Flatpack Festival 2021
midlandsmovies • April 30, 2021
Flatpack Festival 21-31 May 2021
Flatpack kicks off a four-month season of events on 21 May with a full-to-bursting programme of the very best filmmaking from around the globe.
In 2020, Flatpack adapted their physical festival programme at speed in order to give us Flatpack Festival: the Home Entertainment Edition. Continuing to roll with the punches, 2021 will see the delivery of a 4-month season of events in Birmingham cinemas and auditoriums. The season kicks off on the 21 May, when Flatpack will return to home screens for festival no.15 with a thought-provoking assortment of screenings and special events, tailored for a virtual environment.
Although Flatpack boasts an international programme, presenting work by artists and filmmakers from all over the world, Birmingham and the wider Midlands region plays an important role in the makeup of the festival. Below are some of the highlights featuring artists, filmmakers, and guests connected to the region.
SHORT FILMMAKING
The BAFTA-qualifying short film competition programme continues to be one of, if not the most distinct in the UK. Boasting over 30 UK premieres, and exploring a variety of subjects.
Highlights also include:
Xhosa Cole - Stationary Peaceful Protest - Having won the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year Award in 2018, Birmingham born-and-bred Xhosa Cole has delved into filmmaking with his audiovisual response to attending a BLM protest last year.
Matt Watkins - MOTHWASP UNLIVE - Also appearing in the Optical Sound Shorts programme is Birmingham-based artist Matt Watkins’ (aka BEAT 13) latest hypnotic short film, MOTHWASP UNLIVE
Taian Lu - Diverse - Birmingham City University student, Taian Lu’s abstract animation Diverse explores masculinity and androgynous psychology
Screendance Shorts: OOO & The Protocol - Midlander Lauren Midwinter’s extraordinarily choreographed OOO plays in the Screendance competition programme, as to does Birmingham-based Avatâra Ayuso’s The Protocol.
Special events include:
Birmingham Collage Collective - The ever growing Birmingham Collage Collective which includes artist Mark Murphy (who will be in conversation with collage artist Seán Hillen during the festival) will be delivering a zoom masterclass in the art form.
Screendance Competition -Joining forces with the Birmingham International Dance Festival, and independent curator and Birmingham-based filmmaker Sima Gonsai, Flatpack present two programmes of short films (several of which are UK premieres) that span both Flatpack 2021 and BIDF (which starts a few days later).
Starship Impossible with The Brothers McLeod - West-Midlands based BAFTA winning animators The Brothers McLeod will be presenting the series in its entirety for the first time during the festival and will also be giving a talk about their experience making it, as well as working with global media company Misfit.
Trash Film Club - Verotika - Birmingham’s irregular Trash Film night features hosts David and Luke, with special guest Greg Sestero (who played Mark in The Room), talking the audience through the very best bits of one of the very worst films ever made: 2019’s Verotika.
Shorts and Hops with Digbrew - Teaming up with independent brewery DigBrew, Flatpack have curated a selection of classic short films paired with some of DigBrew’s finest beverages. Enjoy a pint of the very special Waka / Jawaka (named after Frank Zappa’s fourth album) while feasting your eyes on the mind-melting work of Zappa’s collaborator Bruce Bickford.
TIME MACHINE
Delving into archives through screenings and discussions:
Mind The Gaps - Black Country award-winning artist and filmmaker Billy Dosanjh chats to Nirmal Puwar (who grew up in Coventry), Reader in Sociology, at Goldsmiths, University of London about film and TV archives and drawing out the untold stories which can fall through the gaps.
Let Us Play - General Public (Elizabeth Rowe and Chris Poolman) have been delving into the secret history of Birmingham's adventure playground movement, and during this event present a chance to see never-screened archive footage of the city at play.
Adventures with Archives: Hidden Treasures
During the 2020 and 2021 lockdowns young and emerging creatives have been working with Shropshire-based MediaActive Projects' Adventures with Archives programme, exploring new approaches to archive film exhibition. Their process has involved curating and repurposing archive footage for contemporary audiences by creating new soundtracks, new narratives, new experiences. Further information: https://www.mediaactive.org/adventures-with-archives.html
2 Visions 2 Legacies
Premiere of a new short film combining archives, animation and newly recorded interviews, part of a heritage project around the Jewellery Quarter's two iconic cemeteries at Key Hill and Warstone Lane. Followed by a Q&A session with the filmmaker Scott Johnston and the project co-curators.
Paradise Lost + Q&A
The world premiere of long-anticipated Paradise Lost - Andy Howlett’s documentary about architect John Madin’s controversial brutalist building, Birmingham Central Library.
BEYOND THE FESTIVAL
Beyond May, Flatpack will be busy with various summer outdoor community film screenings, their Wonderland project exploring the history of cinema-going in the city, interactive family project Colour Box at Home where audiences receive packs and zines, and an Autumn Weekender (24-25 September) full of actual live cinema events.
On Sunday 26th April Midlands Movies Editor Michael Sales & awards ceremony co-host Ed Stagg (BBC Radio) announced the nominations for the 2026 Midlands Movies Awards live from the Queen of Bradgate Vintage Cinema in Leicester. A big thanks was given to the entire Jury Panel of industry experts who gave up their precious time to watch a huge selection of creative projects and as always, had a difficult time choosing from the excellent number of films from the region. You can read the full list of nominations across all 16 categories below and watch our announcement videos here: Part 1 & Part 2 And please also check out our great awards partner Chrome Video Best Actress in a Leading Role Karendip Phull for Family Kate Bracken for The Lace Rachel Baker for Throwing Fruit Chloe Wade for How Long Sophie Bullock for Ma Prison Best Animated Film Of All the Things by Steff Lee Big Red by James Pyle Statue in the Garden by Qianhui Yu Butterfly by Jacob Christie Best Director Luke Worrall for The Waterline Lily Portman for Quiet Jack Richardson for Daniel’s Room Jonathan Hawes for Sorry We’re Closed Sophia Dall'Aglio for Man from Mars Best Documentary Nothing's Impossible by Jacob Thomas McClean A Birmingham Symphony by Jemma Saunders We Bring Light: Leicester's Diwali Legacy by Kieran Vyas The Sunshine Café by Jill Lampert Through the Viewfinder by William North Best Sound (Editing or Mixing) Neil Evans & his team for Artificial Insanity Alasdair Gretton for Dead on Distribution Deepanjali Patel for Earworm David Hamilton-Smith for The Pause Heidi Wilson for Of All The Things Best Actor in a Supporting Role Devon Junior for Lazar Tim Sparrow for Safety Net Shaiek Ahmed Rana for Family Luke Rollason for Quiet Peter Willoughby for A Story of Spring Best Visual & Special Effects Jake Wesley-Worrall for Soul Trader Steve Askey & team for The Correction Unit Nick Willett, Matt Burkey & Jayne Hyman for Black Goat JaqD SFX MUA, Mind Magic Studios and Ben Harker for Beyond the Witching Hour Pete Key, Jai Blanks and Jacob Christie for Countenance Best Cinematography Gary Rogers for The Pause Laurence Mason-Guetta for Sorry We’re Closed Ian Snape for Soul Trader Ash Connaughton for Daniel’s Room Duane Adamoli for Surfing (nominations continue below...)
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