Abingdon Film Unit

Last updated

Abingdon Film Unit
Founded2003
Founders Michael Grigsby, Jeremy Taylor
Headquarters
Abingdon
,
England
Website http://www.abingdonfilmunit.com/

The Abingdon Film Unit (known as the AFU) is an organisation based at Abingdon School, Abingdon-on-Thames, in Oxfordshire, England [1] [2] that enables pupils to make their own short documentary or animated films under the guidance of a team of industry professionals. The AFU was formed in 2003 by renowned British documentary maker Michael Grigsby [3] and the school's Head of Drama, Jeremy Taylor. [4] They led the Unit together until Grigsby's death at the age of 76 in March 2013. [5] The Film Unit has been very successful with several films selected for screening at the National Film Theatre in London and others added to the National Film Archive. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

Contents

Profile

The Unit consists of BAFTA winning directors Jonas Mortensen (cinematography) and Colin O'Toole (direction), [11] Mikkel Eriksen and Larry Sider (sound design), Nikolaj Larsen and Arvid Eriksson (editing), Duncan Pickstock and Rebekah Tolley (direction), and animators Joanna Harrison and Geoff Dunbar. The Unit has so far produced over 200 short films, many of which have won prizes or received screenings at festivals in the UK and abroad. The influence of Grigsby's distinctive philosophy and aesthetic - using the medium of film "to give voice to the voiceless", explore "the poetry of the everyday" and allow audiences time and space in which to make their own judgements about the material - are often discernible in AFU documentaries, whilst AFU animations celebrate a hand-drawn or hand-made approach. The Unit encourages students to adopt the highest standards, and to develop their ideas through a process of careful research and reflection that seeks to clarify at every stage the aims and intentions of their films. [2]

Acclaim

Many of the Unit's films have been screened at the National Film Theatre (NFT) in London. There have also been screenings at the Dinard Festival of British Cinema in France and at the BUFF festival of young people's film in Malmo, Sweden. AFU films have won first prize at the Oxdox International Film Festival, the New Shoots Festival, the BFI Future Film Festival and the Bradford Animation Festival. The AFU has come to the attention of the press on several occasions through articles in, among others, the Times Educational Supplement, Vertigo magazine and Sight and Sound. Its members have also featured in local television and radio broadcasts.

Larger projects

Two large-scale films have been made, one in Cambodia called 'Gravel and Stones' and the other in Moldova, called 'One Foot on the Ground'. Gravel and Stones was a thirty-minute film about the experience of disabled people in Cambodia called 'Gravel and Stones', made by Edward Hofman and Ben Hollins (directors), Tom Wakeling (cinematography), Andrew Mcgrath (sound recordist) and Suon Rottana (research and translation). It premiered at the BFI Southbank in November 2007 ahead of outings the following year at Raindance and LIDF. The film examines the devastating effects of land mines on the people of Cambodia, and was made with support of an NGO called Landmine Disability Support or LMDS. In 2009, the AFU produced another half-hour documentary called 'One Foot On The Ground'. This also premiered at BFI Southbank before screenings at Raindance and a new festival pioneered by the AFU in collaboration with the Westminster branch of the United Nations Association called 'We The People'. This film, made by Matthew Copson (director, editor), Tom Bateman (camera) and William McDowell (sound), follows a promising young basketball player in Moldova called Andreii as he struggles to choose between staying in his native country - one of the poorest in Europe - or, like so many of his friends, moving away to pursue his dream of playing basketball professionally in another country. [12] [13]

Screenings

The Film Unit holds annual screenings at November each year consisting of projects curated over the past year. These take place in the school's Amey Theatre and are open to the public free of charge and are often attended by a number of film industry professionals. [14]

See also

List of Old Abingdonians

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Independent Film Awards</span> British film award

The British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) is an organisation that celebrates, supports, and promotes British independent cinema and film-making talent in the United Kingdom. Nominations for the annual awards ceremony are announced in early November, with the ceremony itself taking place in early December.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Film Institute</span> UK film archive and charity

The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, distribution, and education. It is sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and partially funded under the British Film Institute Act 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Broomfield</span> English documentary film director

Nicholas Broomfield is an English documentary film director. His self-reflective style has been regarded as influential to many later filmmakers. In the early 21st century, he began to use non-actors in scripted works, which he calls "Direct Cinema". His output ranges from studies of entertainers to political works such as examinations of South Africa before and after the end of apartheid and the rise of the black-majority government of Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southbank Centre</span> Complex of artistic venues in London, England

Southbank Centre is a complex of artistic venues in London, England, on the South Bank of the River Thames.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abingdon School</span> Independent school in Oxfordshire, England

Abingdon School is a day and boarding independent school for boys in Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England. It is the twentieth oldest independent British school.

