Norwich Film Festival 2023 Official Programme by Norwich Film Festival

06 06

19 2023 19 NOVEMBER NOVEMBER 2023

www.norwichfilmfestival.co.uk www.norwichfilmfestival.co.uk SCAN ME! SCAN ME!

NFF2023 The Norwich Film Festival is back with another hybrid approach to film screenings. As well as our full programme of in-person screenings and industry panels, we’re thrilled to be able to offer all our film screenings to global audiences via our online portal (p6). As always, the quality of submissions blew our mind, and we can’t wait to share these brilliant films with you all.

See you soon!

2 The Golden West

WATCH IN PERSON

WATCH ONLINE

OUR TEAM

NFF2023 GRAND JURY

NFF2023 LAUNCH EVENT

OPENING FILM: SHOSHANA PLUS Q&A

INTERVIEW WITH EM J GILBERTSON

INDUSTRY SESSIONS

FEATURE FILMS

OFFICIAL SELECTION

FILM STRANDS

NFF2023 AWARDS EVENING

NFF2023 NOMINATED FILMS

Watch in Person We can’t wait to welcome audiences back for this year’s festival! As usual, our short film screenings will be held at the Auditorium in the Forum, right in the centre of Norwich, but we’re really glad that this year we’ve managed to team up with Cinema City to host all our feature film screenings. We’ll also be hosting a number of other events at the Writer’s Centre Norwich, the University of East Anglia, and Norwich University of the Arts. Information on these events can be found in this programme, or by visiting our website. Unless otherwise stated, all our film screenings are rated 18+, but there will be options for younger viewers to get involved too.

Tickets for events at Cinema City are available direct from the cinema, whereas all other tickets can be purchased via our website or our Eventbrite booking page - which can be accessed by scanning the QR code on the right. Some tickets will be available to buy on the door, but to avoid disappointment we would recommend booking in advance. See individual listings for pricing details. This year we are also pleased to offer a filmmaker hub, based in the John Hurt Education Centre at Cinema City. This is a great space available exclusively to filmmakers, giving them a chance to collect their lanyards and programmes and meet up with other filmmakers before screenings. The hub is kindly sponsored by Artlist.

Scan the QR code... To head to our EVENTS page and purchase tickets. Ticket prices are listed on event pages. See website for full details.

WATCH ONLINE Our hybrid festival approach means that audiences can watch films in person with their friends, but also online in the safety and comfort of their own home. Each film will go live online the day after it’s screened in our venues, and will remain online until the end of the month, so if you can’t make it into Norwich this year there is no reason for you to miss out! The online festival may also include a few additional little bonuses, such a filmmaker introductions, Q&As, and behind the scenes footage. We have also asked all our filmmakers to provide subtitle tracks (in multiple languages) for those with difficulty hearing. Bonus material and subtitles are provided by filmmakers where available and as such will not be attached to every film we screen. Full details online. Online screening costs start from as little as £1, but you’ll find everything you need to know, including rental prices, FAQs, film listings, and film details at:

l.co.uk a v ti s fe lm fi h ic w r o watch.n

FAQs /Online Film Festival Where do I purchase film tickets from? All tickets for the online festival can be purchased from watch.norwichfilmfestival.co.uk. What’s included in the different type of film passes? Film strands consist of between 5 and 9 short films based around a similar theme or style (such as Documentary or Comedy) and are just £3. You can buy the full festival pass, which will contain over 120 films for only £15. Is NFF2023 online restricted to just the UK? Not completely. Some of our films have been restricted to the UK for licencing reasons, but we have created a special collection called the Global Audience Pass which is available to audiences outside the UK. More details on the website. Are film screenings on a certain date or time? Film strands will be available to watch online the day after they are screened in physical venues. They will remain available until the end of November. Do all films have subtitles or closed-captions? All subtitles and captions are provided by filmmakers, not NFF. We do press filmmakers to include these, in multiple languages, but ultimately, the choice belongs to the filmmaker. As a reference, in 2021 and 2022 over 80% of films had subtitles or captions. Are all films available for the whole durations? A handful of films are not available online, and a select few are only available for a short period of time. Please check online for more. Feature films are not included in any online packages. A full list of FAQs can be found on our website.

OUR TEAM Kellen Playford

Here’s some of the incredible people that make the festival happen each year!

Ewan Tough HE AD OF PROGR AMMIN

HE AD OF FES TIVAL

Sava Radulovic HE AD OF DE VELOPME

Libby

Zoë Blacklock PROGR AMMIN G COOR

DIN ATO R

Ishnoor

Chipperfield PROGR AMMIN G ASSIS

FES TIVAL ASSIS TANT

TANT

Jo Dunk

Siobhan Ennis HE AD OF PRODUCTION

Rory Heaton

HE AD OF COMMS

Matilda Green COMMS ASSIS TANT

PRODUCTION ASSIS TAN

Joe Bird

PRODUCTION ASSIS TAN

Festival Trustees John Gordon-Saker (Chair) Keith Johnston (Chair) Penny Bartam Matilda Crumpton-Taylor Ellie Nixon

Festival Patrons and Friends John Collee Olivia Colman Brian Cox Stephen Fry

Hugh Jackman Julian Jarrold Alan Waters

Nina Nannar Tim McInnerny Richard Sawdon Smith

GRAND JURY Every film that’s sent to us is watched by at least five members of our Online Screening Committee of over 200 members. Once those scores are in, our Executive Team re-watches the highest rated films to narrow down the list and to finalise our Official Selection. They also choose which films get nominated and sent to our Jury of industry professionals.

Every year we hand pick some incredible artists from a range of backgrounds and ask them to watch our nominated films, and to select their favourites.

Check out our Grand Jur y here

Kate Herron Kate is a Writer-Director working in film, television, and comic books. Most recently she served as Executive Producer and directed the entirety of Marvel Studios Loki, starring Tom Hiddleston.

Crispin Buxton Crispin has been in the industry for over 35 years and has worked as a location manager, line producer, and 1st AD. Since relocating to Norfolk in 2015, his recent credits include The Souvenir, Yesterday, and Spencer.

Caroline Bartleet Caroline is a BAFTA-winning writer and director. She trained and worked as an actor before completing an MA at the NFTS. Her short film, Operator, won the BAFTA for British Short Film in 2016. 10

Celeste Bell Celeste is an author and filmmaker, and daughter of punk-icon Poly Styrene. Her film, I Am A Cliché, was nominated for a BAFTA Scotland and Grierson Award, as well as winning at BIFA and Raindance.

Debbie Gray Debbie is a producer with over 20 years experience in film and TV, having produced the BAFTA nominated and award- winning film Northern Soul, as well as Mrs Lowry and Son, Hamlet, and The More You Ignore Me.

Marcus Thomas Marcus is an NFTS graduate and award winning director. He recently worked at WarnerMedia where he shadowed the showrunners & directors on HBO’s House of the Dragon.

Guy Lindley Guy is a producer with over three years of experience working across feature films, HETV, and factual entertainment. His debut short, Big Ears, won Best East Anglian Film at Norwich last year.

Jason Osborne Jason is a BAFTA nominated director and co-founder of Project Must Entertainment. His short film Superheroes Wear Hoodies won Best Documentary at Norwich last year. 11

LAUNCH EVENT

Dragon Hall 06 November 06:30PM - 08:30PM

To launch this year’s festival, we’ll be inviting a group of our very closest friends, supporters, and sponsors, to join us for drinks at the Writer’s Centre, Norwich. Not only will this be a great chance to catch up and network, but we’ll also be able to showcase all the incredible films, panels, and events that will be coming up during NFF2023. Once again, this year’s launch party has been kindly sponsored by Production Bureau.

