CONTROVERSIAL NEW BRITISH HORROR MOVIE

‘THE LUCIFER EFFECT’ TO DEBUT AT CANNES NEXT WEEK

Film reported to be ‘cursed’ and contain subliminal messages in a hidden frame storyline

The controversial new British horror movie, THE LUCIFER EFFECT ¹ will overcome its alleged ‘curse’ to debut at the Cannes Film Festival next week. The film has been in and out of the headlines following a number of bizarre incidents, disappearances and even police intervention during filming last year.

‘The Lucifer Effect’ first hit the headlines last year when one of the participants ⁶ was almost throttled by another cast member. Police seized the footage and the film was put on hold.

However, despite the film’s original director³ also having gone missing, the film has been completed by a new documentary film crew headed by Edward Boon and is now set to premiere at Cannes on 16^th May.

The film studies the social condition known as ‘The Lucifer Effect’⁵ - a psychological consequence that is said to occur when ‘good’ people are given power over others in an evil place. The effect was first investigated in the 1970s during the infamous Stanford Prison experiment. The Lucifer Effect producers recreated a modern day equivalent in an abandoned mental asylum ².

The film also uses subliminal imagery and has a secret secondary storyline interwoven in hidden frames beneath the main storyline – the first feature film in the world believed to use this controversial technology. The use of subliminal scenes has added to the rumours of a curse. Reports of a curse originally surfaced due to the fact that the film features footage of disturbing events which occurred when the participants in the film held a Ouija board session during their brief stay in the asylum. Unlike other films that it has been compared to, such as ‘The Blair Witch Project’ or ‘Paranormal Activity’, the footage and events in ‘The Lucifer Project’ are actually real, there was no script, and the reactions of the participants are genuine, including the unfortunate assault. As a result police in Lincolnshire seized the footage and the film was put on hold, creating alot of international media attention. The story was also widely covered in the British press.

 

The film centers around eight people who volunteered for a role in a movie on buyamovierole.com, only to be locked inside a reportedly haunted mental asylum ² for three days and nights, with no communication from the outside world and little food to eat.

Since these events, two of the cast have been hospitalized with other cast members receiving counseling and treatment for depression and any possible after effects. All involved had signed release forms and given their consent before entering the asylum, although some of the actors are now looking to sue the film company for false imprisonment. It is reported that some of the cast believe the producers are still pulling their strings one year on.

Adding to the stories of a curse is the fact that the director who oversaw the filming of the original events is also now missing. This is coupled with rumours that one of the actresses has been sectioned in South America.

In order to investigate whether the alleged ‘curse’ can have any effects on the public at large, the film has added an innovative social media angle. When the trailer on the film’s Facebook and social networking pages is viewed, their webcam is activated, thereby involving the viewer in what is seen onscreen. Already, there have been reports of doors mysteriously opening and closing, shadows appearing and lampshades moving in the background.

The producers added the webcam feature after the ‘curse’ reports surfaced to pick up on any paranormal activity once the film trailer had been watched. The producers say if anything interesting or unusual is recorded whilst watching the trailer there is a chance that the recordings will be featured in the final cut of the film when it is released. Watch the trailer here: http://www.thelucifereffectmovie.com

Square Enix and Bigpoint Unleash a World of Creativity with

 

Innovative new online platform lets users create, share and play their own games and game worlds

Endless possibilities, console-level HD graphics, and easily accessible gameplay

London - May 8^th, 2012 – Square Enix Ltd. and Bigpoint are excited to unveil the first details on Gameglobe™ an innovative new online game platform to be published by the two companies.

Gameglobe is a unique browser-based experience that allows players free access to endless game worlds and creative possibilities, all in HD quality. Players can choose to either create their own game or simply play the multitude of levels available at launch.

"It's never been easier to create your own game," said Rune Vendler, Game Director. "We want Gameglobe to be a community where everyone can get involved in the fun: play new games every day, share your favourites, or flex your creative muscles with your own designs."

“We’re very excited by the creativity unleashed through the collaboration between Bigpoint and Square Enix that allows us to bring an entirely new and innovative online gaming experience to players”, added Jan-Michel Saaksmeier, Executive Producer at Bigpoint. ”Gameglobe offers fun without limits and a vast selection of free-to-play adventures directly in your browser – and in full console quality HD graphics.”

Gameglobe is developed by Danish studio Hapti.co who is part of the Square Enix group and will be published exclusively by Bigpoint in Europe and North America, who will distribute the game through the Bigpoint.com Portal as well as across their network of partners.

