Do It Yourself Filmmaking: No/Gloss

image

Sean McGeady (@MacTingz) spends last weekend in a former pie factory watching low budget films. Certainly not your average film festival …

Globally renowned film festivals rarely see filmmakers speak with a passion not polluted by the need for profit, not tainted by the thirst for critical acceptance. That’s why on September 8th 2012 at No/Gloss film festival, when filmmaker Christian Sinclair stood on the jagged brickwork floor of a former pie factory and spoke in earnest with less than fifty people about his DIY short film Mantis, it was clear this wasn’t an average festival.

The venue for the first ever No/Gloss film festival could have easily been a setting in one of the many fine films it showcased. Electrical wires dangling overhead and paint peeling from the walls, Wharf Chambers is a place free from the sterility of corporate sponsorships, a place that accurately reflects the do-it-yourself philosophy of festival organiser Trent Rampage.

DIY for us doesn’t just mean Do It Yourself. It means, doing it yourself by making the most out of what you have, by not letting the lack of funds stop you from creating art. By challenging the expectations, perceptions of people’s attitude towards underground DIY culture and not letting big budgets compromise your authenticity, your message.

Trent, a filmmaker and creative himself, first conceived No/Gloss when chancing upon underground films of high quality but low exposure while researching online. After digging deeper he uncovered “a whole niche of underground and DIY filmmaking communities” and the decision to showcase these films to a wider audience at a “no-frills, no-nonsense, non-wanky” film festival was made. With volunteers giving up their time across September 8th and 9th, and affordable ticket and food prices, No/Gloss was imbued with a sense of inclusivity, banishing the pretentious vibes often found within film culture and communities.

The festival was a celebration of art and creativity, not just film. While films played in a separate screening room and another series of films were looped in the main room, live street art was produced courtesy of the Kiss This live art crew. Their canvass art is inspired by some of the films shown, and is currently being auctioned.

Championing not just local talent but international talent, the festival showcased films from Leeds, Manchester, Afghanistan, America, Canada and Italy. From the endearing Kaloo School and the slick Brussels Express to the curious Hanksville and the playful Rough House, over 70 diverse films were shown, each with their own individual style.

No/Gloss aimed to celebrate unconventional filmmaking, which wasn’t in short supply during day one thanks to a series of films from underground, alternative veteran Danny Plotnick. Stoner humour shot on Super 8 isn’t suited to everyone. But with Steel Belted Romeos II and Pipsqueak Pfollies as highlights, Plotnick’s bizarre shorts were well received by many.

Day one ended with Chris Stone’s Blood and Bone China. Originally a web series, each episode had been stitched together into a feature film that, even despite the inclusion of Nazi vampires, felt overlong and riddled with clichés.

Day two opened with films from Andy Mark Simpson, the latter of which, feature film Young Hearts Run Free, was well-paced, had a witty script, and some solid acting, and was a delightful opening. The second part of day two was a fantastic series of shorts including the near-perfect social drama Clench, the poignant stop-motion story of friendship Bottle, and the heartbreaking Shelter:

Shelter: A look at Manchester’s homeless Teaser from Mike Staniforth | Filmmaker on Vimeo.

The wince-inducing speed and intensity of feature film Line of Sight captivated the audience with its story of underground Alley Cat bicycle racing, presented through the helmet camera footage of filmmaker and racer Lucas Brunelle. It was easily the most exciting film on show:

LINE OF SIGHT – Official Trailer from Zenga Bros on Vimeo.

Line of Sight was followed by the final film of the festival, Danny Plotnick’s I’m Not Fascinating. While the film hadenough comical moments to amuse particular sections of the audience, its strange tone and delivery wasn’t appropriate for the finale, leaving the run of films feeling somewhat anti-climactic. The next No/Gloss film festival could certainly be improved by a more carefully planned running order.

For a festival in its first year, No/Gloss was a resounding success. Though in terms of film quality, day two provedmore consistent, Wharf Chambers played host to a full house of film fanatics for the full weekend. The volunteers, organisers and filmmakers succeeded in creating an inclusive experience, allowing for every time of film and every type of fan, while contributing to local business and culture.

The celebration of DIY creative culture was present throughout the festival, in its films, in its setting and in its staff. But perhaps the DIY nature of No/Gloss was captured in its purest form when, during a break between films in day two, Trent took the microphone and began to ask the audience for feedback on how to improve the festival should it return, demonstrating that the audience is as integral to the No/Gloss experience as the organisers, filmmakers or anyone else.

Have we achieved what we set out to achieve? Yes we have. We set out to inspire others, and showcase and support filmmakers. And we’ve done that. Now onwards for the next one.