NFF2023

OPENING NIGHT

Shoshana

Plus Q&A with director Michael Winterbottom Cinema City, 09 Nov, 19:30 £12.40 / £11.40

Inspired by real events, Shoshana is a political thriller set in the 1930s in Tel Aviv, a brand new European, Jewish city being built on the shores of the Mediterranean. Thomas Wilkin (Douglas Booth) is in love with the city and with Shoshana Borochov (Irina Starshenbaum). Through their relationship the film explores the way extremism and violence pushes people apart, forcing people to choose one side or the other. Wilkin works with Geoffrey Morton (Harry Melling) in the anti terrorist squad of the British Palestine Police force, chasing the charismatic poet and underground leader Avraham Stern (Aury Alby). Stern believes Israel can only be built through violence. His two main targets are Wilkin and Morton. Shoshana, like most of Tel Aviv, is modern, progressive and feminist. She hates the politics of Stern and his followers. But as the violence builds, everyone is forced to choose which side they will fight on. Duration: 119mins + Q&A | Age rating: TBC

Notes on Shoshana, by Michael Winterbottom Shoshana is a film that we started working on 15 years ago, when the Jerusalem Film Festival gave an award to a film I had made called A Mighty Heart, which told the story of Marianne Pearl, whose husband Daniel was kidnapped and murdered in Pakistan. I was invited to Jerusalem as the festival was showing a short retrospective of our films. Whilst there I read Tom Segev’s book One Palestine, Complete which is a brilliant account of the time between the two world wars when Britain had the mandate to govern Palestine. This is part of our colonial history that has largely been overlooked or forgotten in Britain, but one which has been crucial to the history of Israel. At the time It felt as though the ongoing American occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan echoed in many ways the mistakes made by the British in Palestine. Joshua Hyams (producer) and I began to research that period of history, visiting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, watching the wonderful archive at the Spielberg Film Institute, and working with our Israeli researcher Hila Baroz. 16

The story of Shoshana Borochov and Tom Wilkin felt like the perfect focus for our film, as it reveals the way political extremism and violence drives wedges between people, forcing them apart. Perhaps the reason we were finally able to make the film now, after so many years of trying, is that this theme is more relevant than ever, not only in relation to what is happening in Israel itself. In Britain, Brexit forced us into two separate camps, America had Trump and there is the ongoing tragedy of what is happening in Ukraine. Michael Winterbottom is a BAFTA winning director, writer, and producer, known for Shoshana, The Trip, In This World, and 24 Hour Party People. 17

INTERVIEW WITH EM J. GILBERTSON In August this year we held a screening of festival-favourite LGBTQ+ Shorts at Cinema City (screening Misnomer, Too Rough, Love Spell, and Requiem). The evening ended with a fanstastic Q&A with Em J. Gilbertson, director of Requiem. Here is a snippet of that wonderful interview (hosted by NFF’s Zoë Blacklock): ZB: Those were films that we’ve shown over the last couple years during the festival, was that the first time that you’d seen all of them? EG: Yeah, and I kind of like had an emotional response to all of them. Too Rough is really well directed. It made me tear up. Did it make you tear up? ZB: When I first watched it, it really hit me. Yeah, it was powerful. EG: You know, I’m kind of going through something similar, as in Misnomer, because I’m trans and I’m trying to pick a name at the minute. So that one hit deep as well. And was it Love Spell? ZB: The first one, yes. I think it was a great one to open the screening with because of its light hearted nature. 18

EG: I wish you’d ended on it, though. Just for a bit of levity! ZB: Sorry! But, it’s been a couple of years now since you made Requiem, and I just wanted to ask you what your thoughts are now regarding your film. EG: It’s complicated. It’ll have a place in my heart forever because it was my graduation film from the NFTS, but, you know, as we get older, we keep making stuff, you kind of find out who you are as an artist. And I’m not sure I’d make a film like Requiem now. It’s really hard as a queer person and a filmmaker because the roles of drama are almost like, always tragedy. But as a queer person, we’ve just had so many of those narratives. I mean, it was great to work with Bella (Ramsey) and Safia (Oakley-Green), and actually the making of it as a whole was really good. ZB: Speaking of NFTS, I just wanted to ask you what was your experience working with fellow students on such a film? EG: It was my dream to go to the school, I had wanted to go since I was a kid, and it’s absolutely incredible. They give you the budgets to do all your projects, and they’re decent budgets as well. And everyone knew that the school was really serious about it and they gave us access to things that I just wouldn’t have had access to normally. ZB: You mentioned to me earlier that at one point you were thinking of making this as a feature film. Is there a reason why that hasn’t come to fruition? EG: Yeah. So we were thinking about it and, at the time, the main two (Bella and Safia) were pretty on board to do it. I was saying before, I’m not sure this is the type of narrative that I want to, you know, continue to make. So I said to Laura and Michelle, who are the writer and producer, I said, I think I need to put a break on this until I can figure out a way to do this story, which feels authentic to who I am now, because I was a very different person three years ago. I didn’t even know I was trans three years ago, and the more I’ve discovered who I am, the more I figured the types of stories I want to do are different to that. 20

Requiem

ZB: The short that you made previously to this, Crashing Waves, also uses gay relationships, is that something that was at the forefront of your mind when you were developing the films? EG: I think retrospectively, when I look at my work I can see it’s very, like, about the gender binary and gender roles and feeling unsafe in the environments that you grew up in, which is just the result of me growing up in Liverpool and facing a lot of violence for being myself. It wasn’t intentionally done that way. Whereas now, like with the feature I’m developing, it’s more about nonbinary identity and freedom and, like, owning who you are. Because the second I came out as transgender, I didn’t want to be afraid. I didn’t want to lie about who I was. I just wanted to be free. And that’s what I want to make films about. I’m ready to evolve and do the type of films I actually needed to see to understand who I was. ZB: So does that mean you’d like to portray stories that are more positive in the representation of queer people? EG: Not necessarily. You know Heartstopper (the Netflix show)? I understand why the show is so culturally important, and it was definitely needed. Objectively, I think it’s a good show. I don’t think it’s me. I think the type of stories I want to tell are all about rebels or people like queer anarchists who just basically think, fuck the system. I don’t want to have to 21

make myself smaller to fit into a world that does not fit for me. I want to see more people on screen just fucking it up. ZB: Are there any filmmakers that are currently doing this, or that you’re inspired by?

I don’t want to have to make myself smaller to fit into a world that does not fit for me.

EG: There are some artists that I don’t know if you will have heard of because they’re not actually film directors, but they inspire me. My mate Joshua Hubbard, he choreographed my previous film, he’s one of the first people that I came out to and he completely, like, supported my journey. He’s very authentic. He is radically authentic, actually. And then my other friend Felix Mufti, who’s a trans guy, he’s so sure of himself, and does not give a fuck. He’s going to be in season 4 of Sex Education (as Roman). ZB: Well, you’ve demonstrated that you can do television, music videos, short films, and you’ve worked on some feature films as well. What has been experience doing all these different types of filmmaking? EG: So I did some second uniting for Phil Barantini on Malpractice (on ITV). Phil Barantini did Boiling Point. Second Unit is like a jigsaw piece. I go in and I do some of the scenes and then they get put in the episodes, but I’ve got to match Phil’s visual style, if you know what I mean? So it’s a unique challenge, but it’s very rewarding as well. But when you’re in TV, you’re working to fulfill a bigger picture and one person can’t oversee all of that.

So the producers are kind of doing that and you’re working with them, and then, what’ll happen is the lead director will do the first and second episodes and they determine the style for the overall show. Then you come in for your block, if you’re doing an episode or whatever, and you’ve got to match that style. And I’ve done stuff in Hollywood, but then also community based films, and that’s not actually that different from doing a short film. It’s just longer. ZB: And so with your experience of working in Hollywood and these smaller films, would you say that you’re more inclined to want to work on these smaller projects, or do you have your sights set on something larger? EG: Danny Boyle said that the best budget was 2 to 5 million because that’s when you got the most creative control. When something gets bigger than that, you get less. So I would like a budget like Danny Boyle! ZB: Before we wrap this up, I just want to ask about what you’re doing next as a filmmaker. What have you got brewing? EG: I did just interview for a TV show that I really hope I get. And I’m working on my feature film.

Requiem

Norwich Film Festival 2023 is set to take off with Saxon Air on board as a proud supporter. Elevating and connecting communities through aviation. Stay connected and follow us on: Headquartered in Norwich, Saxon Air offer a range of complimentary aviation services and exceptional experiences. Services include: Offices and conferencing

Airport terminal services

Training academy

Helicopter and jet charter

INDUSTRY SESSIONS We’re really excited to be able to bring you a fantastic selection of informative and educational events across our two week programme. We’ve got panel discussions with industry professionals who are keen to offer their advice to up-and-coming filmmakers, as well as Q&As with actors, directors, and more, who are able to offer unique insights about their careers in film. We’ll be hosting an Industry Day this year at UEA on November 10th, where our panellists will discuss writing, directing, comedy, and film production. Our Industry Day is made possible thanks to the support of Saxon Air and The Geoffrey Watling Charity. Outside of our Industry Day, we will also be joined by Abigail Webber for a screenwriting and pitching workshop, as well as the fantastic folk from Festival Formula who can advise filmmakers about navigating the tricky world of film festivals. Events and panellists subject to change pending work commitments. 25

Getting Films Made

Panel Discussion with experienced filmmakers Industry Day, 10 Nov, UEA, 11:00 - 12:15 £5 / £4 Join us for an inspiring and informative panel tailored specifically for individuals aged 16 to 25 who are passionate about the world of cinema. This dynamic event brings together seasoned filmmakers and industry insiders to share their valuable insights and advice on kickstarting a successful career in the filmmaking industry. Whether you’re an aspiring director, writer, actor, cinematographer, or simply a film enthusiast, this is a must-attend event that will provide you with the knowledge and inspiration to take your first steps in the world of filmmaking. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn from the best and take your cinematic dreams to new heights. Join us and let your filmmaking journey begin!