Gameglobe is currently in closed beta and will be opened up to additional players in the coming months. To register for the beta, players can head to the official website (http://www.gameglobe.com).

Further information can be found at:

- http://www.bigpoint.net/ 

- http://www.bigpoint.com/ 

- http://www.gameglobe.com

Amazon Studios to Develop Original Comedy and Children’s Series

Writers, animators and filmmakers around the world are now invited to submit comedic and children’s series proposals

SEATTLE—May 2, 2012—(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon.com, Inc. today announced that Amazon Studios is expanding its development efforts into comedy and children’s series.  Amazon Studios is Amazon’s content development division that uses audience feedback to identify great, original entertainment customers will love. Starting today, series creators are invited to upload their proposals for comedy and children’s programming to Amazon Studios at http://studios.amazon.com/getting-started/series. The best comedy and children’s series will be distributed through Amazon Instant Video, Amazon’s digital video streaming service. 

“Amazon Studios wants to discover great talent and produce programming that audiences will love,” said Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios. “In the course of developing movies, we’ve heard a lot of interest from content creators who want to develop original series in the comedy and children’s genres. We are excited to bring writers, animators and directors this new opportunity to develop original series.”

Each month, Amazon Studios intends to option one promising new project and add it to the development slate where it will be tested for viability with an audience.  If Amazon Studios elects to distribute a full-budget series, the creator will receive a $55,000 payment, up to 5 percent of Amazon’s net receipts from toy and t-shirt licensing, and other royalties and bonuses. Amazon Studios’ production company, the People’s Production Company is signatory to the Writers Guild of America and to The Animation Guild, Local 839.

To submit, a project must have a five-page description, along with a 22-minute pilot script for comedies, or an 11-minute pilot script for children’s shows. Within 45 days of submission, Amazon Studios will either extend an option on the project for $10,000 or invite the creator to add the project to the Amazon Studios site.  If a project is not optioned, creators may remove their idea from the Amazon Studios site or leave it to get community feedback.  

Amazon Studios new series development is led by Joe Lewis, previously with 20^th Century Fox and Comedy Central and Tara Sorensen, formerly with National Geographic Kids.

Amazon Studios launched in November 2010. Since then, more than 700 test movies and 7,000 scripts have been submitted and 15 movie projects are currently under development.  For more information about Amazon Studios, visit http://studios.amazon.com. Follow the Amazon Studios blog, Hollywonk (http://www.hollywonk.com) for up to date news, tips on filmmaking and writing or insightful interviews with industry leaders.

Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide

Star Wars™

The Ultimate Visual Guide

Price: £17.99  Publishing: 1^st May 2012

Journey through the Star Wars galaxy with this updated and expanded edition of the best-selling ultimate visual guide

Discover the entire history of the Star Wars galaxy, from thousands of years before Episode I to three decades after Episode VI and right up to the latest adventures, with Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide.

Meet the characters, explore profiles of the Jedi, Sith, Rebels and Aliens, and revisit your favourite film storylines, with more than 1,000 images from the movies, video games, comics, novels and TV series, along with rare behind-the-scenes photography and preproduction drawings covering all six films. This updated and expanded edition also contains all the latest tales from the new Star Wars™: The Clone Wars™ TV series, plus a fascinating look at 35 years of stunning merchandise, from toys and collectibles to poster art and fan conventions.

Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide reveals the complete story of the Star Wars Saga in amazing detail. It’s an out-of-this-world addition to any fan’s collection with the most up-to-date information for the 35^th Anniversary year.

Angry Birds Land opens at Särkänniemi Theme Park

Finland’s Särkänniemi Adventure Park has opened its doors for the summer season with a brand new attraction, the world’s first Angry Birds Land.  The themed area of the park consists of 12 rides, an adventure course, games and food points, designed especially for families and young children.

Angry Birds Land was designed by Särkänniemi’s own staff and designers in collaboration with the game’s creator Rovio and BDR Design, an American design company specialised in theme parks. The team has made sure that everything from the smallest detail truly represents the popular game. A themed adventure course lies at the heart of the park and a multi-layered sound experience called ‘voice world’ helps whisk visitors off to a virtual playground.

Later in the summer ‘Magic Place’ will be added to the attraction where guests can upgrade the content of their own Angry Birds Game via mobile technology. This surprising element is the first of its kind and will reward guests with mobile technology, based on their level of interaction at the park. The area will also feature interactive pods where visitors can play the game and meet characters from Angry Birds.  

