Cambridge Film Festival 2012

And so another successful Cambridge Film Festival drew to a close yesterday. I'm already missing it... Here are some very quick thoughts on this year's experience. Lead by the inspirational director Tony Jones and his team of programmers, this important, ambitious festival prides itself on bringing a wide-range of quality films to Cambridge. What is …

Sleep Furiously and the Cambridge Film Festival…

In my last post I mentioned the fast approaching Cambridge Film Festival, one of the highlights of my year. Among the many reasons I love the festival so much is that it affords the opportunity for discovering some real cinematic gems. I can still vividly remember being mesmerised by Guy Maddin's DRACULA: PAGES FROM A …

…some thoughts on Las Acacias…

I saw this film in the cinema at the end of last year; it's now out on DVD. A second viewing has confirmed first impressions: Las Acacias is a perfectly formed, subtle, moving, and heartwarming little gem. Philip French doesn't agree; he flatly dismisses the film in his short Guardian review:- In this widely praised …

My Favourite Films of 2011

The usual caveats apply: a) there are many important 2011 films which I haven't yet seen; b) I tend to change my mind about films, so this is a snap shot of my opinions at this point in time; c) I find it almost impossible to rank films in any great detail, so I tend …

Cambridge Film Festival 2011

One of the real highlights of my year is the Cambridge Film Festival. After the funding difficulties of last year (due to external factors) it was especially thrilling to see it back in 2011 with just as bold and ambitious a programme as ever. This year's festival experience started for me with a couple of …