Panel includes (clockwise from left): Richard Prendegast, director at Submotion Productions. Rachel Prendergast, producer at Submotion Productions. Jade Way, producer at Who’s Here Films. Additional guests to be confirmed. This event is in partnership with BFI NETWORK.

In partnership with BFI NETWORK

10TH NOV

Comedy for the Screen

Panel discussion with writers and actors

10TH

NOV

Industry Day, 10 Nov, UEA, 12:30 - 13:30 £5 / £4 What does it take to write, create, and develop a cracking comedy for the screen? We’re joined by a fantastic selection of filmmakers who have made a career out of doing just that! From story and narrative to character development, we’ll hear it all! Panel includes: Lucy Pearman, writer / actor (Please Help and The Train) Gabby Best, writer / actor (Dreamland and Breeders) Helen Serafinowicz, writer (Motherland and Nova Jones)

In partnership with NorfolkScreen

10TH NOV

Eddie Hamilton Q&A

Editor of Top Gun: Maverick and Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Parts 1 and 2 Industry Day, 10 Nov, UEA, 13:45 - 15:00 £5 / £4 Eddie recently completed editing Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One and is now hard at work on Part Two. Before that Eddie cut Top Gun: Maverick, for which he was nominated for the Academy and BAFTA Film Editing awards, and won the ACE Eddie and Hamilton Behind The Camera Award. He also cut Mission: Impossible Fallout and Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation for director Christopher McQuarrie. Other credits include Kingsman: The

Secret Service, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, X-Men: First Class and Kick-Ass for director Matthew Vaughn. His enthusiasm for big screen storytelling is matched only by his total dedication to the craft of film editing, his nerdy technical expertise and his undisputed love of chocolate.

In partnership with NorfolkScreen

Pitching Your Script

11TH NOV

Hosted by Abigail Webber

Cinema City, 11 Nov, 10:30 - 16:30 £45 / £40

This workshop will be interactive, enlightening, and slightly terrifying because NOBODY likes pitching! But ultimately, we hope it’ll be really inspiring and energising.

some fabulous fellow writers, supporting each other as you build your own confidence in selling your project. You’ll gain valuable insight into industry commissioning processes, learn about approaching agents and put together a portfolio of selling materials for your project that will take it to the next level – out of your head and into the world! The workshop is open to anyone with either a draft script or a reasonably well-developed idea, who wants to start getting it out into the industry.

As always, you’ll be working with

Tickets via Cinema City.

You’ve got a completed draft script - so now where do you take it? How do you get it out there to the people who matter? This session will cover the film, television, and streaming industries, how to make sure you’re targeting the right audience and and how to pitch it.

17 TH NOV

Film Festival Strategies

Kate Stocker-Wright & Esther Smith (of Festival Formula) Cinema City, 17 Nov, 16:00 - 17:00 £3 We’ll be joined be Kate and Esther from Festival Formula - the leading film festival strategy consultancy and submission service in Europe. They focus on helping filmmakers navigate the world-wide festival circuit and increasing their probabilities of acceptances. Drawing on extensive experience in the industry, Festival Formula creates bespoke strategies tailored to the budget and assets of each film. This session will be based around finding your place within the circuit, exploring today’s landscape amongst other

like-minded directors, producers, actors and more. By researching film festivals with more focus, Festival Formula are highlighting areas which hold stronger potential for their films and their selection. Their experience of handling a large slate across hundreds of festivals means they have a good gauge of what fits programmer’s tastes. They are also known for their strong content and choice selections which filters into their established relationships with festivals across the circuit. Tickets via NFF. 31

£4.99 TICKETS £4.99 TICKETS £4.99 TICKETS £4.99 TICKETS £4.99 TICKETS £4.99 TICKETS £4.99 TICKETS £4.99 TICKETS ALL DAY MONDAY – THURSDAY

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FEATURE FILMS This year we are thrilled to be able to announce a new venue partner in Cinema City. We’ve held a number of events at this beautiful cinema over the years, but we will be hosting more and more throughout 2023 and the coming years. You might have already seen us in August as we held our LGBTQ+ Shorts screening there, which featured a post screening Q&A with the amazing Em J. Gilbertson. Throughout this festival period, we’ll be screening a selection of fantastic feature films at Cinema City, including our opening film, Shoshana (p18), many of which will also have a Q&A with the filmmaker afterwards. Tickets for all Cinema City screenings are available direct from the cinema and not through our Eventbrite ticketing page.

13TH NOV

Is The Anybody Out There? Plus Q&A with director Ella Glendining Cinema City, 13 Nov, 18:00 £8.20 / £6.20 In this deeply personal and disarmingly honest documentary, filmmaker Ella Glendining searches for individuals with the same rare disability as herself. Born with no hip joints and short femurs, a condition so rare that there is little reliable information about it, Ella decides to go in search of people who can share their experience and feelings about having a body like hers. In doing so, she challenges lazy ableist assumptions, experiences a number of unexpected surprises and encounters people who look like her. With great warmth and an infectious joy for her body and life as it is, Glendining challenges us to question the way we see others, like and unlike ourselves. Is Anybody Out There? is a revelatory film that gently tugs at the viewer’s biases and looks to a day when inclusivity is no longer an ‘issue’. DIRECTOR: Ella Glendining

Duration: 90mins + Q&A | Age rating: 12a

14TH NOV

The Red Shoes Plus panel discussion

Cinema City, 14 Nov, 17:30 £12.40 / £11.40 The Red Shoes is a 1948 British drama film written, directed, and produced by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. As part of the BFI’s “Cinema Unbound: The Creative Worlds of Powell & Pressburger” season, Norwich Film Festival is delighted to present a screening of the duo’s iconic film, followed by a panel discussion exploring the film’s historical concepts, as well as it’s relation to queer cinema. With support of the BFI Film Audience Network, awarding funds from the National Lottery in order to bring this project to more audiences across the UK. DIRECTORS: Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger CAST: Anton Walbrook, Marius Goring, Moria Shearer

Duration: 135mins + Q&A | Age rating: PG

15TH NOV

Raging Grace

Plus Q&A with director Paris Zarcilla Cinema City, 15 Nov, 18:00 £12.40 / £11.40

Joy (Max Eigenmann), an undocumented Filipina cleaner moving from house to house in London with her impetuous daughter Grace in tow, is saving up her meagre cash payments to get a visa and a more stable home for them both. Stuck in a roundabout of precarious employment, deportation fears and casual, constant put-downs by her employers, Joy cannot afford to stand still. A dreamy gig looking after a mansion and its bed-bound owner (David Hayman) turns out to be too-good-to-be-true when Joy starts suspecting the owner is being slowly poisoned... RAGING GRACE is the acclaimed feature-length debut from rising filmmaker Paris Zarcilla, receiving the Grand Jury Award at SXSW 2023. NFF is proud to present an advance screening of the film, followed by an in-person Q&A with the film’s director. DIRECTOR: Paris Zarcilla CAST: Max Eigenmann, David Hayman 36

Duration: 99mins + Q&A | Age rating: TBC

15TH NOV

Fantastic Machine Cinema City, 15 Nov, 20:30 £12.40 / £11.40 The camera is a fantastic machine. Filmmakers Axel Danielson & Maximilien Van Aertryck once again turn their cameras directly on society, this time to explore, explain and expose how our unchecked obsession with image has grown to change our human behavior. From Camera Obscura and the Lumieres Brothers all the way to Youtube and the world of social media, the film chronicles how we went from capturing the image of a backyard to a multi-billion- euro content industry in just 200 years. This is an advanced screening of the film, which will not receive a UK release until March 2024. DIRECTORS: Axel Danielson & Maximilien Van Aertryck

Duration: 88mins | Age rating: TBC

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_ELICIT_ Stacha Hicks, UK, 16min

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A90 Olivia J. Middeton, UK, 17min AND SO IT WAS Niall Morison MacRae, UK, 15min APOSTLES OF CINEMA Darragh Amelia, Gertrude Malizana, Jesse Gerard Mpango, Cece Mlay, Tanzania, 16min

THE BRAVE LOCOMOTIVE Andrew Pierce Chesworth, USA, 7min BROKEN GARGOYLES Freddy Carter, UK, 15min BURY THE DOGS Beth Rowland, UK, 12min

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CATARACT Jonatan Egholm Keis, Denmark, 25min CERES Amelia Sears, UK, 15min

THE ARCHIVE: QUEER NIGERIANS Simisolaoluwa Akande, UK, 25min

CHARGE Hjalti Hjalmarsson, Netherlands, 5min

ARGH! Toryn Westcott, UK, 5min

CHOKED UP Jill Worsley, UK, 13min

-B-

CLAUSE Scott Hurran, UK, 6min

THE BALLERINA Adam Hartwiński, Poland, 17min BETTER Zoe Hunter Gordon, UK, 15min BIRDNESTING Theo Jessel, UK, 24min

