TRUE GRIT! EFN reveals its autumn edition...

Another trimester, another season, another Emerging Filmmakers Night . Although the apocalypse is kept at bay, Covid is still raging, and given the fun had last time, the team decided to keep their winning formula and hold another live-streamed event on 28 September 2020.

And so, in that spirit of enduring resilience, behold the autumn edition: TRUE GRIT! EFN is a festival that celebrates talented filmmakers’s early work and gives a platform to many gems that might not have yet reached the usual festival circuit. Its programmers comb through hundreds of submissions to find a final 5 or 6 short films that are then eligible for both the Audience Award and the Critics’ Award. The next edition’s panel will be made up of Lucile Bourliaud, programmer at the much celebrated and eclectic Flatpack Festival in Birmingham and co-creator of pop up cinema Asso Kaboom, based in Tours; Abla Kandalaft, (Mydy, Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival and BBC Arabic’s Cinema Badila); and Christina Papasotiriou, programmer at Mile End’s Genesis Cinema.

On the night, you’ll have the chance to watch these 6 shortlisted films and Q&As with their respective directors.

1. Single - Ashley Eakin (2020)

"A film that confronts the complexities of being disabled and dating.
Kim, who was born with one arm, gets set-up to go on a blind date. When she finally meets Jake, she quickly realizes he also has a physical disability, and she is pissed."

For more info, visit Ashley’s website.

2. By Winds And Waters - Maka (2018)

Set on the Caribbean Island of Dominica, we follow Ras Julie and Albert Joseph and co. in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria - a devastating category 5 storm. Their story is shocking, and is one of pain and resilience. Care to listen a while?

"By Wind and Waters is my first short documentary film and it is very close to home! I am half Dominican and these are some very close family friends. I did what I could to capture how they are living since the passing of Hurricane Maria, but obviously there were other commitments we all had at the time. I hope you can gain some insight and understanding from it and enjoy this piece." - From the director’s statement.

For more info, visit Maka’s page.

3. A Day In The Life of A Boy - Niklas Bauer (2020)

Autistic boy Daan has a unique perspective on the world. His little sister Millie struggles with his sometimes strange behaviour and the lack of attention she gets from their single mother. When Daan accidentally kills her pet bird, emotions overflow - will Millie be able to be there for her brother despite it all?

A Day in the Life of a Boy (Niklas Bauer) - Trailer from Fourmat Film on Vimeo.

"We might never know how someone else perceives the world, but the key to understanding one another is trying to. A Day in the Life of a Boy links our actions to our perception and shows how hard it can be to see things outside our own little world." - From the director’s statement.

More on the film on the official Facebook page!

4. All Stretched Out - Alastair Train (2019)

After accidentally joining an advanced Yoga class, an unfit man pushes his body to the limit trying to impress his judgemental teacher and classmates.

More on the film on the official Facebook page.

5. Dungarees - Abel Rubinstein (2019)

Blake, a transgender man, and his boyfriend Cane spend their day having sex and resolving their relationship issues.

"Dungarees is near and dear to my heart. The film is simply a slice of life of two young adults dating. Mistakes are made along the way however It’s not all doom and gloom. I aimed to bring a happy LGBT+ story to the screen. LGBT+ stories don’t have to be harrowing and painful; some of us are actually happy!" - From the director’s statement.

6. Clearing - Janet Marrett (2020)

At 18 Kaila knows what she wants but finds herself struggling to stay motivated following a serious incident.

"Addressing the universal theme of motivators, CLEARING takes a look at the emotional effects a life-altering experience has on Kaila in this social drama.
Janet was looking to draw out an honest and reflective performance for the lead role. This has been achieved with Jasmine, an extraordinarily talented up-and-coming actor." - From the director’s statement.

More info on the film on Media Thirsty’s website.

The event is free but we recommend booking a "place" here.

Tune in at 8 PM on 28 September to EFN’s Facebook page.