The final Filmrats of 2010 is tomorrow evening from 8pm at The Victoria. Join them for an evening of short films and live music at just £2 in.

This scrapbook, cut & stick style poster was also designed by illustrator Hayley Warham, which is rather cool.

Can Birmingham’s eclectic lucky dip of a festival help rejuvenate its Digbeth base?

That festival being Flatpack. Now, I was always told that if the title of a newspaper article asks a question then the answer is most likely ‘no’. In this case, the answer given is revealed to be more like ‘well, first of all Digbeth needs a cash machine, some residents, public transport, a post office and some street lighting’. Which is fair enough.

Hanging the cultural hopes of  an entire area on one annual festival (no matter how good) was a bit of a reach anyway.

On another matter, two parts of the article jumped out:

Amazingly, points out George Clark, a curator who put together Flatpack’s Build Them in the Mind programme of short films, Birmingham still lacks a proper arthouse cinema. This in England’s second-largest city.

Which is true but needs tallying against Ian Francis saying:

“I hate it when people say Birmingham is apathetic” about film and culture, he says. “The interest is there”

Which is also true.

That there’s only one independent cinema in Birmingham is a bit of a shocker, but mac reopens soon and don’t forget the Light House is only just up the road.

Even better, there are quite a few people getting off their backsides to put films on away from the multiplexes. Film nights are rife – off the top of my head there’s Moving Pictures, Juniper Cinema, Kino Concrete, Filmrats, Popcorn, the Animation Forum events, BIFS, Screen Sunday at The Plough and occasional things at The Sunflower Lounge. Those are just the ones I can remember, too. Pretty much all of those are in pubs, which isn’t always going to be ideal and they’re unlikely to show the latest releases, but I think Ian’s right about apathy not being the problem.

Having mentioned it yesterday, it’s the last Filmrats of the year on Wednesday 25 November. From the blurb what has been emailed to me:

the event is a multimedia evening of short films and live music, a hybrid of different creative artistry coming together to showcase their talents, enjoy music, film and to socialise. The night is being held once a month on a Wednesday evening at the Bristol Pear, in the heart of Selly Oak. If you love music and film this really is the best place to go to in Birmingham.

Filmrats is always looking for more Singer/Songwriters, Bands, Poets, Comedians, Performance Artists and Short Films. If you want to showcase your talent then please get in contact. Entry is £1.50, so go along and remember to send in those short films on DVD format to:

Filmrats, Flat 3, 889 Bristol Road, Selly Oak, Birmingham B29 6ND

Email any questions, etc to filmrats@hotmail.co.uk.

You can also grab them via MySpace, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

28 October 2009

• Filmrats Halloween special – a multimedia evening of short films and live music. Plus fancy dress

30 October 2009

• Ghost walk at Highbury Hall. £9.95 and you get a jacket potato – can’t say fairer than that.
• An American Werewolf in London at The Electric (and again on 31 Oct)

31 October 2009

• The Phantom of the Opera – 1925 silent film at the Town Hall, with prizes for the best Halloween costume.
• Cherry Pop Peep Show presents The Bare Witch Project. Burlesque, music and magic upstairs at The Victoria.

2 November 2009

• Halloween Monster Movie Challenge 2009. Sound Bar will host the screening of the films submitted for the challenge

I’ve been cobbling this list together over the past few days – further suggestions would be welcome in the comments…