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Happy 2022! We are so pleased to welcome you back to our weekly blog series here at Mor Media, and we are also super excited to announce that we have a new writer! Hello, my name is Scarlett, and I am a passionate photographer and film lover from Sussex working for Mor Media as part of their internship programme. To start off my weekly series, I wanted to tell you all a little about my top 3 favourite short films as a way to introduce to you our upcoming Cornwall Film Festival Short Film Competition. Read to the end for more info on how to enter your short film! To start off my list, at number 3 I have selected ReMoved directed by Nathanael Matanick. Released in 2014, this film has had an impact on me since I was 15, when I first watched it for media class in secondary school. The film follows the emotional story of a young girl taken from her home and placed into foster care, told through her eyes. It is impossible to fully understand the extent of what a child in the foster care system experiences emotionally. However, this film poetically provides us viewers with feelings of sadness, anger, portrayal, and a little bit of hope, allowing us to peer into the child’s reality. Not to mention the cinematography and sound are second to none. It truly is a phenomenal watch. At number 2, I have placed All Too Well, the music video for Taylor Swift’s record-breaking 10-minute vocal masterpiece (I understand this may be an unpopular opinion, I welcome opposing ones). Now you may want to argue that this is not a short film but a music video, and I am here to tell you why you should give it a chance. Like most of Taylor’s songs, the lyrics concern a part of Taylor’s own personal life. Stranger Thing’s actress Sadie Sink portrays a young Taylor, and Dylan O’Brien acts as Taylor’s significantly older lover of the time. This created much controversy due to the actor’s age gap, however as rightly pointed out by many viewers, this is the point. We are supposed to feel uncomfortable. The lyrics accompanied by the visuals lead us, as viewers, through an emotional journey to which many of us can relate. The fear, uncertainty, anxiety, and hope that come with toxic relationships has truly resonated with viewers who have experienced similar to Taylor’s story. Stunningly directed by Taylor herself, I highly recommend a viewing (or two!). And finally, number 1 is taking a slightly different approach to the typical short film, and in short (pun not intended) these films changed my life. Indy Blue is a content creator who has documented every year of her life since 2016 until now. Each January a short film is released, where simplicity is key in terms of technicalities, the real magic is created within the clips. Indy captures the simplicity and complexity of what life is all at once. Her 2017 video is entitled ‘Dreaming With My Eyes Open’, and truly does represent the need to chase your dreams and enjoy life’s simplest moments. It’s about adventure and joy, and for the third time, hope. To enter your own short film work in this year’s CFF Short Film Competitions, simply submit a film of any genre or music video on the official CFF Film Freeway. For early bird entry, submit any film made after April 2021 by April 1st, 2022. To submit, for more info on the different categories and to read the terms & conditions, follow this link: https://filmfreeway.com/CornwallFilmFestival

Christmas season is upon us! After feasting and unwrapping all the presents, there’s nothing like a heartwarming Christmas movie to celebrate the holidays with your family and friends. Beloved classics like Home Alone (1990) and It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) are among the most popular Christmas movies we rewatch every year. But what about less popular movies? Or overrated ones? We asked our social media followers and our team at Mor Media to pick their least favourite Christmas movies. Their choices made for an impressive and diverse collection of critically acclaimed films as well as terribly rated movies. Our festival director Louise Fox adamantly declared Die Hard (1988) the worst Christmas movie ever made. While the film launched a multi-million-dollar action franchise and gave us Alan Rickman as the iconic villain Hans Gruber, it may not truly encapsulate the Christmas spirit for some. Similarly, some of our social media followers picked Elf (2003) as their least favourite Christmas film. Starring Will Ferrell as Buddy, the family movie appeals to children all around the world yet may not be particularly favoured by those who dislike its comedic style. Our surveys also shed light on some unpopular opinions. While The Holiday (2006) is a personal favourite of mine, it was selected among the worst Christmas movies by one of our followers. It’s got unrequited love, cosy wintry sets, and Jack Black - what’s not to love? Perhaps its overly sappy happy ending is not everyone’s cup of tea. The truly divisive Christmas film that sent our social media followers raving and raging was Love Actually (2003). Richard Curtis’ BAFTA-winning film features a star-studded cast including Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Bill Nighy, Alan Rickman, and many more. Mor Media launched a poll to find out whether the film is a national treasure or just another lame holiday film. And the results are in: more than 70 percent of the responses were in favour of the film. National treasure, it is! What’s Christmas without heartwarming animated films for the whole family? Netflix’s 2019 Klaus revamped the Santa Claus scenario with its sleek art style which earned it an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature. However, the film also divided our followers with some hating it while others proclaiming such negative opinions blasphemy. Other animated films that made our list of least favourite Christmas films include The Polar Express (2004). Mor Media business manager Sally Barnett dislikes the film’s CGI character design which she finds creepy. After going through our list of least favourite Christmas movies, which ones are you willing to give a second chance? Are there any you personally cherish no matter what? Regardless of taste and Rotten Tomatoes scores, the holidays are the best time to share what you love with your loved ones. We hope you gather with your family and friends this year and enjoy a feel-good film together. Merry Christmas!