Margaret Caroline Tait was a Scottish medical doctor, filmmaker and poet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival</span> European LGBTIQ+ film festival

BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival, formerly known as the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (LLGFF), is the biggest LGBTIQ+ film festival in Europe. It takes place every spring in London, England. It began in 1986, as a season of gay and lesbian films at the National Film Theatre for two years, under the title "Gay's Own Pictures", curated by Peter Packer of the Tyneside Cinema. It was renamed the 'London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival' in 1988. Having been a two-week festival for many years, the festival was shortened to a week in 2011, then increased to 10 days in 2012. The events name change to BFI Flare occurred in 2014. On its 30th anniversary, screenings attendance at BFI Flare was up 9% and box-office results surpassed the previous, record-breaking year. Audiences at all events and screenings over the eleven-day festival totalled 25,623 in 2016. Additional programming under the BFI Flare tag is available at throughout the year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BFI London Film Festival</span> Annual film festival held in London, England

The BFI London Film Festival is an annual film festival held in London, England in collaboration with the British Film Institute. The festival runs for two weeks in October every year. In 2016, the BFI estimated that around 240 feature films and 150 short films from more than 70 countries are screened at the festival each year.

Free Cinema was a documentary film movement that emerged in the United Kingdom in the mid-1950s. The term referred to an absence of propagandised intent or deliberate box office appeal. Co-founded by Lindsay Anderson with Karel Reisz, Tony Richardson and Lorenza Mazzetti, the movement began with a programme of three short films at the National Film Theatre, London on 5 February 1956. The programme was such a success that five more programmes appeared under the ‘Free Cinema’ banner before the founders decided to end the series. The last event was held in March 1959. Three of the screenings consisted of work from overseas filmmakers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Grigsby</span> British filmmaker

Michael Kenneth Christian Grigsby was an English documentary filmmaker.

<i>Delphinium: A Childhood Portrait of Derek Jarman</i> 2009 short documentary film

Delphinium: A Childhood Portrait of Derek Jarman is a 2009 short film based on the early years, work, and legacy of British artist and filmmaker Derek Jarman. The film was written and directed by Matthew Mishory and produced by Iconoclastic Features. It was executive produced by Andreas Andrea. Keith Collins, Jarman's surviving muse, participated in the making of the film. Jonathan Caouette served as a creative advisor. It is the first narrative work about the life of Derek Jarman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UK Jewish Film Festival</span>

The UK Jewish Film Festival is an annual film festival dedicated to world cinema that explores Jewish life, history and culture worldwide. It was founded in 1997 and takes place in November, in London and in other cities in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BFI Southbank</span> Cinema in the UK

BFI Southbank is the leading repertory cinema in the UK, specialising in seasons of classic, independent and non-English language films.

Raymond Stross was a British film producer.

The Aesthetica Short Film Festival (ASFF) is an international film festival which takes place annually in York, England, at the beginning of November. Founded in 2011, it is a celebration of independent film from around the world, and an outlet for supporting and championing filmmaking.

German Concentration Camps Factual Survey is the official British documentary film on the Nazi concentration camps, based on footage shot by the Allied forces in 1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Scott (director)</span> British filmmaker, painter, draughtsman and printmaker

James Scott is a British filmmaker, painter, draughtsman and printmaker.

<i>Mystify: Michael Hutchence</i> 2019 documentary film by Richard Lowenstein

Mystify: Michael Hutchence is a 2019 documentary film about the life of musician, actor and singer-songwriter Michael Hutchence, lead vocalist of the Australian rock band INXS. It is written and directed by Richard Lowenstein and relies primarily on rare archive footage, outtakes, private home video and audio commentary provided by friends, ex-partners, band members, record producers and family. An Australian-British venture, the film was co-produced by Ghost Pictures, Passion Pictures with Madman Entertainment and Dogwoof serving as distributors. It is in association with Baird Films and Film Victoria. Mystify: Michael Hutchence had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on 25 April 2019, and was theatrically released in Australia on 4 July 2019. The film was released in the United Kingdom on 18 October receiving generally positive reviews from critics.

<i>Hostile</i> (2022 film) 2022 British political documentary

Hostile is a 2022 documentary film directed by Sonita Gale. The film explores the UK government’s ‘hostile environment’ immigration policy, first articulated in 2012 under the Cameron administration. The film premiered on 29 October 2021 at the Raindance Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 BFI London Film Festival</span> 2022 film festival

The 66th BFI London Film Festival was a film festival that took place from 5–16 October 2022. British-American producer Tanya Seghatchian served as jury president. Marie Kreutzer's Corsage won the Best Film Award.

References

  1. ↑ "Other Half-Drama, Film and Media". Abingdon School. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  2. 1 2 "About". Abingdon Film Unit. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  3. ↑ "Michael Grigsby". The Times. 5 June 2013. p. 50 – via Times Digital Archive.
  4. ↑ "Film Unit" (PDF). The Abingdonian.
  5. ↑ "Michael Grigsby 1936-2013". British Film Institute.
  6. ↑ "Cobblers - BFI British Film Institute". British Film Institute. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  7. ↑ "Morning - BFI British Film Institute". British Film Institute. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  8. ↑ "The Stables - BFI British Film Institute". British Film Institute. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  9. ↑ "Squeaky Little People - BFI British Film Institute". British Film Institute. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  10. ↑ "Prospects - BFI British Film Institute". British Film Institute. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  11. ↑ "BAFTA winner - BRITISH SHORT FILM - COWBOY DAVE". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. 5 January 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  12. ↑ "Filming Gravel and Stones in Cambodia". Close-Up Film Centre . Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  13. ↑ "Three Abingdon schoolboys have made a film which will have its premiere at the National Film Theatre in London". The Herald. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  14. ↑ "Abingdon Film Unit Screenings". Abingdon School. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.