A bit late this, but it’s been a mad one this week at Hi8us HQ with stuff to prepare for East End Film Festival, an important proposal deadline and some great news on the funding front – more on that later.
However, there’s also been some trans-Atlantic festival hopping too, with our major presence at the East End Film Festival and two members of the Hi8us family at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. Our intrepid board member Jerry Rothwell is at Tribeca with his latest documentary feature Donor Unknown, a poignant tale of identity and genetic inheritance, that tells the story of a sperm donor and the children who want to meet him. It’s been getting a great response, which we’ll feature on a post about the film closer to its UK release in June. In the meantime you can check out some footage from a Q&A that Jerry’s posted here: http://youtu.be/1zEcCRa8_Fw.
Also at Tribeca is long time Hi8us associate filmmaker Yousaf Ali Khan (Skin Deep, Talking With Angels and Almost Adult). Yousaf’s most recent work with us Missing, made with pupils at Brampton Manor School, is showing as part of the Movie MayDay East End Film Festival 10th anniversary celebrations on Monday (May 2nd). Meanwhile Yousaf is in New York participating in the Tribeca All Access (TAA) programme. Now in its eighth year, TAA was created to help foster and nurture relationships between film industry executives and filmmakers from traditionally underrepresented communities. 12 projects for development win a coveted place on this American programme only two of which are for international participants, one via the Canadian Film Centre and the other via the UK Film Council. So Yousaf hasn’t just won the only place this year, but unfortunately the last place following the abolition of the UK Film Council.
So massive props to Yousaf. The film in development is called Giantland. Check out the site/video blog here: http://giantland-thefilm.tumblr.com. You can also follow Yousaf’s blog right HERE on the Hi8us South website. So check back regularly.