As December rolls around, everything turns red, white, and green around the world. The harbinger of hope and goodwill, Christmas time is the perfect opportunity to support the local creative community in Cornwall. Be they students, first-time filmmakers, or professional directors seeking financial assistance, the film community in Cornwall provides an ever-growing supply of fresh new voices. Here we highlight only a few of the filmmakers currently crowdfunding to begin or complete their film projects. In the 20th edition of Cornwall Film Festival, audiences had the chance to watch the third instalment of the Cornwall Climate Stories documentary series, Living on the Edge. More and more filmmakers are directing their attention to local environmental issues. For example, a new documentary called From the River is highlighting the changes underway at Sailor’s Creek. After years of neglect, a group of passionate environmentalists are now dedicated to the repair of this wildlife haven and director Paul Mulraney is keen on presenting their unique process via film. Read more about the documentary here and support the filmmakers by donating to the film’s official crowdfunding page here. But it’s not only documentary filmmaking that’s thriving in Cornwall. Filmmakers are exploring a diverse range of genres including fantasy, comedy, and historical drama. Students especially are launching numerous short films with the goal of finalizing their productions before the 2022 film festival run. Working in association with the School of Film and Television in Falmouth University, Zoe Theil and her colleagues are crowdfunding This One’s On Me, a narrative short film tackling masculinity issues in a historical drama taking place in the 1960s. Learn more about their project and donate here. Cornish filmmakers are also committed to portraying their heritage in film. Falmouth University students Ben Clingan and George Murray are raising funds for their third-year project, Lost Excalibur. The film is a retelling of a Cornish folklore tale and will be shot at local sites including Kresen Kernow and Tintagel Castle. You can read more about the film and donate to the campaign here. Similarly, a group of women filmmakers currently enrolled in the Film and Television MA programme at Falmouth University are developing The Wolf and the Lamb, a modern take on the Grimms’ Brother classic Little Red Riding Hood. Due to the pandemic, the filmmakers couldn’t work on the film over the past year but are now restarting the pre-production process. Support their film’s crowdfunding campaign here. Many more filmmakers are seeking donations to make their films, check the full list of crowdfunding campaigns for Cornwall-based film projects here.

