin Mortimer finds himself close to death with a new friend to contend with.
Don't React
Dir: Douglas Kyle (5m)
While going on a peaceful woodland trail, a walker encourages someone who tells him to no matter what, not to react.
Please Be Kind
Dir: Zoe Greenbaum (5m)
A beautiful woman compels a young man to find her with the cunning use of an obscure novel, a paper airplane, and a horde of giant gummy bears. A silent fairy tale of seduction intertwines with a musical letter to a dangerous love.
It Starts In This Room
Dir: Al Carretta (77m)
Just finished and as fresh as it gets! A fledgling music producer raises a million dollar bail to ensure his star rapper's record gets released as planned. A few scenes were shot in April, but 66+ pages of the script was shot just days before the start of EdFringe making this project a mammoth task in turnaround. This is Al Carretta's 24th independent feature film since 2010 and scheduled for release on digital platforms this Autumn. Web:
Nightpiece Film Festival Present - Shorts Programme Finale
FILMMAKER FOCUS
The final shorts programme of Nightpiece Film Festival showcases a plethora of filmmaking talent. The selections segue from stylistic supernatural drama to hilarious comedic observation.
Excavation Dir:
Ella Posti (8m)
A dance film featuring dancer Ella Posti and an excavator in a duet. This piece delves into the relationship between the human body and the machine, showcasing how both can simultaneously embody immense power and delicate sensitivity.
Web:
Yokai
Dir: Richard Martin (14m)
Nicole and Gio are two friends. They are in a University class assigned to explore a city in Scotland and it's heritage. They try a seance in the garden of a house with a dark history. Dreamlike, Surreal and Spooky.
Running Late
Dir: Joshua Roy Gajree (5m)
A man on the fourth floor tries desperately to go to work but he can't. Caught inside a vicious loop, he must come to terms with his past before he can ever move forward. With his day or his life.
Goodnight Irene
"Goodnight Irene" is a darkly humorous film that follows Victoria, a solicitor, as she reluctantly entrusts her sister Leah with arranging their grandmother's wake. Family tensions rise, secrets emerge, and chaos ensues, exacerbated by their mother's alcohol-fueled antics.
Dir: Matty Killen, Laura Mac (8m)
Bike Short Dir: Kevin McDevitt (8m)
When a mountain biker steals another’s “lucky” drying bike shorts, mistaking them for a curbside discard, a wild chase into the mountains ensues. Web:
Tiff Dir: Sebastian Canning (8m)
When an argument erupts between his parents, a young boy named Sam finds himself caught in the crossfire.Tiff follows the story of Sam, a cheerful young boy, whose world is turned upside down when he and his Mum accidentally break a precious ornament, igniting an explosive argument between Sam’s parents.
Welcome To Parenthood
Dir: Scott Fleming (12m)
A young father doubts his ability to raise his new son, when a surprise visit puts him to the test.
Too Many Buddhas
Dir: C.Fraser Press (8m)
Too Many Buddhas takes place in a therapist’s office where Nora has just come for a session with Dr. Stevens after performing a devastatingly bad flute solo at her school winter concert, only to learn that her flute teacher has died. While Nora tries to cope with this humbling experience we learn that there is more to this session than meets the eye.
Web: www.nightpiecemedia.co.uk
Since 2014, Nightpiece Film Festival has presented over 350+ short films from over 70 countries across the World. In the first year we presented 69 films on a first come, first serve basis. With the event proven we opened it out as free entry festival on FilmFreeway and were swamped with 2101 submissions in our 2nd season. In 2016, we were up to 2245 entries but practical considerations dictated and we introduced a small submission fee to control numbers and raise production standards. Entries dropped massively but short film quality increased and this has been the stability factor ever since; less is more.
Never externally funded, sponsored or supported the event was originally designed to be able to be staged with content, a laptop, speakers and a projector screen. If it couldn’t be done that simply, it wouldn’t be done at all. Having never strayed from this simple ideal has meant the programme has kept running year on year. We survived the pandemic and in 2021 boasted our best year of attendance ever. In 2024 we will hit the 11th year of the event; not bad for pure perseverance.
Through submission fees and tickets sales the festival usually generates enough cashflow to just about cover the core costs but Edinburgh is now simply the most expensive arts festival in the World to participate in. So, if you feature in Nightpiece as a filmmaker, remember, it’s pretty much the cheapest way to have the kudos of being showcased in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe!