Basingstoke’s second short film festival this year was a sell-out success.
The Red Carpet Screening event showcased eight films by regional talent on Friday, September 24.
A full house at the Central Studio Theatre at Queen Mary’s College watched a programme of screenings, mixed with live interviews with the film-makers.
There were films to suit every taste, from the campaign documentary Surfers Against Sewage by film-maker Neil Moss to comedy shorts such as Stalker, a wacky tale of obsession by Neil Thomas.
Festival founder Seb Hall explained how Basingstoke’s film community has snowballed since the success of the first Red Carpet Screening event in late May.
“Basingstoke had not been known for film at all, but that hasn’t been because of a lack of talent. It’s just there wasn’t any infrastructure for festivals, so they went to London or Bristol instead,” he said.
“Since the first festival, it’s become clear that there’s so much talent here.
“It’s incredible for the size of the town.”
Highlights of the festival included Overtime2 by Geoff Harmer, the long-awaited sequel to Star Wars spoof Overtime, which has attracted more than 50,000 hits on YouTube.
Alongside the short films, a trailer was screened for home-grown feature film A Darker Shade of Red.
Robert Moir is currently producing the feature, which he describes as a dark, gritty thriller.
He said: “Before the first Red Carpet Screening event, film did seem like a solo hobby.
“Now, everyone helps with everyone else’s projects – acting, producing, directing. It’s raised the bar of quality.”
Mark Brennan, maker of comedy short Writer’s Block, spoke of the difficulties of making home-grown films.
“Production value is always a challenge,” he said. “We don’t have any money, we don’t have big actors.
“Writer’s Block was filmed entirely in the Way Inn from 9am, so it was a challenge not to drink too much!”
The festival attracted interest from Screen South, a media agency that supports film-makers in the south-east.
The agency’s chief executive officer, Jo Nolen, was a member of the audience and gave an inspirational talk at the end of the event.