The 20th Cornwall Film Festival concluded its annual celebration last Sunday. Marking another successful year of championing cinema and industry connections, Mor Media welcomed Cornwall audiences to the Princess Pavilion for seven days of film screenings and live industry events. The festival kicked off with its collaboration with INTO FILM, a charity organisation supporting film in education. CFF hosted three INTO FILM family-friendly screenings including Around the World in 80 Days, Spirit Untamed, and A Dog’s Way Home. Running in parallel with the festival, the third edition of the New Wave Jury Programme consisted of masterclasses and workshops in support of young cinephiles with an interest in film criticism. Our jurors virtually met The Guardian chief film critic Peter Bradshaw who shared his experience and industry insights with them at the beginning of the festival. They also attended educational sessions with writer-poet Amanda White and head of Falmouth University’s Film & Television Department, Dr. Kingsley Marshall. On the festival’s second day, CFF director Louise Fox introduced this year’s first feature screening, the Icelandic Oscar entry, Lamb. The folk horror film stunned many, including one of our New Wave Jurors who dedicated a full review to it. The CFF line-up also included some of the most highly anticipated films of the year: Spencer. It was no surprise that the screening was our top-selling film with over 100 tickets sold! Another notable screening was Cornwall Climate Care’s third installment of their Cornwall Climate Stories documentary series, Living on the Edge. Directed by Bryony Stokes, the film’s premiere was accessible at CFF’s official venue, the Princess Pavilions, as well as online. CFF screened other critically acclaimed films including The Card Counter, Titane, and Ali & Ava. On its final day, the festival celebrated international cinema highlighting Arab and Romanian cinema in its screenings of Memory Box and the CFF closing film, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn. A special documentary screening of the 2021 Grierson Award winner, Becoming Cousteau was also part of this year’s festival. In addition to the festival’s feature programme, three short film competitions were held this year: Student, South West Regional, and International. Dedicated to supporting young filmmaking talent, CFF screened a total of nine student shorts as well as Origin, a collection of documentary short films made by first-year students from Falmouth University. The South West Regional Shorts featured 12 films from diverse genres including comedy, horror, and experimental film. Our New Wave Jurors also had the chance to view and judge the 2021 International Shorts, selecting Adrien Mérigeau’s Genius Loci as the winner of this year’s New Wave Jury Award with a special mention to Isla Badenoch’s The Elvermen. Known for its ESF workshops, Mor Media hosted a special session during the festival with photographer and video maker Annie Bungeroth. The photographer led an ESF Get Creative Street Photography workshop as part of CFF 2021. Participants walked around Cornwall with Bungeroth and took the perfect snapshots of the Cornish outdoors in this hands-on practical session. Another CFF highlight was the festival’s Industry Day. Hosted in collaboration with Cornwall x Connectivity, the day-long events included a BFI networking lunch and industry talks with filmmakers. The event was a great success with a bustling congregation of creatives from all around the UK. Attendees met film and television professionals like costume supervisor Jessie Metcalf and screenwriter-producer Neil Fox. Special talks shed light on location scouting and the importance of intimacy coordination on set. The day culminated in a special Middle Eastern supper feast sponsored by The Kin Collective followed by an evening screening of Petite Maman. Mor Media was pleased to work with numerous filmmakers and sponsors this year including the BFI Network, My Air Bridge, Creative England, St. Michael’s Hotel, and Verdant Brewing. We look forward to bringing together cinephiles and industry leaders at our next edition in 2022!

The 20th edition of Cornwall Film Festival begins next week with a full line-up of shorts, features, and documentaries screening at Princess Pavilion, Falmouth. In addition to its film programme, the festival’s Industry Day brings together UK creatives for networking events, talks, and more! Taking place on Friday 19th of November, CFF’s Industry Day is the perfect opportunity for UK screen-based creatives to meet award-winning industry leaders and network with colleagues in the film and television industry. Here’s this year’s Industry Day at a glance! Organized in collaboration with Cornwall x Connectivity, this year’s Industry Day consists of a total of six events including Get Connected, a day-long networking event where Cornwall-based creatives can connect with professionals from various industries. Filmmakers, production companies, and small film businesses will attend the event from 11 AM to 4 PM to provide their expertise and services to local creatives. Attendees this year include Cornwall Games, Kernowfornia, and Ebb & Flow Media, among others. This year Mor Media is collaborating with BFI Network who will host a networking event at 12 PM. Open to all South West-based creatives, NETWORKED helps industry professionals connect and discuss their projects with the regional BFI Talent Executive. Later in the afternoon, Mor Media is hosting two industry talks tackling important aspects of the filmmaking industry. At 2 PM, costume designer and supervisor Jessie Metcalf will share her experience in the field and answer questions from attendees. Her work in costume includes major feature productions like Beauty and the Beast (2017), Aladdin (2019), and most recently, Cruella (2021). At 5 PM, Ita O’brien will join the festival in a Q&A session to break down the role of an intimacy coordinator on set. She will discuss her work on award-winning television shows including Normal People (2020) and I May Destroy You (2020). CFF’21 Industry Day is set to highlight important stages of independent filmmaking. Taking place at the Princess Pavilion Theatre, Neil Fox’s “Independent Filmmaking as a Screenwriter/Producer” is a one-hour talk addressing key success strategies in indie film production. Additionally, Cornwall x Connectivity will introduce attendees to its creative programmes which offer business support to freelancers and small businesses in Cornwall. The organization will also lead a special industry talk titled “Locations, Locations, Locations” where they will discuss working on location in the South West. Cornwall Film Festival will wrap its Industry Day with a Middle Eastern-inspired dinner event sponsored by KIN Collective. The pop-up supper club brings a distinct culinary experience to Cornwall this year. To access all the events above, you can sign up for a free Industry Pass here.