CORVINE Sean McCarron, Canada, 11min THE CREATORS Madeleine Homan, UK, 5min

-D-

BLUE HOUR J.D Shields, USA, 16min

DATE WITH DEATH Harry Sherriff, UK, 12min

THE BOND Jahmil Eady, USA, 16min

DEATH OF THE GODS Leto Stojanovic Meade, UK, 11min

BRIDGE Tara Aghdashloo, UK, 16min

DESIRE LINES Duncan Cowles, UK, 8min

DOGFRIEND Maissa Lihedheb, Germany, 18min DÚN LAOGHAIRE William Lancaster, Ireland, 12min

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EAT IT Katie Lambert, UK, 10min EVERYBODY DIES...SOMETIMES Charlotte Hamblin, UK, 9min EVERYTHING AT ONCE Henrik Dyb Zwart, Norway, 8min

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EL FUNERAL Sofía Blanco, USA, 20min

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THE GIRL WITH THE HAUNTED VAGINA Samantha O’Rourke, UK, 12min THE GIRLS’ ROOM Tracey Lopes, UK, 12min THE GOLDEN WEST Tom Berkeley, Ross White, UK, 25min THE GUEST Tingyu Xue, China, 7min

FIGHTING TALK David Dearlove, UK, 2min

GOOD BOY Tom Stuart, UK, 16min

FILHO Tomas Ponsteen, Netherlands, 23min

GRILL Jade Aksnes, Norway, 18min

THE FINAL NAIL IN THE COFFIN Conor Kehelly, Ireland, 10min FINDING ALAA Myriam Francois, UK, 25min FISH EYE Frøydis Fossli Moe, Norway, 13min FISHLIKE Adrien Blanchard, Théophile Farant, Matéo Grossi, Pablo Jegado, France, 1min FOR MY SON Mathilde Jouaud, UK, 14min THE FOUL James Button, UK, 4min

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HEART FRUIT Kim Allamand, Switzerland, 20min HER SCENTS OF PU ER Anna-Claria Ostasenko Bogdanoff, France, 17min HOMEGROWN Corinne Walker, UK, 15min HOMEMAKER Ciara Kerr, UK, 9min HOROLOGIST Jared Lee, Malaysia, 6min HUGGING Adam Wells, Sweden, 1min

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I’M ON FIRE Michael Spiccia, USA, 24min

THE LAST SKIERS Veronica Ciceri, UK, 11min

ICELANDIC POPPIES Anne-Sofie Lindgaard, Denmark, 24min

THE LEGEND OF GOLDHORN Lea Vucko, Slovenia, 14min

IN LOVE AND SORROW Pieter Genee, UK, 2min

LINDA Joe Lycett, UK, 8min

THE INNKEEPER Paudie Baggott, Ireland, 14min

LOBO Charlie Reader, Spain, 16min

IN THE SHADOW OF PALMS Mischa Meyer, USA, 12min

THE LOST COURIER Ma ZiDong, China, 3min

INAPPROPRIATE Jonathan Blagrove, UK, 18min

LUNA Radford Nicholls, UK, 11min

INDEFINITELY Clare-Louise English, UK, 17min IRON, BUTTERFLY Ke Liu, China, 14min IT’S DOG TO MAKE A HOUSEPLANT IF YOU’RE SANDWICH Olivia Waring, UK, 13min ITCHING Catherine Marriott-Brown, UK, 8min

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MATTERHORN Anne Madeleine Mancosu, UK, 17min MEASURE Helen Simmons, Julia Cranney, UK, 13min MOTHER Salomon Ligthelm, Ukraine, 20min MUNA Warda Mohamed, UK, 19min

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JELLYFISH AND LOBSTER Yasmin Afifi, UK, 20min

NIGHT Ahmad Saleh, Palestine, 16min

JELLYHEAD GOES ON A WALK Scott Coello, UK, 1min

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JUST A WEEKEND Aella Jordan-Edge, UK, 14min

ODD ONE OUT Micky Wozny, UK, 4min

THE OLD YOUNG CROW Liam LoPinto, Japan, 12min

RED SOIL Joshua Ighodaro, UK, 9min

THE ONE NOTE MAN George C. Siougas, UK, 21min

THE RED SUITCASE Cyrus Neshvad, Luxembourg, 15min

ORIGINAL SKIN Mdhamiri á Nkemi, UK, 12min

REPAIR Bertil Nilsson, UK, 11min

OUT OF THE FOG Tigrane Minassian, France, 19min OUT OF THE GREY Marta Baidek, UK, 16min

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SAFE Debbie Howard, UK, 10min SALMON Mattis Heurlin, Denmark, 23min

PABLO, HONEY! Jamie Yuan, UK, 11min

SAMOVAR Lia Williams, UK, 15min

PACEMAKER Brian Vincent Rhodes, Christopher Lennertz, UK, 9min

THE SCOTTISH PLAY James Soldan, UK, 13min

PATRICIA IN THE DARK Laura Hartley, UK, 12min PICTURESQUE Will Hextall, UK, 16min PILLOW CHOCOLATE Charlie Tidmas, UK, 9min PLEASE HOLD THE LINE Tan Ce Ding, Malaysia, 19min PUFFLING Jessica Bishopp, UK, 20min

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RECORD. PLAY. STOP. Neeraj Bhattacharjee, India, 7min

THE SECRET DIARY OF A HIGH-RISE Stephen James Ong, UK, 3min SEE IT SAY IT Nez Khammal, UK, 18min SEEING READ Beth Perkin, Natasha Perkin, UK, 7min SHEEPHEAD Spencer Creigh, USA, 9min SKEWERED Nick Ray Rutter, UK, 17min THE SNIP Ben S. Hyland, UK, 10min SPICY PINK TEA Aqsa Arif, UK, 12min

SPOOR Sunita Soliar, Statten Roeg, UK, 15min STATIC FOCUS Jai Lawson, UK, 3min STOP DEAD Emily Greenwood, UK, 8min

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TAKE CARE Katharine Stocker, UK, 15min TAKING THE BUS TO MOUNT OLYMPUS Melody Wayfare, UK, 12min TASTE Lucy Rose, UK, 13min THAT WORKMAN’S ARM Simon London, New Zealand, 13min

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WAVING Rolfin Nyhus, Steven Brumwell, UK, 16min WE ARE NATURE Jaha Browne, Olivia Martin Mc Guire, UK, 9min WHERE THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES Rosie Baldwin, UK, 17min THE WHOLE WORLD BLIND (OR: THE BALLAD OF THE CUCK AND THE EUNUCH) Finbar Somers, Seán Mackey, UK, 25min WINNER FIGHTS THE MOON Lucas Jones, UK, 18min THE WYRM OF BWLCH PEN BARRAS Julien Allen, UK, 17min

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THINGS UNHEARD OF Ramazan Kili, Turkey, 16min

YELLOW Elham Ehsas, UK, 13min

THOUGHTS OF A YOUNG PERSON AT THE SIGHT OF A DISSOLVING WORLD Jonathan Berlin, Germany, 16min

YOUNG HOT BLOODS Jade Ang-Jackman, UK, 10min

THREE SISTERS Iman Behrouzi, Iran, 12min

Scan to view our trailer

TO THE BRINK Hugo Docking, UK, 4min TOMATO KITCHEN Junyi Xiao, China, 9min

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VISIBLE MENDING Samantha Moore, UK, 9min 43

Short Film Strands We’ve curated nineteen wonderful short film strands for you this year which are available to watch in-person or online. There are over 120 brilliant short films of different genres, styles, lengths, and languages, so there will always be something for everyone.

• COMEDY SHORTS • FAMILY FRIENDLY SHOR TS • SOMETHING COMPLETE LY DIFFERENT • THE RECOLLECTION COLLECTION • MIX TAPE VOL. 1 Our film strands will be available • WOMEN IN FILM to watch online the day after • LIFE FINDS A WAY they are screened in-person • MIX TAPE VOL. 2 during the festival, and they will stay online until the end of the • LGBTQ+ SHORTS month, meaning you can catch • SHORTS FOR THE PL AN ET up on these shorts in a time • INTERNATIONAL MIX and place that suits you! • REAL STORIES • BRITISH MIX All our shorts strands are age • LATE NIGHT SHORTS rated 18 and over unless specifically stated otherwise. • YOUNG AUDIENCES • EMERGING TALENT • ANIMATED SHORTS • EAST ANGLIAN SHORTS • OSKA BRIGHT ANIMAT IONS 45

Comedy Shorts 10 Nov, 19:30-21:15, The Forum, £5 / £4 Join us for an evening of hilarious comedy shorts! Featuring famous faces in front of the camera (Maxine Peake) and behind the camera (Joe Lycett), this evening of laughter is not to be missed.

Pablo, Honey! (11m)

Argh! (5m)

Emma starts dating the poltergeist who haunts her flat. She struggles to resolve her impending eviction with the ghost’s increasing possessiveness.

A novel new wellness craze promises to help people vent their worldly frustrations. It’s certainly worked for Alderbrook... For now, anyway.