 

“The opening of Angry Birds Land in Särkänniemi is a really big deal for us”, says Chief Executive Officer Miikka Seppälä. “The theme and design of Angry Birds is internationally renowned, so we are delighted to welcome visitors from around the globe to experience the product for themselves. The area is definitely a must see destination for millions of Angry Birds players, but also a great experience for those who are not yet familiar with the game”.   

The area opens today, but finishing touches will continue until the beginning of June 2012. The official opening will be celebrated on Friday June 8^th.

Särkänniemi Adventure Park will also see new attractions in its Dolphinaroum, Children’s Zoo, Planetarium and Aquarium. The park, situated in Tampere, Finland, is home to seven rollercoasters and an award winning rotating restaurant located at the top of its observation tower. The impressive tower is the country’s largest free-standing structure offering panoramic views across Tampere’s vast lakes Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi.

A short distance from the park is Tampere city centre. The city offers a mix of industrial heritage, slick Finnish sophistication and spectacular scenery including waterways and woodlands. This unique city, often referred to as the 'Manchester of Finland', has an industrious energy and many of the large factories and warehouses have now been converted into unusual galleries and museums such as the Moomin ValleyMuseum, Vakoilumuseo (Spy Museum) and the Lenin Museum (where Lenin and Stalin allegedly first met).

Ryanair offers flights to Tampere from both London Stansted operating three times a week and Edinburgh twice a week with prices starting at £16.99 via www.ryanair.com. Sokos Hotels has as a number of hotels across Tampere and offers double rooms from £120.00 per night (www.sokoshotels.fi/). The centrally located Scandic Tampere City Hotel has double rooms starting from £70.00 per night (www.scandichotels.com).

ODEON Continues on Low Carbon Pathway by Retaining the Carbon Trust Standard

ODEON becomes the first cinema chain to retain the Carbon Trust Standard

ODEON has been recertified with the Carbon Trust Standard for successfully measuring, managing and reducing carbon emissions in their chain of cinemas across the UK and Ireland. ODEON has reduced carbon emissions by over 10% in the past five years.

ODEON was first awarded the Carbon Trust Standard in 2010 and, in the last two years, has honed its energy efficiency strategies even further to cut carbon emissions by 2,900 tonnes of CO2 and equivalent. 

Roger Harris, ODEON and UCI Chief Operating Officer said: “Recertifying under the Carbon Trust Standard has enabled us to identify new areas to increase carbon efficiency, bringing tangible and significant cost savings to our operations through initiatives like the introduction of automatic metering and LED lighting installation.  With our carbon reduction strategies now coming of age through the recertification to the Carbon Trust Standard, we plan to continue to renew our commitment to taking action on climate change.”

ODEON has worked over the past five years to implement operational practices that measure, manage and reduce carbon emissions across the chain of cinemas in the UK. These operational changes include the introduction of a standardised energy plan which tracks utility consumption, providing a basis for any necessary adjustments to practices. In addition, the company has put in place a platform to share best practice on minimising carbon impact, with ‘Regional Energy Champions’ appointed to present regularly at dedicated central workshops. 

The introduction of Regional Energy Champions has enabled ODEON to offer energy training for all staff, with the creation of a training workbook to ensure full understanding of the buildings energy consumption regardless of the type of equipment, and a central “toolbox” to aid Local Energy Champions. In addition, all ODEON staff are now required to complete an Energy Workbook as they progress through their career.

Darran Messem, Managing Director Certification, Carbon Trust, said:

“ODEON’s focused, sustained approach to carbon reduction will return major dividends in terms of cost efficiency and reputational benefit. We are pleased to be helping ODEON to maintain their reputation for good carbon management by successfully measuring, managing and reducing their carbon emissions over the last two years.”

To achieve the Carbon Trust Standard, organisations must firstly measure their direct carbon footprint (for example, on-site fuel and electricity use), prove that good carbon management practices are in place and demonstrate genuine reduction in their emissions over a three year period.  The Carbon Trust Standard is valid for two years.  The recertification is equally robust and demands an even greater focus on carbon reduction, on top of   reductions that the company made during their first certification.

Keep a Track of Loved-ones and Possessions with iFind from RED5.co.uk

Trackable GPS microdots are a real boon for cuckolded mooks everywhere!