The 20th Cornwall Film Festival begins on the 15th of November. Featuring the best of national and international cinema, the festival will close with Radu Jude’s Golden Bear winner Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn. Romania submitted the film as its official entry for the 2022 Oscars. Dubbed as one of the most provocative films of the year, Bad Luck Banging follows a school teacher named Emi whose career and reputation are threatened after a personal sex tape is leaked on the internet. Emi faces pressure from angry parents who demand her immediate dismissal from the school. What follows is a thought-provoking, comedic discussion of sex and society. Jude expertly combines comedy and social commentary in this radical vision that tackles stereotypes, sex, and societal norms. A work of feminist social satire, Jude's work illuminates the potential of film beyond entertainment; it exemplifies the medium’s power to shed light on important and controversial issues like revenge porn and sexual education. Jude’s work stands out in a crowd of recent feminist films such as Promising Young Woman (2020) and The Nightingale (2018). While Emerald Fennell’s award-winning film gave us a dramatic portrait of a feminist avenger, it misguidedly stole the focus away from the rape victim’s own story and shifted it to the act of revenge itself. On the other hand, Jennifer Kent’s Nightingale empowered the protagonist to avenge herself, proving to be a more effective, albeit exponentially more violent, illustration of feminist characters taking control of their life. Carey Mulligan in Promising Young Woman However, violence doesn’t necessarily make or break a revenge film. Cult classics like Jennifer’s Body (2009) showcase how impactful the horror genre can be as a vessel for feminist storytelling. While its graphic scenes include bloody violence, the film incorporates comedic elements that hit satirical notes, underscoring sex and gender stereotypes. Jude’s latest cleverly steers clear of violence and traditional narrative techniques to bring forth an entirely original film that takes social satire to a whole new level. Divided into three parts, the film’s triptych structure is equally entertaining and enlightening. The first part introduces the audience to Emi’s situation after her sex tape is leaked. In the second part, Jude breaks away from the storyline completely, presenting us with a visual dictionary of terms related to Romanian history and sex. The third and final part is Emi’s school meeting with frustrated parents and the consequent discourse which exposes society’s hypocritical and sexist attitudes. Although set in Romania, the film’s discussion of social stereotypes and sex positive ideas is universal in nature. Coming from a Middle Eastern culture, I could easily picture Emi’s scenario’s taking place in any Arab country. With the rise in feminist, sex positive approaches to everything from porn to dating, the film challenges society’s archaic perceptions and successfully reveals its outdated misconceptions about sex and gender roles. Don’t miss the CFF closing film Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn. the film will screen on 21 November at Falmouth's Princess Pavilion, book your tickets now!