Date With Death (12m)

Grill (18m)

Depressed and recently widowed, Liv agrees to a blind date, but when she turns up she’s greeted by Death himself. Surely, she won’t go home with him?

Inspired by true events: Tara is denied electricity bill support by Social Services, who tells her to simply get a free grill instead.

The Snip (10m)

Choked Up (13m)

Tony and Lindsay are looking for a permanent solution to their family’s fertility, but for Tony, the simple procedure threatens his masculinity.

A tickly cough derails the career-defining live TV interview of MP Fiona Lacey (Maxine Peake) - Minister for the Environment.

Linda (8m)

Jellyfish and Lobster (20m)

Linda gets a job in a post office, but her tall tales soon raise suspicions.

Two elderly, terminally ill patients discover a magical pool that brings youth, forcing them to reconcile with the inescapable truth of mortality.

Scan the QR Code for ticket information!

Duration: 97mins | Age rating: 18+

Family Friendly Shorts 11 Nov, 10:45-12:15, The Forum, £5 / £4 Treat the whole family to a selection of vibrant and inspiring short films suitable for all ages. From heartwarming tales of belonging, to madcap adventures, and everything in-between.

The Brave Locomotive (7m)

Corvine (11m)

An Old West musical tale with 1940s flair about a mighty little train facing harrowing disaster.

An eccentric boy has trouble fitting in at school due to his obsession with crows.

The One Note Man (20m)

Pacemaker (9m)

A bassoonist, whose only job was to play a single note, hears a breathtaking solo played by a beautiful violinist, changing his life forever.

An animated musical about a widower awaiting a pacemaker to save his life and who gets a second chance at true love by accepting his grandson’s identity.

Death of the Gods (12m)

The Guest (7m)

The story of a hug. A boy’s journey across a surreal world to find his fallen giant.

Two waiters in a Shanghai restaurant try to please a rich guest only to find out that he is not who he seems.

The Innkeeper (14m) A child battles her perfectionist teacher who insists that she “stick to the script” and refuses Mary and Joseph a room in their nativity play.

Scan the QR Code for ticket information!

Duration: 81mins | Age rating: PG

Something Completely Different 11 Nov, 12:45-14:30, The Forum, £5 / £4 With absurd tales of revenge, plagued village hall productions, and a look at how cinema is kept alive for working-class Tanzanian audiences - this is the perfect choice for those after something a little bit different.

See It Say It (18m)

The Scottish Play (13m)

A struggling actor receives a last-minute call for a life-changing audition. But what starts as a routine journey quickly morphs into a nightmare.

A theatre group staged a production so disastrous it made international headlines. 40 years on, a filmmaker tries to figure out what really happened.

Hugging (1m)

The Whole World Blind... (25m)

When you hug people goodbye after a social event, there is always that moment when they squeeze you more forcefully than before.

After his wife’s affair, a humiliated businessman flees to the countryside, encounters a reclusive war veteran, and strikes a pact to take revenge.

The Final Nail in the Coffin (10m) A mother and son are stuck. A father is obsessing over a plank of wood in his living room. A businessman is looking for a lost hammer.

It’s Dog To Make A Houseplant If You’re Sandwich (13m) In an anonymous suburbia of the near future, a man becomes increasingly perplexed as people around him vanish.

Apostles of Cinema (16m) Three devoted film workers in Tanzania reintroduce a classic piece of the country’s film history to their audience of working class cinephiles.

Scan the QR Code for ticket information!

Duration: 96mins | Age rating: 18+

The Recollection Collection 11 Nov, 15:00-16:45, The Forum, £5 / £4 New for 2023, this curated strand focuses on films exploring themes of memory & identity, and the connections that tie us to people, places, times and more.

_Elicit_ (16m)

The Ballerina (17m)

A crossword maker. A librarian. 40 years of marriage, memories and tangled lives. But isolation changes people: will they remember who they once were?

A policewoman, dedicated to her work, gives unpleasant information to a woman who immediately forgets about it.

El Funeral (20m)

Three Sisters (12m)

Venezuelan-American siblings in NYC cannot attend their grandfather’s funeral due to their home country’s collapse, so they decide to attend online.

A filmmaker returns to places where he had made a film about suicide. Now, he searches for the reasons three sisters ended their lives together.

Lobo (16m) Life goes on and change is inevitable - a fact that Aline must accept upon returning to Brazil, following deportation from the UK.

Spicy Pink Tea (12m) In reverence to the British paintings that watch over her from inside a stately home, a young girl aspires to become the perfect upper-class lady.

Scan the QR Code for ticket information!

Duration: 93mins | Age rating: 18+

The Mix Tape vol 1 11 Nov, 17:15-19:00, The Forum, £5 / £4 Looking for the perfect introduction to the Official Selection of short films at Norwich Film Festival 2023? Join us for a curated selection of seven inspiring short films spanning a variety of genres and themes.

I’m On Fire (24m)

Sheephead (9m)

Danny’s twelve, drifting into adolescence and just getting interested in girls. He spends his days making mixtapes that he trades with his cousin.

Frankie discovers that a long-time acquaintance has possibly died and fixates on an unfinished transaction with the man.

Mother (19m)

Winner Fights the Moon (18m)

Amidst the MH17 disaster, a miner on the Ukraine/Russian border discovers a ringing phone - and tragically so much more - in his backyard.

Having never met his daughter Riley outside of a prison visitation room, Arris is desperate to make up for lost time and reconnect.

Jellyhead Goes On A Walk (1m)

Yellow (12m)

A poem about a person with jelly for a head.

In Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, a woman walks into a chadari store in Kabul to buy her first full-body veil and face an uncertain future.

Eat It (10m) Break ups are hard to swallow. A gut busting comedy with heartbreak and cherry pie at its core.

Scan the QR Code for ticket information!

Duration: 93mins | Age rating: 18+

Women in Film 11 Nov, 19:45-21:45, The Forum, £5 / £4 Representing a diverse range of genres, styles & themes, join us for a selection of five short films directed by women, followed by a panel and Q&A with selected filmmakers. HELEN SIMMONS Co Director - Measure

Helen is a BIFA longlisted producer, writer, and Screen Star of Tomorrow. She began writing in 2018 with her debut short film F*CK, starring Brett Goldstein and Esther Smith. Measure is her directorial debut.

ZOE HUNTER-GORDON Director - Better

Zoe is an award winning writer and director working across fiction, documentary film, and theatre. Her work has been broadcast on the BBC, funded by the BFI, programmed at the Barbican and performed at theatres such as the Arcola.

FRØYDIS FOSSLI MOE Director - Fish Eye

Frøydis Fossli Moe is an award-winning filmmaker with a master’s degree in film directing from Screen Academy Scotland. She has directed several acclaimed short films, music videos, and documentaries,

OLIVIA J. MIDDLETON Director - A90

Olivia is a Scottish director with a portfolio of work that encompasses narrative fiction, commercials and music videos. She was also selected to take part in the BFI Network and Screen Scotland supported Sharp Shorts 2020 scheme.

TRACEY LOPES Director - The Girls’ Room

Tracey is a writer and director based in London. Her first short documentary film Motherland won the Best New Talent: Documentary award at the BFI Future Film Festival 2020. Tracey was selected as a Film London Lodestar Writer for 2023 56

Measure (13m)

Better (16m)

The horror of Jen’s teenage past catches up with her when she takes her autistic son to a birthday party in her home town.

A young woman is surprised to see her chronically ill sister has a new life.

Fish Eye (13m)

A90 (17m)

A group of young filmmakers use a fish named Oddvar in their production, but they begin to question the morality of filming a helpless animal.

Annette lives a discontented life working in a road-side cafe. When Morgan enters, the pair are inevitably drawn into an intense romantic attraction.

The Girls’ Room (12m) Set in the bedroom shared by three sisters in their teens, we follow them over the course of a transformative summer.

This event has been sponsored by

OCTOBER STUDIOS studiosproduction.co.uk

Duration: 71mins + Q&A | Age rating: 18+

Life Finds A Way 12 Nov, 12:00-13:45, The Forum, £5 / £4 These are stories of perseverance and human resilliance against the odds. From a seaside town battling climate change, to a young girl’s mission to ressurect her grandmother’s one window to the outside world - life always finds a way.

Desire Lines (8m) A filmmaker observes people walking on desire lines and notices peoples’ tendency to cut corners. What does this mean for the future of our planet?

Where the Sun Always Shines (17m) Climate threat causes a local filmmaker to turn the lens towards their hometown at risk of being underwater for a bittersweet depiction of life.

Things Unheard Of (16m)

Bridge (16m)

A little Kurdish girl tries to put a smile back on her grandmother’s face after the disappearance of her television, her only window into the world.

Receptionist Bridget grapples with heartbreak, motherhood and a crumbling healthcare system. Her life changes when she picks up the phone to Kirsty.

