13/11/2009

The British and (since 2004) Irish Film Festival Britspotting, created in 2000 to show independent UK films to Berlin audiences, opens its tenth edition this evening at the Babylon Mitte cinema.

At this opening night, viewers will get the chance to see two films in competition: political satire In the Loop [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Scottish director Armando Iannucci (well-known for his work at the BBC, including the series The Thick of It); and Eran Creevy’s debut film Shifty [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which was shot over 18 days.

Also vying for honours at Britspotting 2009 are Chris Waitt’s A Complete History of My Sexual Failures<:a>, Duane Hopkins’ Better Things [+see also:
trailer
film profile] [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], Urszula Antoniak’s Dutch/Irish film Nothing Personal [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Urszula Antoniak
interview: Urszula Antoniak
film profile], Dominic Murphy’s White Lightnin' [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], Marc Price’s horror film Colin and Jonathan Caouette’s documentary All Tomorrow's Parties, among others. These titles will be judged by audiences, who will also select their favourite short film.

The festival will close on November 15 with Michael Winterbottom’s Genova [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (out of competition).

Besides the features and shorts in competition, Britspotting will also host special events, including a retrospective of the best shorts to have screened at the festival since its creation; a screening of John Burgan’s Memory of Berlin (1998) to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall; and a selection of three works presented in person by Irish experimental filmmaker Vivienne Dick.

(Translated from French)