Cornwall Film Festival is only a couple of weeks away! The 20th edition includes screenings of critically acclaimed films from different countries and genres. With Halloween right around the corner, we’d be remiss not to highlight two of the most highly anticipated 2021 horror films that are featured in the festival’s line-up this year: Lamb and Titane. Both will be screening at CFF, bringing bold and unique horror visions to Cornwall audiences. While horror has never not been in fashion, over the past few months, reboots have stolen the spotlight from original new horror films. Halloween Kills (2021) is a 20-million-dollar production that cashed big at the box office, earning more than $90 million during its first two weeks in theatres. As part of the canon horror franchise that first graced cinemas in 1978, the latest instalment attracted die-hard fans as well as young horror enthusiasts curious to find out the fate of Michael Myers. The film’s success has already set another sequel in motion, with Halloween Ends slated for a 2022 release. Similarly, the Scream franchise is back to reclaim its famous place in horror cinema. When the original film premiered in 1996, it shook the world of horror with its meta style and the instant classic “Do you like scary movies?” Today, the franchise directors are depending on 90s nostalgia and the iconic white mask to lure audiences back to the cinema for the fifth film which is set to premiere in January 2022. US (2019) While such franchises have built their fan base over time, it’s become frustrating to witness the recycling of familiar faces, merely masks, to churn more stories along the same lines. This is where indie horror filmmaking comes in. Blumhouse Productions is among the most prolific production companies dedicated to horror filmmaking. Its record not only includes Paranormal Activity (2007) and The Purge (2013) but more high concept horror films like Jordan Peele’s Get Out (2017) and Us (2019). It’s undeniable that the horror genre has experienced a renaissance in recent years. However, audiences may have missed some of the latest horror masterpieces due to distribution issues or a simple reluctance to venture beyond the typical English-language horror movie. Here to spruce up your Halloween movie night, the following are six indie films that are among my all-time favourites. It’s equally scary and satisfying how many of them are debuts; only goes to show that the horror genre is here to stay and may do well to expand and allow fresh voices to breathe new life into its immortal zombie corpse. Raw (2016) Visually and acoustically singular in its execution, Raw immediately put Julia Ducournau on the horror filmmaking map. As a first feature, it shocks and stuns on every level. Not only did Ducournau transform the way we look at flesh, she channeled our darkest fears in this brilliant coming-of-age tale. The film won the FIPRESCI Award at Cannes. Thelma (2017) Like Ducournau, Joachim Trier utilized the horror genre to tell the story of a young girl discovering her innermost desires. Trier incorporates supernatural elements to present Thelma’s struggle to come to terms with her sexuality. Thelma goes perfectly with Raw for a horror double bill. In Fabric (2018) Peter Strickland portrays a cursed dress in a haunting story that is bound to become a cult classic. The film’s kaleidoscopic imagery and unique score make it more than just a ghost story. Saint Maud (2019) Directed by Rose Glass, Saint Maud is a spell-binding debut that leaves a mark in horror cinema. While watching this film, I wondered how different, possibly better, it would be without any dialogue simply because of its overwhelming visuals and sound. Not to mention Morfydd Clark’s unforgettable performance as the tortured Maud for which she won the Best Actress BAFTA Cymru award last week. His House (2020) It’s hard not to be jaded by yet another haunted house movie but this one haunts differently. Remi Weekes’ directorial debut shatters all our expectations and cleverly channels the horror genre to depict the horrors of the refugee crisis. Host (2020) Of course, the pandemic yielded creative filmmaking efforts but none quite like Rob Savage’s Host. What Searching (2018) did a couple of years ago was impressive but creating an entire film using Zoom and screen recording is much more potent and relatable during quarantine times. Savage makes the most of every single prop to support the story from the first conference call and until shutdown.

This year Cornwall Film Festival is bringing award-winning films from all around the world to local audiences. The festival’s line-up includes Céline Sciamma’s latest feature, Petite Maman (2021). Praised by audiences and critics alike, the film tells a moving story about memory and friendship. Before watching Petite Maman, I revisited Céline Sciamma’s filmography, from shorts to Cannes winners. Her body of work is regarded among the best in queer cinema. The majority of her films tackle sexuality and gender identity issues through the perspective of children and adolescents. Her first three features act as a coming-of-age trilogy, mapping the lives of queer characters at different stages of their life. I realized I had only watched two of Sciamma’s films while the remaining films were to be fresh first watches. I decided to watch her films chronologically to observe the development of her directorial approach over time. What I concluded at five in the morning after the credits