roadmap words // DANIEL GRAY and ROSALIND ABBOTT
Lighting up the increasingly gloomy days of October is the Darklight Festival. Spread over three venues – IFI, Filmbase and Grand Social (formerly Pravda) – this year the festival takes on the theme of ‘Heroes’. In line with this, the heroes of past contributors and alumni have been invited along to take part, resulting in a stellar line-up: Synth Eastwood, Skinny Wolves, animator David O’Reilly and filmmaking pioneer Lance Weiler are all on the bill. If that’s not enough, the festival also takes place on the brink of All Hallow’s Eve (October 28-31), meaning it culminates in a “hair-raising” Halloween bash. Dress code: scary. You’ll be holding out for a hero at the end of the night.
/FPO -JHIUT
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you’re sick of us telling you Synth Eastwood are the new Jesus Christ. But come on - their contribution to this year’s Darklight Festival is really extra special. Our favourite AV club boys and girls are bringing Super Furry Gruff Rhys over for Halloween Eve, and Super Furry Gruff Rhys is bringing a film reel of his new documentary Seperado. Or a USB stick with the avi file of it, maybe. Seperado’s a psychedelic western musical that thankfully doesn’t feature Har Mar Superstar. Gruff and director Dylan Gosh are hanging about for a Q&A, and a big dirty Halloween party featuring Andy Votel and, uh, yeah - Synth Eastwood. Dibbs on the Golden Retriever costume. Grand Social, 9pm, 30th October.
+PVTU
Walt Disney. Thomas Edison. George Lucas. Lance Weiler. One of these names might be slightly less well known than the others, but all were listed on Businessweek’s chart of ‘The 18 People Who Changed Hollywood’. Armed with only video cameras and cheap PC production software, Lance Weiler filmed, directed, produced and self-distributed his debut motion picture The Last Broadcast in 1998. It was the first digital film released to US theatres, screened to audiences on a projector. His second effort, Head Trauma (2006) was no less innovative: a cinematic ‘Alternative Reality Game’, it is experienced through phones and online as well as cinemas, reaching over 2.5 million people so far. He’s also founded an online creative network, WorkBook Project, putting him firmly at the pinnacle of the digital media industry – alongside Disney and Edison, naturally. He’ll be sharing his knowledge and experiences to Darklight attendees via the means of ‘Transmedia symposium’ on Friday 29th October.
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