Birdnesting (24m) Iris lives in a ‘birdnest’: her divorced parents alternate living in the family home. Cracks in this altruistic arrangement are starting to emerge.

Samovar (15m) After Raoul Wallenberg disappeared into the Soviet prison system, Samovar is a poetic imagining of his survival and defiance of a brutal world.

Scan the QR Code for ticket information!

Duration: 96mins | Age rating: 18+

The Mix Tape vol 2 12 Nov, 14:30-16:15, The Forum, £5 / £4 From the story of a young mudlark with an itch she just can’t scratch, to a burdened blacksmith whose outlook is altered by a visit from an artist, be transported by an exciting range of short films spanning a vast range of genres, themes & languages.

Homegrown (15m)

Iron, Butterfly (14m)

On the hottest day of the year, Barbadian fruit pickers Nicole and Vincent endure exploitative conditions on a UK fruit farm. Inspired by true events.

To catch up with work, a burdened rural blacksmith decides not to visit his wife, who works in the city. A visit from an artist alters his outlook.

Dún Laoghaire (12m)

The Bond (16m)

A dance of death between a mother and daughter ignites when the daughter tries to install a new stove in her mother’s house in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland.

Pregnant and incarcerated, Aria fights for her most precious connection against a system designed to isolate her.

Luna (11m)

That Workman’s Arm (13m)

Scared of losing her job, a prickly young care worker must get help from a cowardly school boy to move a corpse.

A debt collector is sent to stand over a woman with inherited debt but is thrown off balance by her and the two of them discover a connection.

Safe (10m)

Itching (8m)

When an office cleaner finishes work in the evening, all she wants is to get the bus home. Instead, she’s harassed by a man at the bus stop.

Shot on 16mm film, Itching tells the story of a lonely young mudlark with an itch she just can’t scratch.

Scan the QR Code for ticket information!

Duration: 99mins | Age rating: 18+

LGBTQ+ Shorts 12 Nov, 17:00-19:00, The Forum, £5 / £4 Come along and watch this amazing collection of LGBTQ+ short films from our Official Selection, exploring identity, relationships and more, followed by a Q&A with selected filmmakers. *Filmmakers subject to change.

CHARLIE TIDMAS Director - Pillow Chocolate

AELLA JORDAN-EDGE Director - Just A Weekend

Charlie is a screenwriter and filmmaker who has received short film commissions from BFI NETWORK and Channel 4’s Random Acts. He has a feature project in early development with the BFI.

Aella Jordan-Edge is a narrative director currently studying Directing Fiction at the National Film and Television School. She grew up in both London and New York and makes films about human relationships.

Just A Weekend (14m)

DogFriend (18m)

A question of power and relationships when a mother comes to stay for the weekend, pitching a couple against each other with consequences.

A date takes an unexpected turn in this meditation on race, politics and history in Germany.

The Archive: Queer Nigerians (25m)

Original Skin (12m)

Queer Nigerians in the UK gather to tell their stories, documenting their experiences so that they can never be erased again.

In an alternate world where having sex means swapping bodies with the other person, a young woman struggles to be herself.

Pillow Chocolate (9m) For trans man Jamie, a one-night stand is more than just sex, it’s a question of selfworth.

Duration: 78mins + Q&A | Age rating: 18+

Shorts for the Planet 18 Nov, 10:45-12:30, The Forum, £5 / £4 Join us for an eye-opening screening of short films that delve into the environment, climate change, and the awe-inspiring wonders of the natural world.

The Last Skiers (11m)

In Love and Sorrow (22m)

A precious statement on the fragility of nature, told by a generation of Italian skiers who have seen the effects of climate change on their hills.

Is it possible to see the future in what surrounds us now? Two dutch couples, sixty years apart in age, discuss the past, present and future.

Puffling (20m)

Out of the Grey (16m)

On a remote Icelandic island, teenagers trade late night parties for puffin rescues in this coming-of-age story for young adults and puffins alike.

A pregnant environmental refugee is forced to leave her haven in the hope to find medical support and safety for her unborn baby.

Thoughts of a Young Person at the Sight of a Dissolving World (16m) A young actor travels to the Arctic to film an environmental thriller but sees the climate crisis and asks himself what world we will leave behind.

We Are Nature (9m) Interviews taken from BPoC women outdoor activists who are changing the story, acknowledging trauma and inspiring a new lens on the British outdoors.

Scan the QR Code for ticket information!

This event has been sponsored by

HOLIDAY COTTAGES holidaycottages.co.uk

Duration: 94mins | Age rating: 18+

International Mix 18 Nov, 13:15-15:00, The Forum, £5 / £4 Embark on a cinematic journey around the world with our international short film screening, showcasing diverse languages, cultures, and genres. Experience the richness of international storytelling in this curated strand, kindly sponsored by Skyline IFE.

Everything At Once (8m)

For My Son (14m)

You’ve heard it before; that a moment can change your life. As if it’s possible to point to a single instance when things changed.

In our world where buying and owning is synonymous with happiness, a mother struggles to buy a video game console for her son’s Christmas present.

The Red Suitcase (15m)

Out of the Fog (19m)

A veiled 16-year-old Iranian teenager arrives at the airport by herself - a life changing decision awaits.

On Christmas Eve, Annie receives a phone call from her long lost daughter. She has only a few minutes to find out where she is and save her...

Please Hold the Line (19m) A young scam call operator is thrust into a moral dilemma as she navigates a life-changing situation.

Salmon (23m) A budding young chef driven by audacious dreams is bestowed with a rare chance at a prestigious restaurant.

Innovation Flair Excellence

This event has been sponsored by SKYLIFE IFE inflightentertainment.media @skylineife_movies

Duration: 98mins | Age rating: 18+

Real Stories 18 Nov, 15:45-17:30, The Forum, £5 / £4 Step into the world of real stories and remarkable journeys with our documentary short film screening. Explore the depth of human experience and diverse perspectives in these captivating narratives. This strand has been kindly sponsored by Work In Norwich.

Finding Alaa (25m)

Patricia in the Dark (12m)

The father of an ISIS terrorist responsible for the 2015 Paris Attacks looks for his granddaughter, Alaa (5y) believed to be in a Syrian refugee camp.

Born before the word “transgender” existed, Patricia spent most of her life longing for love and acceptance but too afraid to reveal her true self.

Her Scents of Pu Er (17m)

Red Soil (8m)

The first woman tea master in China’s history takes us on a sensorial journey steeped in history as she unveils the secrets of Pu Er tea.

We follow the family of Mama, a Nigerian elder, as they prepare for her funeral, offering an insight into the Edo State’s perspective on death.

And So It Was (15m)

In The Shadow of Palms (12m)

After the loss of her sister, Norah MacRae - the longest serving post office worker in Scottish history - reflects on her remaining years.

An intimate portrait of three lives on the outskirts of LA. A father, mother and son tell their stories of struggle and hope in the concrete jungle.

Visible Mending (9m) A short animated documentary about love, death, and knitting.

This event has been sponsored by WORK IN NORWICH. workinnorwich.co.uk @workinnorwich

Duration: 98mins | Age rating: 18+

British Mix 18 Nov, 18:15-20:00, The Forum, £5 / £4 Experience the best of British storytelling in our diverse short film showcase. From comedy to drama, explore a tapestry of genres, tones, and themes that reflect the richness of British filmmaking talent. This strand is proudly sponsored by Norfolk Will Writing.

Everybody Dies...Sometimes (9m)

Bury the Dogs (12m)

A dark comedy about death anxiety that follows Mara as she grapples with the belief that she has killed everybody she’s gotten close to.

A coming of age drama about the vulnerability of masculinity, the cracks that form in childhood friendships, and the frailty of father figures.

Broken Gargoyles (15m)

Good Boy (16m)

The First World War is over. Britain is victorious, but for the casualties of war the fight for a normal life is far from over.

Out of money and out of luck, Danny (Ben Whishaw) attempts to rob a bank with the help of his anarchic mum, Jackie (Marion Bailey).

Indefinitely (17m) What happens when the Disability Allowance you were awarded indefinitely is stopped? A scathing look at the benefit system for the disabled in the UK.

The Golden West (25m) Two Irish sisters seek their fortunes in the gold rush. With nothing to show for their efforts, their age-old feud soon threatens to become deadly.

This event has been sponsored by NORFOLK WILL WRITING. norfolkwillwriting.co.uk @norfolkwillwriting

Duration: 94mins | Age rating: 18+

Late Night Shorts 18 Nov, 20:45-22:30, The Forum, £5 / £4 An audience favourite returns! Late Night Shorts is back with a new selection of horror and dark comedy short films that’ll send shivers down your spine and leave you laughing in the dark.

The Girl with the Haunted Vagina (12m) Sexually repressed Meghan desperately tries to reach climax but is thwarted at every turn by the ghost that haunts her vagina (no, really).

Cataract (24m) A woman robs a gas station with her nearly-blind younger brother in order to pay for his cataract surgery.