1 April 2012 - London UK: RED5.co.uk, the ultimate gadget shop, today launches the ground-breaking iFind Trackable GPS Microdot system, to allow cuckolded partners and jealous spouses everywhere to track their cheating partners’ every move on their smartphones.  This ingenious invention is also a must have for forgetful types helping them keep hold of their everyday possessions.

Simply pop the tiny iFind on your pet's collar or, for example, in your adulterous husband or wife’s mobile or wallet and – hey presto! – you can soon rest assured that you will never lose your beloved moggy again and that you will, almost certainly, catch the missus, or mister,  “at it” with Roger from accounts or Diane from HR. After all, such information is invaluable to any good family lawyer in the divorce courts!

Also invaluable for people who cannot keep hold of their phone, keys, car or any other worldly possession, the iFind will help even the most scatter-brained souls keep on top of things.  The tiny microdots feed a GPS signal to the Microdot app (free to download on iTunes) or home computer, enabling users to keep track of their subjects every move or simply relocate that umbrella from the coffee shop on the high street.

“Many people seem to think that tracking friends and family members without their knowledge is in some way ethically wrong,” says RED5 founder Jonathan Elvidge. “This couldn’t be further from the truth. Any truly concerned family member surely has a moral responsibility to track their children or spouse without them knowing. After all, they will only have their best interests at heart!”

The iFind Trackable GPS Microdot system is fully compatible with all major smartphone platforms, including Apple iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone.

**LEGAL DISCLAIMER**

RED5.co.uk cannot be held responsible for any perfectly justifiable retaliations against sneaks, stalkers or “Peeping Tom’s” caught red-handed mis-using the iFind Trackable GPS Microdot system for their own nefarious ends.

**LEGAL DISCLAIMER ENDS**

Available now from Red5.co.uk, the microdots are available individually for £5.95, or in packs of 5 £10.95 or 10, £12.95 – for the forgetful, would-be stalkers and cuckolded mooks everywhere!

UEFA EURO 2012

MARCO BALICH WILL BE THE CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF THE OPENING AND CLOSING CEREMONIES

The Filmmaster Events President, after the recent victory of the Rio 2016™ Olympic Ceremonies,

is one of  the most prominent figures  around the world in Show and Ceremony productions.

Milan, March 29, 2012 - After an international competition, UEFA awarded the task of creating and producing the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the UEFA European Football Championship 2012 to Filmmaster Events/Filmmaster Group, one of the international leaders in the production of great events and spectacular ceremonies in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Filmmaster Events is guided by Marco Balich, the creator of the ceremonies for the Olympic and Paralympic Games held in Turin in 2006 and winner, together with the Brazilian society SRCOM, of the executive production of the Olympic ceremonies of Rio 2016™.  The first production for the Rio 2016™ will be the Flag Handover from the London 2012 Olympic  Games. 

The opening ceremony will take place on 8 June at the National Stadium in Warsaw in Poland before the kick-off of the opening match between Poland and Greece. The closing ceremony will take place in Kyiv on 1 July at the Olympic Stadium. More than 800 volunteers will be involved in the opening and closing ceremonies at UEFA EURO 2012.

Recruiting of volunteer performers for the UEFA EURO 2012 ceremonies has already started and the open positions include dancers, gymnasts, actors, acrobats. People who want to be part of the team must have energy for an event that will be watched by people all around the world.

Marco Balich is the creative director and executive producer of great events and ceremonies, one of the most prominent figures in the global live entertainment scenario. He designed many international events such as the Flag Handover in Salt Lake City, the Turin 2006 Olympic Ceremonies, the Carnival of Venice, Mexico City’s 2010 Bicentennial Ceremonies, the New Delhi Commonwealth Games’ Opening Ceremony, the 75^th Anniversary of Shakhtar Donetsk FC in Ukraine, and the inauguration of the Juventus FC Stadium in Turin.

To take part in the organizing team as a volunteer performer please visit: www.castinguefa.com and www.castinguefa.com/blog. 

Tower Bridge Launches New Animated Attraction

Exciting New Show that brings the Story of Tower Bridge to Life

     As Modern Technology meets Victorian Innovation - Open 01 May 2012

Tower Bridge proudly invites visitors to an audience with Her Majesty Queen Victoria, along with her faithful subjects Sir John Wolfe-Barry, the Victorian civil engineer who designed Tower Bridge, and its architect Sir Horace Jones, to experience the story of the bridge in an exciting new show that opens at the world-famous London landmark this spring.

