UKFRF 2020
All the official selections for the UK FIlm Review Festival 2020.
Mark at the Supermarket
Short film Mark at the Supermarket follows the life of a social recluse called…well Mark, he never leaves the safety of his bunker unless it is to bulk buy food from his local Thai supermarket. Mark hates people, Mark talks to no one, Mark likes to organize his canned goods…be like Mark.
While at the supermarket, though, he spies a lady, one who seems externally to be just like Mark; she is awkward and nervous, dressed in a similar fashion, and of course, Mark is fascinated (he wants her toenails for his collection. So, what do we do when we like someone but can’t talk to the common man, Google it of course.
While at the supermarket, though, he spies a lady, one who seems externally to be just like Mark; she is awkward and nervous, dressed in a similar fashion, and of course, Mark is fascinated (he wants her toenails for his collection. So, what do we do when we like someone but can’t talk to the common man, Google it of course.
The Time We Have
At age thirteen Caitlin Dolaghan was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer, and for the next five years she underwent radiation and chemotherapy to control the disease. Yet the cancer spread to her lungs, where continued treatment proved ineffective. Finally, Caitlin decided to put a stop to medical efforts to combat her disease and to focus on living the remainder of her life as fully as possible. In 2005 we were invited by Caitlin's family to film what we thought would be her last month. Caitlin set goals for herself: to attend her high school prom, to graduate, to volunteer at the George Mark House, and to continue writing poetry. Not only did Caitlin accomplish her goals, she lived for another full year. During this time we were privileged to film Caitlin in her home, with her family, as they loved and supported each other, cherishing the gift of each day. The Time We Have celebrates a year in the life of an eighteen-year-old woman facing her own mortality. A writer since childhood, Caitlin turns to her journals where she writes about her life with honesty, bewilderment, anger, courage, and humor.
Yemen: The Silent War
Yemen: The Silent War is a short documentary that tells the stories of Yemeni refugees living in Markazi Refugee Camp, capturing the emptiness of the camp.
Immigrant at Home
Directed by Sufian Abulohom, Immigrant at Home is an earnest documentary about Safa, a first-generation Arab-American exploring her dual identity, while pursuing her dreams of comedy stand-up. Abulohom succeeds at using his own experiences as a first-generation Yemeni living in America to form a connection between the lens and the subject. This documentary isn't a disjointed perspective from the outside looking in, but a genuine insight into Safa's life. The atmosphere of Safa's home life and the presence of Safa's family and friends feels so natural. It's almost like you're there in the room, rather than peering through a screen.
The Programme
All the prison systems around the western world are being pushed to the brink. One by one they are failing. Now in the US, one man says he has solved the ever growing issue that the underfunding, the lack of staff, the drug fuelled violence and the gang culture has made of ever jail, lock-up, penitentiary and correctional institution around the world.
But what price must be paid for his solution? Must we all look the other way as some sin to save the sinners? Does the end justify the means? Or have we simply reached the point where this is what must be done?
A fictional film based on an ever-present element of truth. THE PROGRAMME takes a blunt look at what we have now, where we're going, and a possible future that may be yet to come.
But what price must be paid for his solution? Must we all look the other way as some sin to save the sinners? Does the end justify the means? Or have we simply reached the point where this is what must be done?
A fictional film based on an ever-present element of truth. THE PROGRAMME takes a blunt look at what we have now, where we're going, and a possible future that may be yet to come.
The Story of 90 Coins
How much is a promise worth these days? An aspiring fashion designer finds out when she has to choose between fulfilling her promise and realising her dream.
Yesteryear
A visual documentary about the value of home movies through the eyes of those who filmed their valuable memories.
Rucker Island Night Beast
An unlucky drifter winds up on a remote island where the people are generous and kind, the scenery is beautiful, and the woods are home to an ancient, bloodthirsty monster.
I Am You
I Am You is inspired by the story of a refugee, the horrendous conditions before his heroic journey, the heartbreaking indifference confronting him along the way, and the uplifting power and humanity found in hope, truth and justice.
The Mentor
A wanna-be filmmaker persuades a reluctant film director into giving a mentorship when suddenly they are both kidnapped by an enigmatic gang.
A Momentary Yearning
Francis is a war correspondent, in his mid 30s. Jaded and exhausted by war, he returns to the city he had left 10 years ago. He recalls his days as an idealistic, young man, eager to change the world and a young woman named Nadine he had met and shared a deep bond with just before leaving for his first journalistic assignment. He attempts to reach out to Nadine again, yearning to find what he had left behind, and in the process discovers a truth he had not anticipated.
Dual Action
A dying gangster is confronted by two mysterious figures.
All Its Name Implies
On November 8th, 2018 the most destructive wildfire in the history of California unleashed its wrath on the small town of Paradise. Now, in the aftermath of this unfathomable destruction, the surviving residents struggle to make sense of the tragedy, while displaying unparalleled strength and resilience as they attempt to rebuild their beloved community.
"All Its Name Implies" is directed by Ev Durán, who grew up in Paradise, and his love and intimate knowledge of his hometown shines through in every aspect of the film. This gives the viewer a unique, insider perspective on the town of Paradise, and what makes it so special.
"All Its Name Implies" is also unique because the actual hands-on production of the film was done almost entirely by a single person; Durán contacted interview subjects, collected outside media, shot, wrote, edited, and narrated the final product.
"All Its Name Implies" is directed by Ev Durán, who grew up in Paradise, and his love and intimate knowledge of his hometown shines through in every aspect of the film. This gives the viewer a unique, insider perspective on the town of Paradise, and what makes it so special.
"All Its Name Implies" is also unique because the actual hands-on production of the film was done almost entirely by a single person; Durán contacted interview subjects, collected outside media, shot, wrote, edited, and narrated the final product.
The Forest Sings
The Forest Sings is an exploration of the gentle unease and uncertainty built up in the Black Forest, like a storm brewing, as four men travel up a hill to play their alphorns, old wooden instruments which were once used to calm cattle herds. The notes blown have a soothing effect, calming the atmosphere and the tension, merging with the surrounding landscape.
Overcast
This psychological-drama follows a 13-year-old boy whose mother mysteriously disappears, forcing him to question his father and his own memory to uncover the truth.
Synopsis: When his mother fails to pick him up from school, Eric’s
father reassures him nothing is wrong. But on their drive
home, Eric spots his mother’s abandoned car parked
alongside the street, prompting him to investigate. What
follows is a exploration into deceit and paranoia that will
forever change his life.
Synopsis: When his mother fails to pick him up from school, Eric’s
father reassures him nothing is wrong. But on their drive
home, Eric spots his mother’s abandoned car parked
alongside the street, prompting him to investigate. What
follows is a exploration into deceit and paranoia that will
forever change his life.
Vector
Russian Hacker Maria Vakhrushev hacks into a secret government virus laboratory. But someone - or something - already knows she's coming, and soon she receives a mysterious USB glass stick. As she plugs in the USB stick, the glass breaks and Maria blacks out. She wakes up to a dead world and begins her Odyssey home in a quest for discovery for the truth about what happened to her and the world.
Frank Phoenix
Five years ago Frank Phoenix robbed The Firm.
Betrayed by his own crew and murdered...
...the stolen Gold was never found
Betrayed by his own crew and murdered...
...the stolen Gold was never found
Piano Man
An elderly widower finds a new reason to live whilst coping with the grief of losing the love of his life.
Lybeck
When a wealthy young bachelor, Tommy van Doren, is found dead in his mansion the prime suspects become the four women he had over for dinner that very evening: Annie, his girlfriend, Donna, his dominatrix, Tess, his dance instructor, and Donna, his personal chef. The famous Detective Lybeck is hired to take on the case. Over the course of his investigation he realises that each suspect has a possible motive and murder weapon, but not everything is as it seems.
Diagnosing Healthcare
Diagnosing Healthcare offers solutions for the COVID-19 crisis. The film is an exploration of health care with human rights at the center that offers innovative solutions for all humanity.
Behind the Name SHAKESPEARE: Power, Lust, Scorn & Scandal
WHO CREATED THE GREATEST WORKS OF IAMBIC THUNDER IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE?!? "Behind the Name SHAKESPEARE: Power, Lust, Scorn & Scandal is a fun yet important film: a costume filled journey into literary history's greatest mystery: Who really wrote the works of Shakespeare? This charming documentary is clearly a labor of love, which one can feel in every scene. The world needs it and bravo to Christina di Marlo for doing it!" -- Don Rubin, Professor Emeritus, York University Editor, World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre.
"Why was the most creative poet western civilization ever produced passed off as a commoner from a rustic village on the outskirts of London? And what drives an industry desperate to maintain this charade?
Christina de Marlo (AKA Robin Phillips) explores those four-hundred-year-old questions beguilingly in this romp through the lives of not one but two men, each of whom lived while Shakespeare’s works were being produced. One is that commoner we’ve long been indoctrinated into believing is the bard, but the other—the other was a staggeringly wealthy, astonishingly educated, high-born nobleman who just happened to know Queen Elizabeth I personally, intimately.
Both real people. Quite real. But only one was the author of the greatest works of courtly verse the world has ever seen. Sit back, watch, and let yourself be both charmed and enlightened by this royally entertaining film.
"Why was the most creative poet western civilization ever produced passed off as a commoner from a rustic village on the outskirts of London? And what drives an industry desperate to maintain this charade?
Christina de Marlo (AKA Robin Phillips) explores those four-hundred-year-old questions beguilingly in this romp through the lives of not one but two men, each of whom lived while Shakespeare’s works were being produced. One is that commoner we’ve long been indoctrinated into believing is the bard, but the other—the other was a staggeringly wealthy, astonishingly educated, high-born nobleman who just happened to know Queen Elizabeth I personally, intimately.
Both real people. Quite real. But only one was the author of the greatest works of courtly verse the world has ever seen. Sit back, watch, and let yourself be both charmed and enlightened by this royally entertaining film.
Sphere of Fear 2
It’s back from Brazil and more “terriball” than before. Dylan Davis is a depressed mess, The Hunter has stolen Faye Le Mort from him, even his dead brother cannot help. Who can help Dylan? The Demon Football of course. Satan wants the Football’s help, Dylan needs the Football’s help, what can go wrong?
Slices of Vi
For Victor days go by, and they are all the same. But there comes a time when this dull life could be disrupted, because, little by little, it is clear that something is going wrong...
Vi is sure: somewhere in his flat, or perhaps hidden in himself, Hell is ready to materialize.
Crazy
An insecure and apparently ill-equipped mob boss enlists the help of an eccentric hit man to 'take out' his girlfriend's lover who he presumes to have a significantly larger penis, but something is a little off.
The Man With His Fingers in His Ears
The film follows an ambitious local journalist and her cynical camera operator trying to make a story about an extremely minor local celebrity who has chosen to switch off from the demands of the world. The story is told through a series of vox pop interviews which succeed in gathering the opinions of local residents at the flimsier end of journalism, whilst the growing pointlessness of her pursuit of the story is captured in occasional glimpses of the journalist's fading interest.
Instilled
The inspiring story of Andrea Mason who attempts to become the worlds first person to Swim 34km across the English Channel, Cycle 900km across France to the foot of Mt Blanc and then climb Mt Blanc, all in just 5days. In September 2019 Andrea Mason set out to achieve this incredible feat, all with the single aim of ensuring young women and girls don’t have to go through what she has faced as child. Having had major surgery and a cancer diagnosis in 2017, she is on a mission to raise awareness of Endometriosis and encourage women and girls to have their cervical smear tests. This powerful and thought provoking documentary allows you to live the highs and the lows both emotionally and literally.