The Foul (4m)

Taste (13m)

Someone has to do something about all that dog sh*t. A corporate public information film about the importance of cleaning up after your dog.

Jane marries and moves into her new home but later discovers her husband is keeping more than a few skeletons in his closet.

To The Brink (4m) A stop motion cabaret for the cynical and depraved. Guilt, alcoholic apathy and the inevitable apocalypse threaten to push a young man to the brink.

The Wyrm of Bwlch Pen Barras (17m) Early one winter morning in the rural town of Rhuthun in North Wales, three men are called upon once again to carry out a terrible assignment.

Stop Dead (8m)

Spoor (15m)

City detectives try to stop a dishevelled girl staggering down the middle of a country road. But if you stop moving, you die.

Stuck caring for her vitriolic, dementiaridden mother, Ash has a lump that grows until it erupts, spewing a mysterious substance.

Scan the QR Code for ticket information!

Duration: 97mins | Age rating: 18+

Shorts for Teen Audiences 19 Nov, 10:30-12:15, The Forum, £5 / £4 Join us for a strand of films specially curated to be suitable for teenage audiences looking to dive into the world of short film and experience what the festival has to offer. Former teenagers are also welcome!

Repair (11m)

Young Hot Bloods (10m)

Ramin, who is on the spectrum, repairs electronics in his shop, but an embarrassing encounter with Marc at a store forces him to confront himself.

An unassuming seamstress is confronted by an undercover policeman seeking to track down members of the Suffragette movement.

Icelandic Poppies (24m)

Fighting Talk (2m)

Agnes’ therapist recommends she grows Icelandic Poppies to calm her anxiety. In the process she unexpectedly befriends the young gardener, Asmund.

On an East London street, two men engage in a literal war of words.

The Old Young Crow (12m)

Charge (4m)

An Iranian boy befriends an old Japanese woman at a graveyard in Tokyo.

In an energy-scarce dystopia, an old destitute man breaks into a battery factory but soon finds himself confronted by a deadly security droid.

Muna (19m)

Picturesque(16m)

A British-Somali teen is desperate to escape the monotony of her household, but when tragedy strikes she must navigate a confusing mourning period.

A young blind woman and her girlfriend navigate the ups and downs of their interable relationship, learning how to embrace love and disability.

Scan the QR Code for ticket information!

Duration: 98mins | Age rating: 18+

Emerging Talent 19 Nov, 12:45-14:15, The Forum, £5 / £4 Discover the future of filmmaking as we showcase short films by student talents. Be captivated by fresh perspectives, creativity, and the innovative storytelling of the next generation. This strand has been sponsored by Norwich University of the Arts.

Filho (23m)

Record.Play.Stop. (7m)

Tomas Ponsteen was adopted from Brazil and doesn’t desire to seek out his biological mother. Is it a moral duty of every adoptee to search for theirs?

We follow a lone probe as it collects music amongst the infinite fields of sounds, in a quest to find its place among the stars.

Blue Hour (16m)

The Creators (5m)

Two journeys intersect when a photographer is hired for a last minute portrait gig. The unfolding session leaves an indelible mark on both women.

In another dimension, the Creators are working on a project, getting closer to a result. But creating something can be hard work, even for them.

Matterhorn (17m)

The Lost Courier (3m)

Two estranged sisters reconnect during their stay in Switzerland where terminally ill Maggie plans to end her life by means of assisted suicide.

A playful animation about packages and the amazing journey they go on to reach us.

Heart Fruit (20m) Late summer heats up the city where people search for their own form of love.

This event has been sponsored by NORWICH UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS norwichuni.ac.uk @norwichuniarts

Duration: 91mins | Age rating: 18+

Animated Shorts 19 Nov, 14:45-16:00, The Forum, £5 / £4 Unleash your imagination with a mesmerizing collection of animated short films. Journey through worlds of whimsy, emotion, and creativity in this captivating showcase of animation’s boundless possibilities. This strand is kindly sponsored by Meantime Media.

Static Focus (4m)

The Legend of Goldhorn (14m)

We follow Stevie, without a remote to help, as they struggle to get through their day at work.

Possessed by greed, a heartbroken hunter goes against the mythical power of nature.

Homemaker (9m)

Taking the Bus to Mount Olympus (12m)

Renee loses herself in a controlling relationship and the abuse she suffers gets worse until she is utterly trapped.

A celebrated actress is chosen to be filmed and visit a society where people don’t talk nor eat and are reduced to almost no individualities.

Horologist (6m)

Odd One Out (3m)

Obsessed with time, Sand found a way to sell time itself. While his rich customers stay young, they never question the source of their youth.

A cycle of prejudice is broken when one ostracised outsider breaks the pattern with rebellious celebration.

Fishlike (1m)

Night (16m)

Don’t you feel like your whole life has already been written? Follow the life of a mackerel from the ocean to its packaging in a supermarket.

Night brings peace and sleep to all the people in the broken town. Only the eyes of the mother of the missing child stay resilient.

Tomato Kitchen (9m) The dark truth of the Tomato Kitchen along with Lee’s hidden past gets revealed by an accident that interrupts his dinner with his colleagues.

This event has been sponsored by

MEANTIME MEDIA meantime-media.co.uk @meantimemedia

Duration: 74mins | Age rating: 18+

The East Anglian Collection 19 Nov, 16:30-18:15, The Forum, £5 / £4 Explore the diverse stories and talents of East Anglia in our local short film showcase. Celebrate the culture, landscapes, and creativity of our region. This strand is sponsored by the University of East Anglia.

Waving (16m)

Clause (6m)

An unflinchingly honest portrayal of the devastating reality behind OCD, following a father in self-imposed exile.

Against the backdrop of Section 28, in a school attacked for its equality policies, what happens when the headteacher of the school is a gay man?

Skewered (16m)

Inappropriate (18m)

Opposing sexual appetites & dietary ethics bring a relationship to a surprising crescendo as a heartfelt revelation confronts the elephant in the room.

When a volunteer turns up for his shift to help guide a young offender through the process of his arrest, he gets more than he bargained for.

The Secret Diary of a High-Rise (3m)

Ceres (15m)

The brief memoirs of a high-rise tower block, finding it’s way in the big city.

A daughter seeks refuge from her emotionally abusive partner at the home of her estranged mother.

Seeing Read (7m)

Take Care (15m)

Zoey is plunged into stress when she texts Miles, the guy she likes, to ask him out on a date, and is left “on read”. A comedic take on modern dating.

Two care-workers, who barely interact outside of their weekly handover, must come together to face insurmountable challenges.

This event has been sponsored by

UEA uea.ac.uk @uniofeastanglia

Duration: 96mins | Age rating: 18+

Oska Bright Film Festival Animations Online only | Free An incredible selection of animations from Oska Bright Film Festival. Watch out for a killer mattress, a dog looking for love and a sinkhole looking to end the human race.

Colin 19 - Dir Gemma Rigg

FROM 06

Wawal Dragon - Dir Cameron Carr INK - Dir Conor Powell Lights, Camera, Action - Dir Jem Clancy Being A Dog - Dir Felix Swahn Put A Stick In It - Dir Austin Kimmell Fry - Dir Tyler Cunningham Da Humbug - Dir Johnny Schumann Strange - Dir Cameron Carr With You Were Here - Dir NFTS Down - Dir Guy Harvey Mattricide - Dir Gemma Rigg The Snack - Dir William Hawkes The Child Who Strayed - Dir William Hanekom 82

NOV

Hello fellow Nor-folk

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AWARDS EVENING Norwich University of the Arts, 17 Nov We are inviting our nominated filmmakers, sponsors, and other special guests, to join us on the evening of the 17th November to celebrate the best films of this year’s festival. We’ll be unveiling the winners of each award category and offering a drinks reception before and afterwards. This is a great chance to come and meet our brilliant team, network with other filmmakers, and help us to celebrate all things NFF! Our host for the evening will be the fantastic Molly Naylor. Our networking drinks and after party have been made possible thanks to our partnership with Creative Enterprise.

Molly Naylor

Thank you! We had a record breaking 1700+ submissions this year, which meant that choosing our Official Selection was harder than ever. Harder still, was selecting which films would be nominated for our awards, because there were so many worthy contenders. Congratulations to those filmmakers who have got this far, and good luck to all the nominees!

Each winner will receive a £1000 cash prize alongside a commemorative certificate and a custom trophy.

We’d like to thank this year’s Award Sponsors for allowing us to support and reward the filmmakers in each category:

British Film International Film Animated Film Documentary Film Student Film East Anglian Film

Norfolk Will Writing Skyline IFE Meantime Media Work in Norwich Norwich Univeristy of the Arts University of East Anglia

BEST BRITISH FILM SPONSORED BY

NORFOLK WILL WRITING British short films epitomize cinematic brilliance, weaving diverse narratives with precision and creativity. They encapsulate the essence of British culture and locales, showcasing technical mastery and eliciting powerful performances. Each frame is a testament to the enduring legacy of British cinema, leaving a lasting impact on global audiences. Around 35% of all our submissions fall into this category, making it the hardest to judge for us. Last year’s winners, Tom Berkeley and Ross White, ended the year by winning an Academy Award for their short film, and they will be hoping to make it two in a row with their new film, The Golden West.