Using the latest techniques in visual effects, this immersive experience features top stars from stage and screen, including Cally Lawrence (Coronation Street, Law & Order UK) as Queen Victoria,Sebastian Abineri (The Bill, Kingdom) as Horace Jones and Robert Benfield (Sherlock, Emmerdale) as Sir John Wolfe-Barry, to tell the fascinating story of Tower Bridge in an entertaining and light-hearted way that will appeal to all ages.

The Experience:

• On arrival at the North Tower of Tower Bridge, visitors are guided to engineer
  Sir John Wolfe-Barry’s Victorian ‘ virtual’ study - a realistic three-walled set created by 3D mapping (with a  floor-to-ceiling height of approx  4.5 metres
  and a back wall width of around 4 metres).
•  The audience enter the newly themed area and the four-minute show commences, using a projected figure of Sir John Wolfe-Barry in conversation with Her Majesty Queen Victoria and architect Sir Horace Jones, who are both depicted as talking portraits (animated plasma TVs).
• This exciting new initiative uses the latest developments in 3D mapping –
  a technique that projects images onto a 2D plane which has a textured surface creating the illusion of depth in a dynamic way. In this instance, we are projecting a textured visual effect of Sir John Wolfe-Barry’s study, as well as incorporating ‘Magic Lantern’ illustration and animation.
• No additional cost for the visitor.

This imaginative show was devised and created by Eddie Saul, Creative Projects Manager at Tower Bridge, and developed by innovative film and media company, ay-pe http://www.ay-pe.com/, whose previous work includes an animated pop-up book for Windsor Guildhall, the Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh and an epic CGI film of Housesteads Roman Fort for English Heritage.

Ay-pe’s Creative Director, Richard Playford, comments: “This is a great opportunity to create a unique piece of immersive media theatre to help interpret and complement this truly iconic structure.”

Tower Bridge’s Creative Projects Manager Eddie Saul adds: “Sir John Wolfe-Barry will be able to pull books from shelves, open them up and have animations pop from the book to cover the whole expanse of the wall. He can even click his fingers to transform the space into the Tower Bridge Engine Room. The possibilities are endless!”

Tower Bridge

• Tower Bridge was the creation of architect Sir Horace Jones and civil engineer Sir John Wolfe-Barry. It took eight years to complete and was officially opened on 30 June 1894 by the Prince and Princess of Wales (the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra).
• Tower Bridge Exhibition is open every day from 10.00am to 6.30pm (April-Sept) and 9.30am to 6.00pm (Oct-March) with last admission half an hour before closing. Admission prices for Tower Bridge are adults £8, children aged 5-15 £3.40, under 5s free and concessions £5.60. The nearest underground stations are London Bridge or Tower Hill.

www.towerbridge.org.uk

Backstage Academy supports jobs and growth in the entertainment industry

Interested in a career in the entertainment industry? Backstage Academy launches a diverse range of short courses tailored around essential skills for the live events production industry

(March 29th 2012, South Kirkby, Yorkshire, UK) – Backstage Academy, a new industry-led training centre designed to deliver high quality, relevant and practical training in different backstage skills, has launched a range of short courses for Spring 2012.

Based at the famous LS-Live rehearsal studios in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, the Academy benefits from its unique links to some of the world’s leading productions and production personnel, tailoring courses to suit the evolving demands of the sector. Courses take place in its state-of-the-art training centre and Apple Authorised Training Suite, adjacent to the studio where the likes of Kylie, Dizzee Rascal, P!nk, Robbie Williams, Lady Gaga and Tinie Tempah have all rehearsed.

Backstage Academy is perfectly positioned to handpick the best tutors in the business with a wealth of real life experience spanning the fields of concert production, TV, theatre, film and corporate hospitality.

The courses cover a range of backstage skills, from rigging and stage pyrotechnics, to the SPA Event Safety Passport (which everyone on site at the Olympics must have this year) and Apple based technologies like Pro Tools and Final Cut for audio and video editing.

Robin Watkinson, COO, Backstage Academy commented: “Britain is going to host many exciting events this summer what with the Queen’s Jubilee and the Olympics celebrations coming up and we’ve tailored a programme of courses that can help event organisers and crew ensure they have the skills to make their live event creative, dynamic and above all safe.”

The value of the events sector to the UK economy is expected to rise from £36.1 billion in 2011 to £48.4 billion in 2020* and the economic benefit of Meetings and Events from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is forecast to be £1.8 billion, reinforcing Britain as a world leader in the production of major events*. The Academy has designed its range of courses to support skills development and ensure the many people putting on events this year and into the future are fully qualified to do so.

