Today I Fancy a Pie Quirky animation is never going to fail to warm up an audience at an event like this and so it proved with Today I Fancy a Pie. Emily’s submission to the siren call of a seductive cherry perched atop a pie was about as low budget as it’s possible to get but lost none of its hilarity because of some excellent animation. Gigantic Likewise, the twist at the end of Gigantic raised a smile. With all the portentousness of foreboding, Blair Witch-like horror – definitely helped by a grainy, monochromatic film and rough editing – the realisation that our heroine was a doll living in a doll’s house wasn’t entirely unexpected but carried off well by director Crispin Lain. Day 2 Perhaps the most art-house example of what was shown on the night. A perplexing mix of questions being asked but no answers being given and a blur of handwriting on screen left many audience members cold. A Man Without a Voice | "The film-makers' passion is intense... The pride in which they speak about their work is a worthwhile reason for Kinofilm to continue" | | James Bentley, reviewer |
A more traditional, thought provoking film was Suddi Raval’s A Man Without a Voice which examined prejudices towards the homeless. With dialogue entirely in the form of subtitles, we soon learn that the mute subject’s lack of voice is metaphorical as well as physical and that when he’s accused of the theft of a woman’s purse, he has no-one to speak up for him. Love & Hate Also thought-provoking but with a hefty dose of humour was Love and Hate. A relationship that begins with smiles and happiness to the strains of Joan Armatrading’s Love & Affection rapidly disintegrates after a bout of vaginal flatulence and subsequent ‘irritating’ apologies. In a film that had much in common with the ‘grinding down’ Shelley and Charlie storyline in Coronation Street, co-director Julie Hobbs gave a good performance as she eventually realised things were getting too much for her with the controlling man in her life. Granddad Shameless star Gerard Kearns played the role of grieving relative excellently in Granddad. Having to cope with the twin rites-of-passage of GCSE results and burying a much-loved grandfather in the same day would be a tough task in any young life and Kearns showed the stress and the strain very well. The poignancy of the wake attendees passing around a pint of Granddad’s tipple and each conducting a solo salute to the man was poignant and understated in the way that Manchester does so well. Circles For all of these films, it’s often the simplest ideas that work the best and this was highlighted by Circles by Mark Wilshin. A normal day was shown from the perspective of looking at a variety of circular objects in different ways. Steering wheels, kettles, condoms… the film was very short, very effective and very clever. Lollipop Lollipop took an altogether more sinister turn. Starting out with a playful father who clearly loves his sons, the death of one child and the father’s reaction to his accidental killing was strong stuff that jolted the viewer into a harsh reality. His other son’s tenderness was beautifully shot which restored a sense of love and hope to the film. The Jumper Death was dealt with in a more darkly humorous way in Iain Cash’s The Jumper. In another aspect of what the North West does so well, the apathy-leading-to-hero status of Brian, who only wants to collect his weather reports from the roof but gets caught in the Jumper’s suicidal intentions, was terrifically acted. There’s a part of your soul that knows you shouldn’t laugh at the twist at the end but it’s impossible not to. Hermit More animation came in the form of the hilarious and visually stunning Hermit, a latter day drag queen living under the sea who is scared of all that surrounds him but who just wants to sing like he’s straight outta the Moulin Rouge. When he finally casts off his inhibitions, it’s unfortunate for him that his stage is one of the predators he was originally so scared of. Another darkly hilarious ending is a terrific conclusion. Ruth's Tooth Brek Taylor and Clare Tinsley’s Ruth’s Tooth taps into the emotions that one girl feels when she visits the dentist. Not for her the fear of the drill though – she’s in love with the narcissistic molar-man and eats cream cakes all day so her teeth can rot further and she can see him even more. As her mouth becomes even emptier, we learn that the dentist feels the same way but our heroine is never destined to find this out. A bittersweet tale with a soothing soundtrack that belies the horrors most of us feel when sat in the chair. French Fries on the Golden Front perhaps the most ambitious film of the evening. Robert Kluger’s tale of a Frenchman returning to the scene of his lost love was full of star turns and written after a period of research time spent in a Blackpool B&B. The compulsive, surface-level vulgarity of the town is shown as having a greater depth by Paul Barber’s character’s comments at the end of the film with some fantastically sage advice. Blue Dog Blues Animation legends Cosgrove Hall were behind Mair Doyle’s Blue Dog Blues, an extremely funny tale of a Wile E Coyote for the 21st century. All he wants is his tasty treats but his scratch protector acts as his Roadrunner and gets in the way of all his fiendish plans. Frequently hilarious. Connecting Lastly, Connecting is Dan Turner’s film that anyone who’s been on a crowded vessel of public transport at rush hour can sympathise with. The incessant ringing, bleeping and jabbering of half-conversations doesn’t just push the protagonist closer to the edge, it does the same to the audience. Whether they would end up being quite so dramatic in voicing their displeasure is open to debate though. When the twist is revealed though, we know it’s something we’ve all thought about many times. Conclusion........ Made In Manchester was an excellent collection of films highlighting interesting ideas and notions from film-makers whose passion for film is intense and glaringly obvious. The pride in which they speak about their work is a worthwhile reason for Kinofilm to continue for some time to come. | 
