TRIFORCE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2019 ANNOUNCES SHORTLISTED FILMS, JUDGED BY IDRIS ELBA AND GURINDER CHADHA
– Shortlisted films selected by leading filmmakers including Elba and Chadha –
– Annual short film festival hosted by TriForce Creative Network takes place at BFI Southbank on 30th November –
14 November 2019: The TriForce Short Film Festival (TFSFF), established by the TriForce Creative Network to promote, support and showcase the diverse range of talent in contemporary filmmaking, has announced the shortlist of films for its 2019 Festival. Showcasing the best in short film from the UK and across the globe, the Festival will be held on 30th November at BFI Southbank.
16 short films have been selected to be showcased throughout the day long festival, with half of the films having been made by BAME filmmakers, and over 60% of the film directed by women. The Festival offers a unique chance to bring filmmakers together with influential figures in the UK film and TV industry, enabling participants a channel to further their careers.
Shortlisted films have been judged by a panel of influential industry figures including Golden Globe and SAG winning actor, director, producer and musician, Idris Elba and award-winning writer, producer, director Gurinder Chadha, OBE.
Idris Elba, whose credits include Luther, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and Marvel’s Avengers franchise, said; “It’s an honour to be part of the TriForce Short Film Festival judging panel. There is a crucial need in the UK film and TV industry to include voices from every walk of life to ensure our community is one of inclusivity, which is why this festival is so important.”
All shortlisted films for The TriForce Short Film Festival 2019 are as follows:
Microshorts Category:
- Error in Terror Campaign: Terrorism Has No Religion: This dramatic short film follows a young man about to carry out an atrocious terrorist act. However, he is given a chance to recognise the inhumanity of such action.
- Dear Hearing World: This short film is based on a poem written and spoken by deaf spoken-word artist Raymond Antrobus. Sign Language with music and striking urban London scenes.
- Quiet Carriage: A man must decide whether to intervene and stop a casual commuting rule breaker, or live with a lifetime of regret. A comedy about a passive man with an overactive imagination.
- CRUST: This stop motion animated short focusses on interplay between the elderly woman Mabel and her husband Joe, whilst she is baking to take part in a competition.
Non-Scripted Category (Supported by Multi Story):
- Waves: Filmed in Cape Town’s notorious Lavender Hill, Waves explores the perspective of three young girls growing up in one of South Africa’s most violent communities.
- The Last Taboo: In this provocative short documentary, three women who made the decision to mother from afar tell their stories and open up about what they lost—and gained—when they left the homes they had shared with their children. At a time when there’s growing acceptance for alternative family models, why does the idea of non-custodial motherhood still have the power to shock and appal?
- Deleted – A short documentary following the last 5 hours of 59-year-old Ahmed before becoming homeless due to the late payments and bureaucracy by the Department for Work and Pensions.
- My Decision: An insightful documentary that highlights the life of second-generation immigrant kids who born in the UK. With a unique access, the film explores the story of teenage girls’ decision on wearing headscarves as a symbol of their identity and tells their journey to dismantle the stereotype about Muslim girls.
General Submissions Category:
- Murmurs: A father reconnects with his daughter in a most unusual way.
- STARBOY:A mystical young Hasidic man increasingly doubts his identity, his gender, and the nature of being as conflict between him and his pious young wife escalates with shocking consequences.
- Signs: A coming-of-age drama about a teenage carer (RHIANNE BARRETO) coming to terms with the responsibility of looking after her family after a distressing incident.
- Deuce: A girl checks into a beautifully remote five-star hotel – but what is she up to? All is revealed in ‘Deuce’ – a quirky family dramedy about the daughter of a tennis pro. She is her father’s champion and cheerleader. Together they can take on the world.
- Sides of a Horn: This short is the first film to tell the story of South Africa’s poaching war from both sides of the fence. Based on actual events and filmed in the townships and game reserves most directly impacted by wildlife crime, this dramatic short paints an unbiased portrait of a modern war that is tearing apart communities and driving a pre-historic species to the verge of extinction.
- Alpha + Omega: An exploration of love, identity and connection; Alpha & Omega delves into the life of Imani, a young Rastafari woman, whose life is rocked when her partner Hakeem discovers she’s been keeping a secret.
- Swallow: Sleep deprived and tortured, watching her Mum slowly die, Paula spends the night in a Liverpool hospice, which leads to an irreversible conclusion.
- Grandma’s 80th Birthday Surprise: Fresh in love, a respectful young man is forced to confront his family’s rigid traditions as he seeks the approval of the family matriarch, his formidable 80-year-old Grandmother.
The panel also chose the four finalists who are in contention for the ‘Best of the Fest’ Award, supported by Professor Stefan Allesch-Taylor CBE. They are:
Error in Terror Campaign: Terrorism Has No Religion:
- Waves
- Swallow
- Grandma’s 80th Birthday Surprise
The 16 shortlisted films showcase a range of genres and topics, covering everything from politics, identity, religion, LGTBQ, family, and love stories, through drama, documentary and animation. They were submitted by filmmakers from across the UK and internationally with entries also coming from South Africa and USA. All the shortlisted films will be screened at the festival at BFI Southbank in London to an audience of peers and key industry representatives.