Tony Powell, a student on the Stage Pyrotechnics course said: “It was a very useful course, we learnt a lot about different pyrotechnics, their uses and a lot of common sense things that you need to be reminded of. At the end of the day the group had to wire up some pyrotechnics in the big studio to be set off in a certain order. Everyone joined in to do the final show which was quite impressive!”

*  Britain for Events’ ‘Opportunities for Growth in the UK Events Industry’ report

*  Business Visits & Events Partnership’s ‘Meetings and Event Manifesto for Britain’

Short courses commence from mid April and run through until the end of May. In certain circumstances for group bookings, some of the short courses can be delivered off site. For more information, click here.

BFI secures major collection of over 20,000 Central Office of Information films following its closure

The BFI National Archive will acquire the entire moving image archive of the Central Office of Information (COI) when it is formally wound up on 31^st March 2012.  This is the largest single collection ever to be acquired by the BFI and all available rights to the material will also pass to the BFI.

 

Amanda Nevill, Chief Executive, BFI said, “The COI films are wonderful and important examples of British filmmaking. Often quirky and eccentric these films over the last 66 years tell a rich and diverse stories about British life. The fact that they were used so effectively by Government departments really demonstrates the power that film has in capturing the nation’s attention and influencing Britain and we are very proud that the BFI National Archive is the films new guardian.”

 

The BFI has enjoyed a close working relationship with the COI and already holds a large number of COI titles, as part of the Public Records collection preserved in partnership with The National Archives, some of which have been released in a popular series of BFI DVDs: The COI Collection volumes 1 – 6 since 2010.

 

The latest addition to the BFI’s DVD releases of films from the COI collections will be released in time for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with a major collection: Volume Seven: The Queen on Tour presents a wealth of wonderful colour footage of the Queen and the Royal Family travelling the world on official visits between 1953 and 1971. The COI – with unprecedented access to the royals – produced the 'official' record of royal tours and state visits and also commissioned and supervised a variety of retrospectives of the Queen and her family.

 

Highlights from this extraordinary collection of films, many of which were shot in exotic locations, include: Royal Destiny (1953), a look at the Queen's early life, made in her coronation year; The Queen's State Visit to Iran (1961), a fascinating film of the royal visit to Iran eight years after a British-and American-backed coup installed the Shah; Sierra Leone Greets the Queen (1962), a colourful account of the Queen's visit in the year of independence; and Britain Welcomes the Emperor and Empress of Japan (1971), a record of the controversial state visit from Emperor Hirohito and his wife.

 

Many of the UK’s most distinguished filmmakers have worked for the COI such as Peter Greenaway, Ken Loach, Humphry Jennings and Hugh Hudson. Memorable public information campaigns are still resonant decades after their original screenings.

 

The COI collection charts the attitudes and preoccupations of British society through every decade since 1946 and provides a unique insight into Government’s changing priorities for public information, from simple messages telling children how to cross the road through to more hard-hitting information about how to survive a nuclear bomb.

 

Originally shown in cinemas, later on television, the films reflect many of the important social issues of their day.  Many early COI films dealt with the many consequences of post-war reconstruction. The 1970s saw classic characters  like Charley the Cat, Tutfy the Squirrel and the Green Cross Code Man (Dave Prowse) promote personal and road safety, and more recent films have covered important subjects such as climate change and internet safety.

 

As the successor body to previous Government bodies with film interests - at the General Post Office with its famous GPO Film Unit, then the Ministry of Information and its Crown Film Unit, the COI was set up in 1946.  This rich tradition of British public service filmmaking, preserved and curated by the BFI, yielded over 45,000 titles which add up to an irreplacable picture of British life and manners interpreted through creative filmmaking.

 

The COI collection will be preserved in the BFI’s state-of-the-art Master Film Store and will continue to be made widely available on multiple platforms. A selection of COI films can be viewed at the BFI’s MediathequeS at QUAD Derby, Wrexham Library, Newcastle Discovery Museum, Cambridge Central Library, BFI National Library and BFI Southbank, London. Some key titles are also available on the BFI’s YouTube channel, www.YouTube.com/BFIFilms. Significant collections are also available to view by students and academics who can access moving image materials through the InView project and screenonline.

