GSFF2016 Experience - Alison Piper and Stalactites
So… It was an eventful first day at GSFF yesterday and not in the way I expected - I wasn’t at all on my radar that I would end up administering first aid to a chap who fainted after watching Brian M. Ferguson’s grizzly short film ‘Flamingo’ as part of the Skinny Short Film showcase.
I think much of the audience thought it was a publicity stunt engineered by Fergusson, and just kind of… stood there. I had to elbow my way from the back row to help the poor man who was alright after a bit of care and some fizzy juice. I think the best medicine, however, was the hilarious chat that he got from KK and I as we made him comfortable and assured him that, yes, he’d never live this down. But back to the films, my highlight of the international competition was ‘The Assumption’ an Italian film featuring terrified children as they prepare to be chained to a monolith and precariously dragged through the village in celebration of the 'Assumption of Mary’. The build up to the event was perfect and thoughtfully focused on the children rather than the adults involved in the event. After that it was on to Scottish Competition 1, which in my opinion, and surprisingly, exceeded the standard of the international competition. Ainslie Henderson’s short animation ‘Stems’ induced goosebumps and really places him in a different league. The films were excellently curated and all spoke to one another as they touched upon the fragility and transient nature of life. As i’m writing this i’m nervously waiting for my family to arrive for pre-screening food and drink. I’m dreading the Q&A because I hate the idea of standing up in front of an audience and, well, being looked at. I entertained the idea of not getting up but I’m the only female director in my screening so i’d be a bad feminist if I wussed out and didn’t represent. See you all on the other side. P.S The tampon tax is BAD. Here’s a picture. A x