Winner of the 2022 award AN IRISH GOODBYE by Tom Berkeley and Ross White 88

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BRITISH NOMINEES

THE GOLDEN WEST (Tom Berkeley, Ross White, UK, 25m)

GOOD BOY (Tom Stuart, UK, 16m)

JELLYFISH AND LOBSTER (Yasmin Afifi, UK, 20m) 90

SEE IT SAY IT (Nez Khammal, UK, 18m)

THE WHOLE WORLD BLIND (OR: THE BALLAD OF THE CUCK AND THE EUNUCH) (Finbar Somers, Seán Mackey, UK, 25m)

YELLOW (Elham Ehsas, UK, 13m) 91

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM SPONSORED BY

SKYLINE IFE In the spirit of embracing diverse narratives and cinematic craftsmanship from around the world, our film festival is proud to be able to offer an International Film category. This selection of films promises a captivating journey through cultures, landscapes, and human experiences. From as far afield as Malaysia, Denmark, and the United States, these films transcend borders, offering audiences a glimpse into the universal threads that bind us all. Last year’s winner, Sideral, was also nominated for the Palme d’Or at Cannes, while also winning at Clermont-Ferrand and several other international festivals.

Winner of the 2022 award SIDERAL by Carlos Segundo 92

Skyline IFE Movies on the move

We source exciting World Cinema for prestigious international airlines. We are delighted to sponsor the Best International Film category at the NFF 2023 awards. We will be at the ceremony so come and say hello if you are too. Contact Us

+44 (0) 1449 711011

sales@skyline-ife.com

inflight.movie

inflightentertainment.media Skyline IFE Limited, Stonham Parva, Suffolk, IP14 5JL, UK

INTERNATIONAL NOMINEES

I’M ON FIRE (Michael Spiccia, USA, 24m)

LOBO (Charlie Reader, Spain, 16m)

CATARACT (Jonatan Egholm Keis, Denmark, 24m) 94

OUT OF THE FOG (Tigrane Minassian, France, 19m)

PLEASE HOLD THE LINE (Tan Ce Ding, Malaysia, 19m)

SALMON (Mattis Heurlin, Denmark, 23m) 95

BEST ANIMATED FILM SPONSORED BY

MEANTIME MEDIA Short animated films are a testament to boundless creativity and storytelling finesse. In these concise yet captivating narratives, animators craft entire universes, immersing audiences in enchanting worlds of imagination. From whimsical characters to breathtaking visuals, each frame is a testament to the technical brilliance of animation. These films transcend language barriers, speaking directly to the heart with their universal themes. Last year’s winning film was nominated for Crystal Bear at Berlinale and picked up two awards at Anima in Brussels.

Winner of the 2022 award LUCE AND THE ROCK by Britt Raes 96

Proud sponsors of the Best Animation Award

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ANIMATED NOMINEES

THE BRAVE LOCOMOTIVE (Andrew Pierce Chesworth, USA, 7m)

THE CREATORS (Madeleine Homan, UK, 5m)

THE FINAL NAIL IN THE COFFIN (Conor Kehelly, Ireland, 10m) 98

THE LEGEND OF GOLDHORN (Lea Vucko, Slovenia, 14m)

TO THE BRINK (Hugo Docking, UK, 4m)

TOMATO KITCHEN (Junyi Xiao, China, 9m) 99

BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM SPONSORED BY

WORK IN NORWICH Short documentary films are windows into compelling real-world stories. In succinct yet impactful narratives, filmmakers shed light on diverse subjects, often with poignant insights. These films are a testament to the power of visual storytelling, offering a vivid glimpse into the complexities of the human experience. Through astute direction and authentic interviews, these documentaries resonate deeply, provoking contemplation and discussion. In this concise format, filmmakers distill the essence of their subjects, leaving an indelible mark on audiences. Jason Osborne directed last year’s winning film and will be on our jury this year to help select the 2023 winner.

Winner of the 2022 award SUPERHEROES WEAR HOODIES by Jason Osborne 100

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DOCUMENTARY NOMINEES

THE ARCHIVE: QUEER NIGERIANS (Simisolaoluwa Akande, UK, 25m)

FINDING ALAA (Myriam Francois, UK, 25m)

IN LOVE AND SORROW (Pieter Genee, UK, 22m) 102

PUFFLING (Jessica Bishopp, UK, 21m)

THREE SISTERS (Iman Behrouzi, Iran, 12m)

WHERE THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES (Rosie Baldwin, UK, 17m) 103

BEST STUDENT FILM SPONSORED BY

NORWICH UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS Student films are the lifeblood of innovation in cinema. They embody raw talent, fresh perspectives, and audacious storytelling. Nominated student films illuminate the future of filmmaking, pushing boundaries and challenging conventions. They remind us that creativity knows no bounds, and that the next cinematic trailblazers are emerging from classrooms and campuses worldwide. Marcus Thomas, director of last year’s winning film, has joined our Grand Jury for 2023 to help pick out this year’s winning film.

Winner of the 2022 award CATEPILLAR by Marcus Anthony Thomas 104

The only specialist creative arts and specialist design University The only creative to earn a triple Gold TEF rating arts and design University to earn a triple Gold TEF rating Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023

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Proud of this year’s Best sponsors Student Film Award Best Student Film Award Book your place on an Open Day

Booknorwichuni.ac.uk/open-days your place on an Open Day norwichuni.ac.uk/open-days

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STUDENT NOMINEES

BLUE HOUR (J.D Shields, USA, 16m)

DEATH OF THE GODS (Leto Stojanovic Meade, UK, 12m)

FILHO (Tomas Ponsteen, Netherlands, 23m) 106

HEART FRUIT (Kim Allamand, Switzerland, 20m)

HOMEMAKER (Ciara Kerr, UK, 9m)

JUST A WEEKEND (Aella Jordan-Edge, UK, 14m) 107

BEST EAST ANGLIAN FILM SPONSORED BY

UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA This award is hugely important to us at NFF. We are here to champion the filmmaking talents of everyone in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Cambridgeshire. East Anglian filmmaking is a beacon of regional storytelling in the UK. It encapsulates the essence of its landscapes, culture, and unique narratives. Nominated films in this category offer a distinctive lens, enriching the cinematic tapestry with authentic voices and untold stories. They remind us of the richness that lies within our own backyards. Last year’s winning film was produced by Guy Lindley, who joins our Grand Jury for 2023.

Winner of the 2022 award BIG EARS by Sam Baron 108

SET YOUR CREATIVE CAREER IN MOTION Have you been inspired by this year’s Film Festival? UEA Faculty of Arts and Humanities excels at creative, engaging and innovative teaching and research. Discover how you could enhance your knowledge and push boundaries in your career by studying one of the many postgraduate programmes we offer, including: · MA Film Studies* · MA Film, Television & Creative Practice* · MA Broadcast & Digital Journalism** · MA Creative Writing – Scriptwriting*

Visit uea.ac.uk to find out more *Full time and Part time study available. **Full time only

Proud sponsors of the Best East Anglian Film Award

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EAST ANGLIAN NOMINEES

ARGH! (Toryn Westcott, UK, 5m)

CERES (Amelia Sears, UK, 15m)

CLAUSE (Scott Hurran, UK, 6m) 110

THE SECRET DIARY OF A HIGH-RISE (Stephen James Ong, UK, 3m)

TAKE CARE (Katharine Stocker, UK, 15m)

WAVING (Rolfin Nyhus, Steven Brumwell, UK, 16m) 111

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WANT TO JOIN THE NFF TEAM? We’re looking for enthusiastic film lovers to join our ONLINE SCREENING COMMITTEE and our EXECUTIVE TEAM for NFF2024! As part of our Online Screening Committee you’ll be a vital member of the team, helping us to narrow down the thousands of film submissions we get each year and joining us in choosing the Official Selection for NFF2024. As a member of the Executive Team you’ll be at the heart of the festival, programming events, liaising with filmmakers, and so much more. If you want to be a part of the team, just email info@norwichfilmfestival.co.uk for more information. 114

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Thank you! We would like to offer a huge thank you to everyone who has helped us pull together our festival this year. It takes an incredible amount of time, energy, and money to ensure that the film festival continues to run each year, so we are indebted to all our supporters, sponsors, and our wonderful team of volunteers, who have been with us throughout 2023 (and longer). FESTIVAL SPONSORS

AWARD SPONSORS

EVENT SPONSORS

CHECK OUT OUR NFF2023 EVENTS

You can purchase tickets using the QR code above.