S.O.S. – The Titanic Centenary

At BFI Southbank in April 2012

 

April 2012 marks the centenary of the tragic sinking of the Titanic along with the loss of 1,517 passengers. The intervening years and countless tales of heroism to emerge from the disaster have caused the event to gain near mythical status in film and television; the distinct lack of footage from either the disaster and of the ship prior to its departure only fuelling the intrigue. BFI Southbank gathers together many of the filmed dramatisations of the disaster for a commemorative season that spans interpretations of the event from Britain, (Atlantic 1929, A Night to Remember 1958) and the US (Titanic 1953) via a unique take on the disaster from the propaganda machine of Nazi era Germany (Titanic 1943).

 

Other highlights of the centenary are set to include an exclusive preview of ITV’s upcoming series, Titanic (2012), written by Julian Fellowes followed by a Q&A with the writer, director and cast members that will kick of BFI’s celebrations on 20 March, the newly re mastered version of James Cameron’s Blockbuster Titanic 3D (2012) opening at BFI IMAX on April  5, an illustrated lecture from author Join Charles Barr on Alfred Hitchcock’s abandoned Titanic Project, a specially curatedMediateque collection and a Mezzanine display marking the event.

 

Shortly before midnight on 14 April 1912, the maiden voyage of the White Star Line’s beacon of luxury and progress, RMS Titanic, ended in tragedy when she struck an iceberg and sank in the early hours of 15 April. Less than a third of the vast liner’s passengers and crew survived, prompting international outrage. A century later, this unprecedented maritime catastrophe maintains its grim fascination, not least for generations of filmmakers drawn into the tangled web of fact and fiction now firmly embedded in our popular culture.

 

The earliest newsreel reactions to the tragedy embraced poetic license from the off, piecing together the story for a public now hungry for the moving image in ingenious, if morally rather suspect, ways. Lavish dramas immortalised the putative heroes and villains of April 1912, from the rich and famous (John Jacob Astor IV, ‘Unsinkable’ Molly Brown Bruce Ismay) to the humbler likes of Wireless Operator Jack Phillips and his Captain, Edward J Smith.

 

While Rank’s A Night to Remember (1958) remains for many the definitive screen portrayal, the Titanic canon encompasses, among others, an almost forgotten multi-language epic (Atlantic, 1929), a 1943 Nazi propaganda vehicle championed by Goebbels, and James Cameron’s 1997 box office behemoth (now re-launched in 3D, naturally), not forgetting IMAX explorations of the wreck and a legion of documentaries unpicking the minutiae of the sinking and myriad conspiracy theories. Two major new mini-series produced to coincide with this anniversary offer a reminder that among the defining events of the 20th century, the Titanic endures as the most potent symbol of man’s fallibility - and the cinematic lure of the sea.

 

TV Preview: Titanic + Q&A

Deep Indigo-Sienna Films-Mid Atlantic Films-Lookout Point-ITV Studios 2012. Dir Jon Jones. With Linus Roache, Celia Imrie, Toby Jones, Geraldine Somerville, Maria Doyle Kennedy. Episode One: 46min

As we look towards our Titanic season in April, we present this new production, written by Oscar-winning screenwriter Julian Fellowes. Titanic is the extraordinary re-telling of that doomed voyage, weaving action, mystery and romantic narratives featuring fictional and historical characters, before coming together in an explosive finale. While James Cameron’s 1997 film was primarily a love story between the two central characters, BAFTA-winning producer Nigel Stafford-Clark was inspired by the hundreds of untold stories of those aboard, and the drama provides a unique portrait of the society which gave birth to the liner, and which was heading as obliviously towards its own nemesis in 1914 as Titanic was towards its iceberg.

Screening followed by a panel discussion & Q&A with Julian Fellowes, producers Nigel Stafford-Clark and Simon Vaughan, director Jon Jones and cast members (check BFI website for panel confirmation). Presented in association with BAFTA Tickets £10, concs £6.75 (Members pay £1.50 less)

Tue 20 March 18:20 NFT1

 

Titanic 3D

An IMAX 3D Experience

USA 2012. Dir James Cameron.With Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane. 194min

James Cameron’s epic romance – set against the ill-fated maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic – launched the careers of DiCaprio and Winslet, broke boxoffice records and won 11 Academy Awards in 1998. The digital remastering from Super 35 to stunning IMAX 3D – supervised by Cameron himself – results in a larger aspect ratio than the original and is therefore best enjoyed on the biggest screen in Britain.