rolled on Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) is that Sciamma’s talent as a director is undeniable. She is particularly skillful in directing child actors which is evident in the resonant performances delivered by actors as young as 12. Stylistically, her visual language especially when depicting desire and longing is consistently intimate, tender, and empathetic. Her camera lingers but never leers. Her frequent focus on hands touching and eyes meeting emphasizes the interminable longing to connect, a feeling that is inherently queer. After finishing my Sciammarathon, I found it quite challenging to rank her different films. While thematically joined by ideas of growth and sexual liberation, each film presented a unique story that is difficult to compare to the others. Nevertheless, I’ve made it to the other side and the following are my personal rankings of Sciamma’s films. #5 Girlhood (2014) Drenched in beautiful hues of blue, Girlhood stands out as one of Sciamma’s most visually engaging films. Following Vic (Karidja Touré) while she struggles to fit in and figure out her future as a woman, the film captures the experience of youth and its confused restlessness. I found Sciamma’s close-ups on different body parts and long stretches of skin the most striking and soothing aspect of the film. #4 Water Lilies (2007) Sciamma’s feature debut was nominated for the Camera d’Or and Un Certain Regard awards at Cannes Film Festival. The film showcases Sciamma’s talent in tenderly navigating queer desire with breakthrough performances from young actors. Portraying young love through a queer lens proves to be Sciamma’s forte as she effortlessly moves the audiences with simple yet poignant words like “I want it to be you.” #3 Pauline (2010) It’s telling when a seven-minute static shot speaks louder than an entire feature film. Sciamma’s short film, Pauline, manages to pack so much emotion in a single take. Pauline (Anaïs Demoustier) opens up to the audience about her painful experience as a child battling her “weird feelings.” Her monologue paints an all-too-familiar picture of queerness denied, repressed, and eventually accepted and freed. #2 Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) And then she stormed Cannes! Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire earned Cannes’ Queer Palm and Best Screenplay Award. Starring Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel in arguably career-best performances, the film marks Sciamma’s first venture into period filmmaking. After exploring young queer identity in her previous films, she presents its counterpart in Marianne and Héloïse - two adult women constantly challenging each other’s understanding and acceptance of love. #1 Tomboy (2014) Despite Portrait’s wild success on a global scale, Sciamma’s earlier Tomboy is quite unlike all her other films and so it snatches the top spot as my favorite Sciamma film. Laure/Mikӓel (beautifully played by a captivating 12-year-old Zoé Héran) embodies a distinct voice in queer cinema - a child determined to forge their own gender identity in the face of intolerant parents and unsympathetic friends. I personally appreciated Sciamma’s gentleness in representing and validating Laure/Mikӓel’s feelings throughout the film. Sciamma collaborates with child actors once more in Petite Maman. The award-winning film will screen on 19 November at Cornwall Film Festival. Book your tickets now!

Movies that examine the relationship between man and machine go back to the sixties. When Stanley Kubrick released his magnum opus 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), robots entered the collective consciousness and have remained there until today. His HAL can be seen in TARS in Interstellar (2014) as well as in the unforgettable Ash from Alien (1979). Later, depictions of machines shifted to a more human-like form. Since Maria turned heads in Metropolis (1972), filmmakers have explored a myriad of ways to depict the interaction between mankind and machines. From fembots and Stepford Wives (2004) to replicants and Transformers (2007), storytellers have continually integrated machines in their cinematic tales to address issues of identity and technology. Thus we arrive at Julia Ducournau’s Palme d’Or winner Titane (2021). The film has garnered critical acclaim, generated discourse about gender identity, and made it as the official submission to represent France at the upcoming Oscars. It’s difficult to describe the film’s storyline without possibly spoiling it. Based on reviews from countless international film festivals, Titane does kick off with a particularly memorable sex scene involving a woman and a Cadillac. Perhaps the most iconic filmmaker to fuse sex and machines is David Cronenberg. Ducournau confirms that he served as an inspiration for her distinct horror filmmaking. Cronenberg’s 1996 Cannes winner Crash marked a significant shift in the way we understand sex. The film follows James Ballard (James Spader) who becomes consumed with the sexual appeal of car crash victims. A master of body horror, Cronenberg created a discussion about the nature of sex - not what is or isn’t sexual but rather what could be sexual. Such controversial territory is not unfamiliar to Cronenberg who, in 1983, took audiences around the world on a wide ride in his techno-erotic thriller Videodrome. In the film, another obsessive protagonist pursues sensual pleasures through television devices and porn tapes. The late 20th century witnessed the rise of movies targeting the man-machine duality. While Edward Scissorhands (1990) portrayed the impact of a metal arm on identity and social acceptance, the Terminator franchise dialed up the action to create immersive cinematic experiences for tech-hungry audiences. In 1999, the Wachowskis changed the world with The Matrix. The cult classic posed philosophical questions about human nature, free will, and the very fabric of our reality. Its Agent Smith set an unbeatable archetype for evil robot before it became a popular plot device in films like I, Robot (2004). As we step into 21st century cinema, the idea of man vs machines becomes reductive. Nuanced stories dive deeper into our relationship with machines, be they microchips, robots, or full fledged A.I. humanoids. Filmmakers no longer put man and machine in a cage to watch them fight - instead, they set them free and watch them coexist. Alex Garland, famed for his stellar work in sci-fi, made his directorial debut Ex Machina in 2014. Undoubtedly inspired by the ideas of Blade Runner (1982), Garland examined the boundaries and potential of artificial intelligence through a modern take on Frankenstein. Ava, brilliantly played by Alicia Vikander, is an advanced A.I. humanoid with a lot to prove. Its thought-provoking conversations with Caleb (Domnhall Gleeson) tackle what it is to be human. The audience shares Caleb’s doubts about Ava’s ‘humanity’ and together we experience a memorable Machiavellian final act that captures our fears about robots as it does about human nature itself. A few years later, Leigh Whannell’s Upgrade (2018) showcased the unleashed power of artificial intelligence. It asked: would absolute power still corrupt absolutely when delegated to artificial intelligence? The film’s expertly choreographed action sequences make it a futuristic thriller that is equally action-packed and stimulating. The majority of the aforementioned films are helmed by men. Wondering how Julia Ducournau presents man and machine? Don’t miss Titane (2021) at Cornwall Film Festival this November. Book your tickets now!

This is one piece in a collection of 10 film reviews submitted by this year’s New Wave Jury members at Cornwall Film Festival 2021. The collection tackles recent films that stood out as radical works of filmmaking. You can read the other reviews here. I had gone to the cinema on a whim that day and honestly, I had wanted to watch Candyman (2021). Unfortunately, Candyman wasn’t playing at the right times so the lady at the counter suggested Malignant (2021). It was the first I’d heard of it so I shrugged my shoulders, bought some M&Ms and ended up in front of James Wan’s new horror flick with no expectations. Despite having no expectations to begin with, I still wasn’t expecting that. Malignant follows Madison, a young woman tormented by horrifying visions of strangers being massacred, who she discovers that her visions are real events and sets out to find the victims and stop the bloody murders she witnesses every night. Doesn’t sound too special, right? After some intrigue from the film’s bizarre opening sequence, the main body of the narrative plods along in a relatively predictable fashion before climaxing in one of the most bonkers third acts I have ever had the pleasure of watching. This is a film that is disguised as a mainstream horror, it waits for you to lean back into the common comforts of the genre and then unveils itself as an absurd body horror that is sure to stick in your mind after you leave the theatre, whether you like it or not. In my mind, the only reason why such a film can be pulled off is its campy undertones, there is something about the tone that doesn’t take itself too seriously and I think it’s ultimately the reason why this film can work on any level. At the same time, I could totally understand why Malignant wouldn’t be to everyone’s taste. There is a lot of waiting involved before any sort of originality begins to show. Although the Kafkaesque action set pieces are pretty spectacular, they can also be nauseating to some. I haven’t looked myself, but I imagine there are more than a few reviews that are simply just “that was a bit dumb.” James Wan has earned quite the reputation in horror following his smash hits The Conjuring (2013) and Insidious (2010) but Malignant feels very different from its predecessors. Wan used this film as an opportunity to do what I like to refer to as a ‘Miley Cyrus.’ He used the title to branch away from demons, ghosts and haunted houses, and instead delved into developing what feels like a far more authentic style of storytelling. Like Miley Cyrus in her Wrecking Ball era, Malignant isn’t for everyone but it’s definitely something to be seen, and oh boy, is it a lot of fun. By Izzy Wilkinson

