Digital Shorts 2009

Commissioned by Exeter Phoenix Media Centre, South West Screen & the UK Film Council with support from Devon County Council

The Hairy Hands

Written, Directed and Animated by Ashley Thorpe

Dartmoor: the dead of night...953 square kilometres of desolate moorland...1000 ghosts...and a fugitive racing a haunted road to meet one.

'The Hairy Hands' is the fourth in the series of 'Penny Dreadful' animations inspired by neglected aspects of English folklore. Based upon a genuine Dartmoor legend it draws upon such influences as Alfred Hitchcock, Film Noir and 'The Hammer House of Horror'.

"When you reach into the dark...sometimes the dark reaches back."

The Undertow

Written and Directed by Toby DeBurgh

‘The Undertow’ is a darkly-surreal affair that tells the story of a man who awakes on a beautiful summer’s day to find himself drifting along a river in clapped-out old rowing boat. The course of the river takes him past a garden party where he is helped ashore by a strange array of eclectic party guests. This tranquil vision does not last long however, as events quickly take a rather sinister turn...

Short Film Production Bursaries 2009

Commissioned by Exeter Phoenix Media Centre

La Legend D'Ali

Written and directed by Tom Austin

La Legend D'Ali is a surreal comedy docu-drama based loosely on the life of spanish artist Salvador Dali. Set in a boxing ring, it tells the story, in a dramatic, theatrical way, of his relationships - with his family (primarily his dead brother, who he believed he was a re-incarnation of), his nymphomaniac wife, and the canvas. Dali duels in the ring with his ghost brother, who is an ali figure/alter ego showman. He also travels through the landscapes of some of his paintings.

PAL

Written and directed by Kate Graham

Pal tells the story of Mike, a 15 year-old boy growing up in early 1990’s Britain – a time when mix tapes, road protests and rollerblades were all the rage. Set in a small town in South West England, the film follows Mike wandering aimlessly alone after school to avoid going home to his arguing parents. With nowhere to go and nothing to do, Mike seems to have no escape route from the boredom of living in a place that holds little opportunity for young people. That is until he meets a remarkable creation – Pal, an artificial man who has a TV for a head, who shows Mike how to look at the tribulations in his life from a new angle.

Non-Calculator

Written and directed by John Martin

Non-Calculator is the story of a 16-year old student in a GCSE Maths exam who gets stuck and worries that failing the exam will ruin the rest of his life. He imagines what will happen if he fails Maths: being rejected from university, being rejected when proposing to a woman, being kicked out by his family and ending up as a filthy, homeless tramp.

Steal

Written and directed by Misha Vertkin

“Steal” is the story of a 17 year old shoplifter way beyond his years, and an inquisitive 8 year old intent on being stolen.

My Suicide Suit

Written and directed by Rob Hutt

My Suicide Suit is a story about a young man called Danny Donnelley who has decided to commit suicide because he feels he has no place in world. Danny literally feels invisible as lives alone and works in a photo lab developing other people's holiday photos alone, all the time wishing he was in them.

Uncomfortable

Written and directed by David Salas

It must be a terrible thing to be left alone.
An old man comes to terms with his grief by talking to his dead wife. She is still in the house. Untouched, lying where she collapsed, over 24hours before.

Digital Media Bursary 2009

Commissioned by Exeter Phoenix Media Centre & Galleries

Pure Flow

Katy Connor

Katy Connor’s work demonstrates a fascination with the moving image and its capacity to visualise patterns of thought and physical sensation. Her latest work Pure Flow, commissioned through the Exeter Phoenix Digital Media Bursary, will generate live, moving imagery created from the data flows between a Global Positioning System [GPS] device and the multiple satellites which triangulate its position at any one time.
Connor reveals a new way of visualising ordinarily invisible streams of data and acknowledges the common usage in surveying and navigational tools of sophisticated technologies, initially developed for military purposes.

Exhibition in Exeter Phoenix Galleries
20 Nov–21 Dec
The exhibition will also include a further selection of Connor’s screen-based works, sculptures and drawings which also reflect upon the profound and ubiquitous presence of technology in our daily lives.
www.katyconnor.com

Other supported films 2009

Supported by Exeter Phoenix Media Centre

What do you do on Sunday?

Andy Oxley and David Williams

"I hate weekends. I wish I lived in one continuous week" moans Phillip. Meanwhile, a tractor engine rumbles, the music starts the ballroom dance, and Dennis fires up the 1957 Triumph TR3. Sundays. The day of rest. The one day of the week that is almost universally set aside for relaxation, catching up, and personal pursuits. What do you do on a Sunday?

More to follow ...