Opens 5 April

 

Atlantic

UK 1929. Dir EA Dupont. With Madeleine Carroll, Franklin Dyall, John Longden,Monty Banks, Donald Calthrop. 90min. PG

German émigré Dupont followed silent classic Piccadilly with a costly sound adaptation of Ernest Raymond’s 1915 play The Berg. A thinly-veiled retelling of the Titanic disaster – direct reference to which was forbidden by the White Star Line –Atlantic is something of a curate’s egg. Among the earliest British sound films and the first produced in multiple languages (English, German, and later French), this all-but-forgotten entry in the Titanic canon boasts spectacular sets and a gripping finale.

*Introduced by season curator Simon McCallum; **Extended introduction by Archive curator John Oliver

Wed 11 Apr 20:40 NFT3*

Sun 15 Apr 16:00 NFT2**

 

The Debris Field - Salvaging the Titanic in Word, Sound and ImageThe Debris Field is a new multi-media production written and performed by poets Simon Barraclough, Isobel Dixon and Chris McCabe. The evocative poetic text is accompanied by original music from Oli Barrett of Bleeding Heart Narrative, and film by Jack Wake-Walker. The poets will take you on a resonant tour of the cultural debris of this iconic event, exploring ideas of luxury and labour; courage and folly; life and loss; and human ambition in the face of nature’s power. A key historic event explored with striking poetic, musical and visual impact.

Sat 14 April 19.30pm The Blue Room £6

 

Titanic

Germany 1943. Dir Herbert Selpin [& Werner Klingler (uncred)]. With Sybille Schmitz, Hans Nielsen, Kirsten Heiberg, EF Fürbringer. 85min. EST

Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels casts a sinister shadow over this budget-busting production, almost as troubled as the disaster it depicts from its fervently anti-British perspective (complete with fictional German hero). Original director Selpin died in custody after failing to toe the party line; Goebbels eventually banned the film entirely. UFA star Sybille Schmitz was shunned as a collaborator, her sad decline inspiring Fassbinder’s Veronika Voss (1982).

+ In Nacht und Eis

Germany 1912. Dir Mime Misu. With Ernst Rückert, Otto Rippert, Waldemar Hecker. c36min. With live piano Accompaniment

The earliest surviving dramatisation of the Titanic tragedy, thought lost until its rediscovery in the 1990s and restored by the Deutsche Kinemathek.

Wed 18 Apr 18:20 NFT2

Wed 25 Apr 20:30 NFT2

 

Titanic

USA 1953. Dir Jean Negulesco. With Clifton Webb, Barbara Stanwyck,

Robert Wagner, Brian Aherne, Thelma Ritter. 97min. PG

Surprisingly it took some four decades for the Titanic story to get the full Hollywood treatment. Thankfully audiences were in safe hands with co-writer Charles Brackett (awarded the 1953 Academy Award for Best Story & Screenplay), and the indomitable Barbara Stanwyck as a first-class passenger fleeing her selfish socialite husband (Webb). Will he redeem himself in Titanic’s hour of need? Look out, too, for Thelma Ritter in a Molly Brown inspired supporting role.

Introduced by an Archive curator

Tue 24 Apr 20:40 NFT2

Sat 28 Apr 18:40 NFT2

 

A Night to Remember

UK 1958. Dir Roy Ward Baker. With Kenneth More, Ronald Allen, Robert Ayres, Honor Blackman. 123min. New digital restoration. PG.

For many filmgoers and historians, A Night to Remember has never been bettered in its exciting yet heavily researched recreation of the Titanic’s fate. Based on Walter Lord’s book, the film moves the focus from first class by drawing on the experiences of crewmen like Second Officer Charles Lightoller (a landmark role in More’s career) and exposing the rigid class structure that shaped events before and after the fatal collision. Haunting moments – children’s toys sliding eerily, crockery crashing to the floor – superbly evoke the simple human horror of that freezing night.

Mon 16 Apr 20:20 NFT2

Introduced by John Graves, National Maritime Museum

Fri 13 – Sat 28 Apr Studio & NFT3

See calendar for times

 

Special Event:

Hitchcock’s Titanic Project

Join Charles Barr (author of English Hitchcock and the BFI Film Classic on Vertigo) for this unique presentation, shedding light on the Titanic film which was to have been Hitchcock’s first Hollywood assignment in 1939 before Selznick replaced it with Rebecca. Hitchcock had described it as a ‘marvellously dramatic subject for a motion picture’; a specially edited sequence draws upon shipboard extracts from his other films in order to show ‘what might have been’. This event marks the Titanic centenary and looks ahead to the BFI’s major project for later in 2012, The Genius of Hitchcock.

Wed 11 Apr 18:20 NFT3