Alongside Elba and Chadha, the selected films were chosen by a panel of renowned industry experts included Multi Story’s Head of Documentaries, Mark Ruben, talent agent Lola Williams, Metro’s Chief Film Critic Larushka Ivan-Zadeh, Ten10 Films producer and MD Tendeka Matatu, Head of BFI Network, Jessica Loveland and executive producer Professor Stefan Allesch-Taylor CBE. The Non-Scripted Winner will win £500 and meet with Mark Rubens at Multi Story as part of their prize. In addition, the ‘Best of the Fest’ winner will win £1000, a Panasonic DC-GH5MEB-K camera worth £1500 and meeting with Allesch-Taylor to pitch for financing for their next project, as part of his continued relationship with the Festival. There are two further prizes of a £750 bursary supported by John Byrne and Lola Williams for the most promising director, as well as an Audience Choice Award of £250 chosen by the audience at the gala. All 16 shortlisted filmmakers will win a year’s Raindance membership.
Minnie Ayres, COO of TriForce said; “We’re very excited to be moving to a new home at BFI Southbank, enabling us to offer additional workshops and seminars for emerging filmmakers during the day, alongside a fantastic array of short films. Representation matters, and with our film selection, you will see a hugely diverse range of stories and talent on and off screen.”
TFSFF boasts a wealth of high profile patrons including; Kathy Burke, David Morrissey (The Walking Dead ), David Oyelowo (Selma), Kacey Ainsworth, (EastEnders, Grantchester), Noel Clarke (Bulletproof), Nicholas Pinnock (Top Boy, Fortitude), Zawe Ashton (Fresh Meat), producer Hilary Bevan Jones (Deep State), director Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland), and award-winning writer Roy Williams OBE.
Each year, TFSFF partners each category screening of the 16 shortlisted films across the day with seminars and workshops led by leading industry professionals focused on current issues within the TV and film industry and career development. This year’s partners include Professor Stefan Allesch-Taylor CBE, BFI Network, Multi Story, Raindance, Mama Youth Project, Variety, Into Film, National Film and Television School, Creative England, Film London, The Film Festival Doctor John Byrne and Lola Williams, The Sea Containers and Panasonic.
The full schedule for the day can be found here.
Please see the TFSFF website for more information on all the films. Tickets* for the festival are available now via the website at www.tfsff.com
* Ticket prices are kept as low as possible to enable people from all walks of life to attend. A day pass gives access to all seminars, screenings, workshops and the expo, while cheaper individual screening and seminar tickets are also available.
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For further information please contact:
Charlie Wainwright, Premier on behalf of TriForce Short Film Festival
[email protected]/ 0207 292 7372
Notes To Editors:
About the TriForce Short Film Festival
TFSFF is a short film festival established by the TriForce Creative Network in 2012 to showcase talent in contemporary film-making, helping emerging film-makers to develop skills and access opportunities to further their careers. With a focus on recognising and supporting diverse talent, the festival brings together filmmakers with the movers and shakers in the industry, enabling emerging artists to break into the mainstream. 16 shortlisted films get the chance to be seen on the big screen, in front of key industry representatives, with the winning film-makers earning career development opportunities with our industry partners, as well as a cash prize for their next project.
The TFSFF takes place at BFI Southbank, presenting a packed day of seminars tackling the key issues of the industry and offering invaluable advice from industry professionals, alongside a bustling industry expo and screenings of the shortlisted films. Concluding with a red-carpet gala evening attended by high profile supporters, the TFSFF is the place to see untapped and diverse talent, showcasing innovative story-telling and visually stunning short films.
This years’ TFSFF judging panel includes;
- Professor Stefan Allesch-Taylor CBE – entrepreneur and exec producer
- Idris Elba – actor, producer, writer
- Larushka Ivan-Zadeh – Chief Film Critic at Metro
- Tendeka Matatu – Producer and MD, Ten10 Films
- Lola Williams – Director, New Wonder Management
- Mark Rubens – Head of Documentaries, MultiStory (formerly Shiver)
- Jessica Loveland – Head of BFI Network
About the TriForce Creative Network
TriForce Creative Network was built on a strong ethos of inclusion and access, opening doors to the industry to people from all walks of life and providing a trusted and viable avenue for the industry to discover diverse talent. We provide opportunities for actors, writers, directors, producers and crew through the following initiatives:
- MonologueSlam UK: MonologueSlam UK is a renowned nationwide showcase for actors. For more info go to: com
- WriterSlam UK: WriterSlam provides a platform for writers looking to break into TV. Prizes include paid development commissions and mentoring with top TV executives. For more information go to: https://thetcn.com/writerslam/
- TriForce Productions: The production company was set up to create TV, film and online content, with a focus on diverse content for mainstream audiences. We delivered our first broadcast commission, Sorry, I Didn’t Know, a comedy panel show with a twist for ITV2 in 2016, with more projects in the pipeline. For more information go to: https://thetcn.com/triforce-productions/
- The TCN Talent Pool/Dandi – the diversity and inclusion support service: The TCN have now created a Talent Pool that is free for crew and creative talent to use. Through their new recruitment service for production companies, dandi.org.uk, the TCN are helping the industry to increase diversity and inclusion in their crews and offices. For more information go to:https://thetcn.com/candidates/ and http://dandi.org.uk/