Godspeed
Her son is on the other side of the country. So is his girlfriend. Now Mom is finally on the road and there’s no telling what she can convince herself to do to get this person away from her son.
Shadowland
The diverse communication options offered by a cell phone influence our social and consumer behavior. Excessive use changes the design of <head-down people’s> life and lifestyle habits.
Nemesis
A young woman, on her path to success, betrays her best friend and winds up in a deadly game.
The Body
A hit man and his potential protege are tasked with burying a body in the countryside but the seemingly simple job takes an unexpected turn.
The Eve
Simon is an eight-year-old boy who seems to have everything from life. He’s a handsome child, he’s rich yet unhappy. He senses that there’s something wrong with his life and this leads him to wander off thanks to his fervid imagination. His greatest wish is to leave the materialistic world behind since he isn’t fond of it. That’s why the only present he wants for Christmas is for Santa Claus to take him away to live in his fairyland toy factory. At the same time, a secret that his family has been keeping for a long time suddenly comes to the surface and it is feared that the worst might happen soon. The expectation for the stroke of midnight on the night before Christmas is transformed into reality for everyone on the eve of something truly different. Something terrible that might happen.
Small World
Two strangers meet in a far away land and realize they are from the same town.
A Poet's Seat
“What is an alien?” a man asks amid smoke, shadow and light. The question is daunting, metaphysical if you will. We may all feel like outsiders sometime, but what happens when the feeling is constant? With that in mind, we embark upon a journey that millions of people around the globe will recognize as their own: moving to another country.
In raw emotion, we experience the story of a man who moves to America as a child. We accompany him as he reminisces: the first sight of snow, the first day of school, the palpable eeriness of what is new. We witness his difficulties to find work and overcome other obstacles. We feel the anguish and the fear, and we can see the trap. Metaphorically and literally.
Visual elements shed light on what he endures: hands trying to grasp the American dream (or maybe trying to hold on to the past?); hands resembling a broken heart; a gun; the powerful word “guilty”. The man is blind and mute, voiceless. He has no definite identity. He is someone and no one at the same time. He is all of us and none of us at the same time. He’s a magician creating worlds and playing with rings. He is human and inhuman, like any alien.
What is home? Where is home? When we go back, are we truly home? This piercing film poses the questions we all ask ourselves at some point. In any case, when you migrate, home is forever gone. You become a wandering alien. Forever.
In raw emotion, we experience the story of a man who moves to America as a child. We accompany him as he reminisces: the first sight of snow, the first day of school, the palpable eeriness of what is new. We witness his difficulties to find work and overcome other obstacles. We feel the anguish and the fear, and we can see the trap. Metaphorically and literally.
Visual elements shed light on what he endures: hands trying to grasp the American dream (or maybe trying to hold on to the past?); hands resembling a broken heart; a gun; the powerful word “guilty”. The man is blind and mute, voiceless. He has no definite identity. He is someone and no one at the same time. He is all of us and none of us at the same time. He’s a magician creating worlds and playing with rings. He is human and inhuman, like any alien.
What is home? Where is home? When we go back, are we truly home? This piercing film poses the questions we all ask ourselves at some point. In any case, when you migrate, home is forever gone. You become a wandering alien. Forever.
Call for Dreams
In rainy Tokyo, Eko complicates her life by publishing a 'Call for Dreams' ad in a Tokyo newspaper. With her scooter she visits strangers in an alienating city, who leave descriptions of their strange dreams and fantasies on her analog answering machine and for a fee acts them out. As the dreams slowly seep into reality and a parallel police investigation of a murder in Tel Aviv unfolds, what is real and what is not is getting harder to distinguish.
f r e d
Lily grieves over her late fiancé, James - but below the surface, a darker story unfolds.
The Cunning Man
The Cunning Man is inspired by a real Cunning Man, John Harries (c.1785 - 1839). It's an enchanted tale of compassion in the face of callous greed.