This is one piece in a collection of 10 film reviews submitted by this year’s New Wave Jury members at Cornwall Film Festival 2021. The collection tackles recent films that stood out as radical works of filmmaking. You can read the other reviews here. I am unsure if a review of Das Purpurmeer (2020) is ethically warrantable. I am wary that these words may veil and confine this more-than-just-observational documentary. Directed by Khaled Abdulwahed and Amel Alzakout, this sixty-minute witness of live suffering, screaming, fear, drowning, and death. Das Purpurmeer is radical cinema of paramount importance. Its witness calls for action. Justice must be sought for the asylum seekers affected by border violence, systematic xenophobia, and unlawful killings in the strife of refugee crises. There is the possibility of noisy narcissism in stating how positively or negatively one feels about the film. However, I have sensed from other reviews that the way to discuss the film as a work of art is to address its combination of poetic narration and the non-artful, uncontrollable way the GoPro camera captures the horrific scenes. In this regard, I understand how some viewers may perceive this film as individualising the fatal accidents of the refugee crisis, as Amel waxes her own journey, reflections on her life up to this point, voiced over one long scene of collective suffering. Yet, while I agree that the poetic voice over personalizes the traumatic event, I don't think that this is some moral failing on the part of the filmmaker. The process of separation between art and artist is unlikely since the same artist who constructed this work from this traumatic event also experienced it in person. It wasn't a designed event, nor was it something they exploited as a bystander - they were there in the middle of it, holding a presumably equal position with every other person treading the water. Therefore, in the filmmaker's decision to provide poetic narration over the footage, how can we question or blame them? This is their way of contextualising the trauma they suffered, a way of ordering and expressing their own subjective experience of it. Although confined to Amel's experience and limited by the capabilities of the GoPro, this approach also achieves the effect of representing each person there by suggesting that they each had their own life, their own friends or family, their own history, love, goals, fears and humanity to think about while they faced these terrifying moments. The real existence of their headspace, their thoughts and emotions, is much more palpable here than in any cold, detached statistic. Indeed, it may not be a perfect representation if one subjects it to the same ethical quotas as other documentary forms, but as a work of art, as an artefact of human suffering, does not fit into that subjection. It is best read and understood outside of most typical decodings of documentary, and should be taken for the impervious facts, personal and political, of it. Its witness, subjective and real, must be felt and left lodged in the mind of the viewer. By Jordan McClelland

This is one piece in a collection of 10 film reviews submitted by this year’s New Wave Jury members at Cornwall Film Festival 2021. The collection tackles recent films that stood out as radical works of filmmaking. You can read the other reviews here. The instance of my own introduction to the Evangelion franchise occurred around a decade ago, when I found myself instantly captured by its interpretation of adolescence and the emotional evolution that accompanies such a time in life. Never had a piece of fiction felt so achingly relatable at the time. The chords that it struck internally have kept ringing ever since, influencing my choice to educate myself more thoroughly about the art of storytelling. Evangelion as a whole, considering every counterpart media related to the franchise, is anatomically confusing and bewildering upon an initial experience, but just underneath the surface of emotionally estranged characters, giant robots and religious symbology is a perfectly realised analogue of the creator’s own struggles with hope, despair, anxiety, and depression. The latest and, supposedly, final chapter in the ‘rebuilt’ film saga, Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon a Time (2021) attempts and succeeds in concluding the entire canon of Evangelion media, all the way back to the original televised series which aired in the 90s. The payoff of Hideaki Anno and his team producing the film over the course of eight years is a precise, innately cinematic animated feature. The tone is considerably more diverse throughout its runtime compared to other instalments, showing us new sides of certain characters in a manner that had never been expressed until now. The worldbuilding is slow and steady during the first half, with Rei, Shinji and Asuka trekking across striking apocalyptic vistas after experiencing the traumatic finale of the prior instalment. Suddenly, they find themselves residing and living in an unexpectedly tranquil village. By living and socialising with ‘normal’ people, the three estranged characters inevitably find themselves in a position to self-reflect; a long overdue moment for each of them. The second half takes us to the other side of the coin, slowly descending toward a violent, metatextual finale that positions Shinji in direct conflict with his father. Many ideas and ongoing themes from the course of the series are explored in the latter half, with the film slowly divulging into its own canon to the most extreme degree. The most impactful and creative aspect of this concluding chapter is how Anno manages to re-interpret and re-imagine the most familiar elements of Evangelion, and subsequently mirror them in the struggles that he and his team have personally faced in closing this long-running opus project. The result of this display of pure, meta-bending artistry is an experience that is equal parts exciting and cathartic, but simultaneously bittersweet. By the time the credits rolled, I was reminded of why I and so many others have a reason to care about Evangelion in the first place, and that reason was Hideaki Anno. By Jules Davison