INDUSTRY LUMINARIES SELECT SHORT LIST FOR BEST SHORT FILM OF 2003

TCM CLASSIC SHORTS award ceremony, announcing the best short film of 2003, takes place on 5th November at the National Film Theatre as part of The 47th Times bfi London Film Festival (the festival runs from 22 October - 6 November 2003). Jude Law, Ralph Fiennes and Bernardo Bertolucci are just three of the fifteen judges tasked with finding the top directors of the future.

This year TCM CLASSIC SHORTS received 320 entries, 30% more than in 2002. The six finalists’ films will be shown at the ceremony and the judges will award trophies and cash prizes totalling £10,000 to the top three films.

This year’s six short listed directors whose films have caught the eyes of the judges are (in random order) Amit Kumar, Toby Haynes, Matthew Santiago Whitecross, Alicia Duffy, Michael Baig Clifford and Dominic Santana.

The full panel of judges includes many of the biggest names in the industry; Jude Law, Ralph Fiennes, Bernardo Bertolucci, Richard Eyre, Stephen Frears, Mark Herman, Wendy Ide, Nick James, Richard Jobson, Colin Kennedy, John Madden, Ismail Merchant, Barry Norman, Stephen Woolley and Tina McCann. Many of these actors, directors and producers have lent their support and expertise to the initiative since its inception and have been invaluable in helping nurture new talent.

The British Film institute and the London Film Festival has played host to TCM CLASSIC SHORTS since the competition began in 2000. Among the bright new talent it has discovered and encouraged are, Gerald McMorrow, director of THESPIAN X, Brian Percival, director of About A Girl, which won the Best Short BAFTA and director, Toby MacDonald whose Je T’Aime John Wayne also received a BAFTA Best Short nomination.

There will also be an opportunity to see the films from winners and runners-up when they are shown on TCM as part of a special Classic Shorts Weekend on November 8th and 9th.

Further information is available at: www.tcmonline.co.uk and for further information about The Times bfi London Film Festival, please log onto: www.lff.org.uk

TCM (Turner Classic Movies) a Time Warner Company draws from an extensive library of timeless movies presenting them in a contemporary style reinterpreting their place in history and their relevance to people’s lives today. In the UK, an average of 5.1 M viewers tune in to TCM each month, making TCM the 2nd highest rating movie channel (behind Sky Premiere). TCM is available via cable and satellite and reaches over 9 million households in the UK.

TCM CLASSIC SHORTS 2003 SHORTLIST

THE BYPASS
Directed by Amit Kumar
2003 17 mins
A honeymooning couple in India is attacked and killed by bandits who steal their money and a gold watch. A policeman interrupts the mayhem, finding the watch, and keeping it but not the cash. A cycle of theft and murder ensues as possession of the booty passes between the policeman, the robbers, a cafe owner and some travellers.

LOST AND FOUND
Directed by Toby Haynes
2003 15 mins
An award-winning lost and found property officer deals with all objects (including a handbag full of cash) with honesty and aplomb. However, the contents of a gold and black tin prove too much of a temptation. The officer, rather obsessed with his growing bald patch, wears the wig he has found, but comes unstuck when the owner comes to claim it.

JOB STREET
Directed by Matthew Santiago Whitecross
2003 10 mins
This evocative and stylish short drama examines the exploitation and racism faced by three illegal immigrant workers and the desperation it can lead to. Riveting and moving, it is a simple message eloquently told and gives a different perspective to the continued attacks on Immigrates from a hostile British press.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MAN IN THE WORLD
Directed by Alicia Duffy
2002 6 mins
A girl. A dog. A mother. A topless man. This bewitching snapshot examines an encounter between a young girl and a topless man. As the small girl searches for something to do on a hot day, she aimlessly walks into the path of a stranger. It may be a sexual awakening for the girl or an encounter of a potentially more sinister nature.

BROWN PAPER BAG
Directed by Michael Baig Clifford
2003 13 mins
A bitter-sweet drama about a love-struck alcoholic couple. Following an evening of entertaining pub banter, the woman glasses a barmaid in a drunken jealous rage. The man, looking for his missing girlfriend at an AA meeting, discusses his alcohol problem and the abuse he experienced at the hands of his alcoholic father. His girlfriend is found unconscious and taken into hospital where she dies.

CLAVERDEEK
Directed by Dominic Santana
2003 11 mins
The extraordinary story of one man's obsession with another man's happiness. John Claverdeek is hated by his neighbour who sets about ending his happiness by various viciously cunning means. When all else fails, a dastardly plot to kill him with explosives and a border collie is the final solution.

RAINDANCE OPENING WEEKEND

The 11th Raindance Film Festival opened on Friday night with thought-provoking documentary Capturing the Friedmans - and it was clear to see why this cutting-edge film was awarded the Grand Jury prize at Sundance earlier this year. This powerful film intersperses interviews with members of the Friedman family with video-diary footage taken at the time of the controversial case, inviting the audience to question the guilt or innocence of the accused at every turn. Sitting amongst the audience were Ken Russell, this year's Director in Residence, internationally renowned photographer and Raindance juror Rankin and actor Marc Warren, who stars in short film Perfect, screening at the festival. The screening was followed by an exclusive party at Rouge, which saw directors and audiences mingling and possibly swapping filmmaking tips as they danced the night away.

More familiar faces arrived to enjoy the screenings on Saturday, including In the Cut director Jane Campion, and TV impressionist Alistair McGowan. Director in residence Ken Russell spoke to Mark Kermode about his inspirations and influences as a director, encouraging aspiring filmmakers to pick up a camera and shoot - as he now does in his back garden with family and friends. The audience was treated to a rare screening of Savage Messiah, cited by Russell as the film he is most proud of.

Fuse, one of this year's Raindance Official Selection films, played to a sold out screening to much praise - many heralding the film as one of the best independent features to emerge for years.

TODAY AT RAINDANCE

**Film Highlight: Phone

UGC Shaftesbury Avenue, London. 7.30 pm

In Phone mysterious and threatening phone calls seem to have the power to terrorise, possess, and even kill those who are unfortunate enough to answer. Phone is a terrifying piece of modern technological horror which mirrors the cult Japanese classic The Ring in pace and style, transforming the benign ring of a phone into a frightening sound.



TOMORROW AT RAINDANCE

**Film Highlight: Twilight Samurai

UGC Shaftesbury Avenue, London. 7.10 pm

Twilight Samurai is a tender and compassionate film from acclaimed director Yoji Yamada, which topped this year's box office in Japan and swept the boards at the 2003 Japanese Academy Awards. This is Yamada's 77th film, marking his 41s year as a director.

**Film Highlight: Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy

UGC Shaftesbury Avenue, London. 11 pm

This entertaining and fascinating comedy looks into the life of pornstar Ron Jeremy, who has enjoyed a career in the adult film industry spanning 25 years. He has appeared in over 1600 motion pictures - including the classics Ally McFeel and Natural Born Thrillers - has made millions of dollars and slept with thousands of beautiful women. So, just how did Ron Jeremy, an unassuming schlub from Long Island, become the hardest working man in show business? Prepare yourself for a penetrating look inside the world of America's most unlikely sex star with Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy.