A Virtual Guide to Encounters Film Festival
BY IZZY NOONE
Encounters Film Festival is a three week festival that takes place every year in Bristol at the end of September and early October. Showing a wide variety of short films, the festival is known for featuring a whole host of animation and live action films as well as VR experiences.
Usually taking place in and around Watershed, this year the festival went online as a result of the pandemic so I bought a ticket to check it out.
The film industry as a whole has taken quite a hit as a result of the pandemic with many cinemas only just reopening. Meanwhile, streaming numbers went through the roof in the first few months of lockdown with Netflix announcing it gained 15 million subscribers in April.
With all this in mind, it makes sense why film festivals would turn to online platforms to exhibit films at the moment.
Out with the Old, George Summers
What was it like attending a film festival virtually?
Initially, I was somewhat apprehensive about Encounters being online. This wasn’t because I was doubtful of the selection of the films on offer. Looking at the festival programme, it was evident that the film options were very diverse. Instead, my worries centred around not making the most out of the festival. At times, streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime paralyse me at the amount of choice available; to the point where I end up not watching anything at all. I didn’t want the same thing happening to me with Encounters.
Luckily, the platform Encounters used was easy to navigate and thoughtfully curated. Every day that I logged in, there were playlists for each category and daily spotlights on films that I might have missed. These playlists allowed me an easy way to drop in and out of the festival when it suited me and so, I avoided the feeling of being overwhelmed by choice.
Of course, the feel of the festival was ultimately different to when I previously attended last year. Nothing is quite going to match the buzz of being surrounded by excited filmmakers (even if a few of them talk a bit too much). In place of attending in person, Q&As and talks are broadcast live every day which was a welcome addition and helped give a face to the festival whilst we couldn’t be in the same room. And although nothing quite beats the atmosphere of a festival, it was nice to watch everything from the comfort of my university bedroom and not have to rush from Watershed to the Arnolfini.
Films I’d recommend
One of the first films I watched was I’ll End up in Jail, directed by Alexandre Dostie and starring Martine Francke. It follows a mother who is trying to escape her life but in the process gets embroiled in a young woman’s death and gets roped into hiding the body. The snowy Canadian setting reminded me a little bit of Fargo and Francke’s performance is gripping.
I’ll End up in Jail
If you’re in the mood for comedy then Heart to Heart would be a great starting point. The story revolves around a 21 year old woman in hospital who has heart issues and suddenly finds herself having a conversation with her own heart called “Lump”, who is voiced by David Tennant. As a concept it sounds strange but it works well and I enjoyed hearing Lump’s philosophy on love as Liddy (Fern Deacon) grappled with her crush on her student nurse.
Both Lucky Break and Talk Radio also really impressed me. Lucky Break, directed by John Addis, follows Uloaku (Jessye Romeo) who is working a graveyard shift at a service station and has their evening turned around when a man (Steve Oram) on the run comes into the shop. I loved Jessye Romeo’s performance - the writing was really tight and made me laugh. Meanwhile, Talk Radio (directed by John S. Hyland) made me laugh out loud in shock plenty of times as it followed a man calling up a radio station to complain about his marriage, not realising that his wife is listening to the programme.
Lucky Break
If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to get into the festival, it’s worth checking out the Depict! Competition which features a series of films that can be up to 90 seconds long. Some of my favourites included: Black in a Box; Double Word Score; Echo; and Gaia. There was also a lockdown version of the competition this year which worked amazingly well. In this category, I would recommend: Art of Noise; Chronically Locked Down; Dance In; Measured; and Together/Fragmented.
It’s also worth checking out the guest festival programme that Encounters has on offer. Films from Queer Vision, Afrika Eye, and Oska Bright are all available to watch as part of your festival pass.
Encounter Film Festival is running from until October 11th. Digital festival passes are available here.
This year’s FUZE is in aid of two charities: ArtRefuge and Black South West Network.
