Wuthering Heights banner on Leeds Town Hall
The 3rd of November saw the beginning of the 25th Leeds International Film Festival, the biggest in the UK outside of London, showing everything from Anime to Zombie films with some live performances thrown in, I was lucky enough to get involved after Jon posted a link for voluntary positions for the festival and I managed to bag myself a job as a Digital Assistant. I had no idea what I would be asked to shoot or what events I was going to cover and had no idea how photography was going to fit in with cinema and I was even more surprised to learn that only two percent of cinema hits the big screen and more and more people are now becoming interested in small screen cinema and short films rather than blockbuster movies. After watching 45-minutes of trailers for the selected films it certainly sparked an interest for me also, Leeds Town Hall has also recently upgraded the cinema sound system with the intention of more films being shown at the venue.
Candida Doyle (Pulp’s keyboard player) at The Beat is the Law
My first assignment was to cover the opening gala with the premier of Andrea Arnold’s Wuthering Heights introducing Leeds-based newcomers James Howson, Shannon Beer and Solomon Glave. I got a real taste of what it’s like for a photographer working in the press industry. There were lots of people working on the event rushing around and waiting for people to arrive and the BBC Look North team set up on the steps of the Town Hall. I was asked to take some shots of the cast whilst the news team goes live – only to discover later while watching the 10 o’clock news that I was on it! The night after was the story of Pulp – The Beat is the Law with a question and answer session with keyboard player Candida Doyle, a Sheffield based documentary about the struggle of bands, young people, miners and the evolvement of music through the 1980’s and ending happily when Pulp headlined at Glastonbury when another band dropped out – bringing them moderate success.
Cast & Director – Sound it Out
My next shift was at Leeds’ gem – the Hyde Park Picture House – which I have never visited before. If you haven’t been there its certainly worth a visit to this beautiful 1914 building with lots of character. I shot two events here on two separate nights first Sound it Out, a documentary about South Shields’ last record shop – a heart-warming funny film about the day-to-day happenings and the different characters who shop there, including a very real message about the struggle of small towns throughout the UK. It was very surreal seeing someone on screen then next thing you are shooting images of them stood right in front of you.
Miss Behave Sword Swallower – Professor Vanessas Performing Wonders
Secondly was Professor Vanessa’s Performing Wonders – Vanessa is indeed a real professor of the history of film at Sheffield University and was accompanied by a magician, a sword juggler, one of the world’s last female sword swallowers, Miss Behave, and Britain’s Got Talent semi finalist and Hoolahoop legend Marawa the Amazing. “Is this really cinema?” I hear you ask – and yes it is! Old silent films of dance, tricks & performing circus arts with a piano accompaniment was extremely interesting and enjoyable and although the light wasn’t great for taking images in there it was a brilliant performance and very enjoyable!
Finally I went to the Hi Fi club to cover folk singer Serious Sam Barrett and his chosen documentaries rarely seen American folk shorts: Mouth Music, It Ain’t City Music and Mermaids, Frogs Legs and Fillets. Local Leeds lad Sam’s understanding of his genre and skills with his 12-string guitar not to mention his voice – second to none. There were plenty of people turned up to hear him sing, we also got to take a look into Sam’s normal life with a documentary his friend and colleague Hardeep Pandhals – Sam at 30.
Serious Sam Barrett
The film festival had so much more to offer than this small example, a comic con,workshops and many other films from Anime to Zombie flicks where shown, so if you didn’t get a chance this year give it a visit next year and if you want more than that apply to be a digital assistant and get behind the scenes, it’s well worth it!
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