Mostly British Film Festival 2011

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Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Saturday, 05 February 2011 02:36

Written by Lynne Shannon

The Mostly British Film Festival is running February 3 - 10, 2011, at the Historic Vogue Theatre in San Francisco. The Festival includes 26 classic and new movies--many of them award winners--from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland.

The Festival opens with West Is West (dir. Andy DeEmmony), as the saga of a Pakistani immigrant family continues. This film is the sequel to East Is East, which is also being screened at the Festival.

The Closing Night film is Boy (dir. Taika Waititi), a coming of age story from New Zealand that won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.

In between are such treats as the directing debut of actress Rachel Ward, a new film written and directed by the irrepressible Ricky Gervais and his pal Stephen Merchant, and a new version of Dorian Gray (dir. Oliver Parker) starring Colin Firth and Ben Barnes.

A special highlight is a pair of Sir Michael Caine classics in a salute to British Noir. Get Carter (dir. Mike Hodges) was voted one of the 20 best British films of all time. The Ipcress File (dir. Sidney J. Furie) presented the secret service agent as working-class antihero, the antithesis of James Bond slickness.

Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff (dir. Craig McCall) is a documentary covering the seven-decade-long career of the famed cinematographer, who worked with Alfred Hitchcock, John Huston and Michael Powell. Included are clips from his work in The African Queen, Red Shoes and Rambo. “A must-see for film buffs, the documentary describes Cardiff's role in the development and use of Technicolor.”

In conjunction with this documentary is the screening of Michael Powell’s Black Narcissus, with Deborah Kerr and Jean Simmons, for which Cardiff’s cinematography won him an Academy Award™.

From Australia comes another film that stands the test of time: Peter Weir’s Gallipoli, the film that introduced Mel Gibson to the US.  This is considered to be one of the best films to come out of Australia.

Also screening are:

Beneath Hill 60, dir. Jeremy Sims (Australia)
This drama tells the true story of a secret platoon of Australian miners who fight to defend a leaking labyrinthine tunnel under the Western Front during World War I. With Brendan Cowell. Winner Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director, Savannah Film Festival.

Solo, dir. David Michôd and Jennifer Peedom (Australia)
Engrossing documentary about Andrew McAuley, who tried to be the first person to kayak solo across the treacherous Tasman Sea from Australia to New Zealand. An engineer, he thoroughly planned the trip through extreme variations in weather and waves, attaching a camera to his kayak to allow him to record a visual diary. Winner Best Documentary, Australian Film Institute.

Beautiful Kate , dir. Rachel Ward (Australia)
A haunting drama about a dysfunctional family. With Bryan Brown, Rachel Griffiths, Ben Mendelsohn.

Glorious 39, dir. Stephen Poliakoff (UK)
The story of a British upper-crust family as World War II looms. An adopted daughter becomes suspicious that her politician father may be conspiring to appease Hitler. With Julie Christie, Bill Nighy, Christopher Lee.

Nothing Personal, dir. Urszula Antoniak (Ireland)
A touching drama revolving around a distraught Dutch woman who leaves her married life behind to wander alone through western Ireland. With Lotte Verbeek, Stephen Rea. Winner Best First Film, Locarno Film Festival.

This is a delightful selection and a change of pace from most festivals. (It’s also a nice bit of something for those who just can’t seem to get hooked on football.)

For more information, visit www.mostlybritish.org.

Mostly British Film Festival
February 3 - 10, 2011

Historic Vogue Theatre
3290 Sacramento Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 346-2288

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