10 from '10

10 films we've had the pleasure of screening this year, a rundown in no particular order, with accompanying future poster quotes and links. get a bag of popcorn and settle in.

Xiu Xiu - House Sparrow by Jason LaRay Keener


This is honestly one of the most original, and disturbing, uses of the music video format we've ever seen, its missing child distress theme matched only by Jason's resourcefulness and the technical imagination displayed in transforming his own neighbourhood into a surreal rolling news nightmare. The finest Reining Nails production yet.
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Marriage by Tom Moore & Garry Sykes


Two regular screeners at Pictures nights teamed up this year to move things on a level and produce one of the classic boy meats girl stories, their two distinct styles weaved into a marriage made in heaven.
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Heaven by Rita Ribas


Inspired by the death of her family dog, Rita made the film in Abney Park cemetery, a series of snapshot portraits of dogwalkers and their dogs. The owners speak from interviews about whether pets go to heaven and life after death, made all the more poignant by the Hackney beauty spot graveyard setting. As with all of Rita’s films there’s a sense of things passing from physical, familial presences into stories, memories and video.
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Romanticulticom IV by Becky Lawn-Darte


Becky strikes out from Bang Wash Productions to produce a romantic comedy about market forces and being hit by a van to a bleached out Righteous Brothers cover. A mystery that's like holding your head underwater in a bath of the sweetest summer syrup.
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Pilgrim, Your Heart is a Ball of Light by Molly Allis


Molly's politicised animation (where there's hats there's politics) is more alive than most films, a claustrophobic trip through paranoia town and out the other side, moving further and further towards some hopeful destinations.
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Plantagenet 3 - Theme From An Imaginary Western by Charles Chintzer Lai


Post apocalyptic mutant goths Andrew Milk, Rachel Aggs and Quiet Carriage shamble through the landscape and stumble on a mysterious sealed box - an impressively styled video from Charles (who also produces Upset The Rhythm TV and the Trash Kit Cadets video), the bleak tone perfectly fitting the imaginary western soundtrack.
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Favourite Songs from Musicals Trilogy 3: Mr. Banks Mashup by Jack Barraclough


The third and best part of Jack's 'Favourite Songs From Musicals' trilogy, hilarious and unexpectedly touching for all it's lo-fi foolish simplicity. The soundtrack from Mary Poppins really was excellent, and only improves with added ketchup gore.
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They Look Their Best From Above by Christina Millare


As well as spending much of the year co-curating screening nights as part of the excellent Video Is The Only Constant series, Christina showed this film, an ode to personal biology built around direct visuals, narrative asides and abstract images. Her overview on the qualities of breasts is witty and insightful, a unique perspective.
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The Midnight Pen Pal by Emmaalouise Smith


Emmaalouise shoots only on film, processing and editing her super 8 reels by hand to give them a unique sense of craft and authenticity. The Midnight Pen Pal centres around a short poem, the words matched by lyrical colours, kitsch grain and spliced memories. Emmaalouise also runs the Short Film Sessions programme at Rich Mix.
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Still Corners - Wish by Lucy Dyson


Dreamy double exposure 16mm sees an apparition of singer Tessa walk through the band and around golden fields, inviting all to join her in ghostly bliss. The sun drenched clip stands as a whistful reminder that another summer has passed by, and to save some nostalgia for next year.
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10 - 10 = 0
to show your film at one of our nights in 2011, get in touch.