Connect with us

Features

Bolton International Film Festival – Made Up North (UK Shorts)

Published

on

This year Bolton International Film Festival boasts over 300 short films to sink your teeth into. All of the films are curated into strands, fitted together by genre, location, representation, and a whole host of other categories so there is sure to be something that will tickle your fancy.

With Bolton being a northern film festival, it’s only right that they have a strand dedicated to northern filmmaking. The Made Up North programme showcases a breadth of filmmaking talent away from the industry’s centralised hub in London. The nine films here explore deeply personal themes, all tinged in the northern spirit. Family, love, community, hope, and scares are all on the docket and it’s an absolute delight.

Kiss (dir. Katja Roberts)

Annie is surrounded by the manifestations of all of her first kisses, from a one night stand in a club all the way to her Mother, and they all inhabit the age and personality of when they happened. But the presence of these ghosts from her past forces her to confront a kiss she’d rather forget. 

Kiss is a beautiful representation of the way trauma can affect us, and even more so how we force ourselves to bury it to save us from the pain. The cast of characters that represent these first kisses cleverly represent Annie’s inner monologue. Annie doesn’t speak too much throughout so we’re left to them to open the book on her story. So her inner thoughts battle right in front of her, and even act as a physical barrier to her acknowledging what has happened. 

The narrative has many layers to unwrap, and Kiss rounds out with a deeply emotional message. There is no timeline on uncovering and healing from trauma, and even though you might go to the darkest places there is always a hand at the end of the tunnel.   

Pipedream (dir. Aaron Dunleavy, Brody Salmon) 

Pipedream recounts the early life of Paul. His violent upbringing, struggle with addiction, and his strafing in and out of prison. The documentary uses an abstract mix of industrial cinematography and reconstructed footage, all underpinned by narration from Paul himself. 

It’s an incredibly human story of hope in the face of unimaginable darkness and tragedy. Paul’s narration is engaging alongside the blurry memory-tinged footage, which makes it feel as though we’re taking a trip into Paul’s past. Overall it’s an emboldened plea that we are all a product of circumstance, but just because we might be moulded into something bad, doesn’t mean that we can’t break free from it. 

Plunge (dir. Ellie Land)

Plunge is an animated documentary following Katie Wotton as she discusses her life through her connection to the sea. Plunge is another film that uses beautifully creative filmmaking to present a personal story that many people will connect to. 

The vast depths of the ocean are the setting, as Katie swims amongst the fishes. The enormity of it all leaves for a freeing environment to bare ones soul. Katie talks about her upbringing and her relationship with her body, and body image. Seeing that Katie has been able to reclaim her own body against the hatred she faced, by doing something she loves on her own terms is uplifting. 

Opal of the West (dir. Charlie Watts) 

What connects a Bed and Breakfast owning couple, drag queens, the head of a parrot sanctuary, a hairdresser, and a community worker? Well, the seaside town of Blackpool, of course! In this meandering documentary seemingly unconnected members of the community are all threaded together through Blackpool, or as the documentary likes to call it: the opal of the west. 

Opal of the West switches back and forth between all of these lovely people, giving us an insight into their everyday routines living on the coast. The film purposefully disconnects them all in an attempt to reconnect them through their common connection, and it works. Everyone knows their own community, and it won’t be too indifferent from what we as the audience see here. The magic lies in it reminding us that our communities are so rich and diverse, and also simply that, in an age of terminal online-ness, they are still there. 

Crossbar Challenge (dir. James Oliver) 

Mental health is more important now than it has ever been. But the idea of two lads, sitting down and talking it out certainly isn’t a common occurrence. In Crossbar Challenge two friends go for a quick kick about, where the unsaid threatens to challenge their relationship.

The unsaid is a powerful tool in filmmaking. It’s like the common saying goes: show don’t tell. Crossbar Challenge deals with its thematic framework in this exact manner. Its so clear that one of the boys is struggling with his mental health, but he simply wont admit it to his friend, who just wants to help. Even though the boys clash for the majority of Crossbar Challenge, there is a powerful final moment between the two. At the end of the day, showing up for your friends when they’re most in need is enough. 

Tomorrow (dir. Thomas Elliott Griffiths) 

In Tomorrow, Alex and Mark reunite with their sister on the evening before their Mum’s funeral. Tomorrow is an affecting piece of drama that questions familial connection when the relationships are frayed.

Tomorrow is a conversational film that all takes place in the same room, often with the camera switching between two or three shots of the main characters. The sister is shocked by the presence of one of her brothers, who is an alcoholic. Tomorrow goes to very dark places. It is one thing having to deal with the death of a loved one, but to be going through another hard moment in your life is something different entirely. The subject is dealt with deftly and the script is tight and sharp. 

Safe (dir. Debbie Howard) 

In Safe, Anne finishes her cleaning job later than planned. As she is waiting for the bus home she is confronted and harassed by a man. 

Unfortunately, Safe is a representation of the truth for all women. In the streets, especially late at night, there is a lack of safety in place. The film captures the scary and uncomforting nature of these situations where a man imposes himself on a woman who is alone. Done so through claustrophobic camera work and incredible performances. Safe is so important as it keeps the conversation around women’s safety at the forefront, and gives us an insight into something women experience every day. 

Upholstergeist (dir. Michael Patrick Clarkson)

It’s The Repair Shop meets Most Haunted, in this slyly funny and spooky short film Upholstergeist. When a reality star upholsterer is presented with her latest clients, a pair that wouldn’t look out of place at an occult gathering, they ask if she can repair their grandma’s old chair. One catch though: she died in it. 

Upholstergeist is a tale of two halves. It takes a concept we all know, and takes it to silly places. The freaky pair who present the chair are played completely straight-laced, despite the main character and the audience questioning if it might be a prank or not. But as day turns into night, and the tension builds, Upholstergeist transitions into something entirely more terrifying. Darkness, loud bumps in the night, and a serving of unnerving monster design set the tone for the deadly crescendo.

All of these films and more will be available to watch online at https://www.boltonfilmfestival.com from the 9th-20th October. All you need to do is buy an online pass for £20, which then gives you access to the majority of the programme from the comfort of your own home. Films will then be available in 48 hour bursts.

Just For You