In 1942 the Nazis destroyed the village of Lidice in Czechoslavakia.  The massacre inspired Stoke-on-Trent MP Barnet Stross and the miners of Stoke to found the Lidice Shall Live movement. The miners gave up one days pay a week to help rebuild Lidice and in 1947 work began on rebuilding the village.

Episode 1: Lidice Shall Die.

Get involved. Unearth the story…

A sculpture is being created in the city that you can be a part of. To have your own personal tag on the sculpture all we ask is that you promise to share the story of the ‘Lidice Shall Live’ campaign with two other people. With your help, this proud story of hope and compassion shall live on for future generations in Stoke-on-Trent.

http://www.unearthed2013.co.uk/?page_id=47

Chasing Stockholm Synopsis:

Carenza Aschenbach tries to forget the brutal bank robber who kidnapped her years before, until he escapes out of prison and abducts her boyfriend as bait. Now she has no choice but to hunt down her attacker and save her boyfriend before the police find out her secret…

The theme for this year was Superheroes; the prop a newspaper from the weekend and the chosen phrase was ‘Hang on lads, I’ve got a great idea’.

The winning film was The Paper Boy made by Film Cube Productions whose team members are;

• Dan J Brown
• Jonny Long
• James Ray
• Aaron Forde
• Zoe Hyland

Click here to view the gallery.

Film 4 and eight other finance, development and distribution companies have confirmed their attendance at Stoke Your Fires first marketplace event.

The Marketplace which will be held on Monday 4 March and will see some of the companies behind Trainspotting, Bend it Like Beckham, Nativity 2, This is England, The Crying Game and Stoke’s first feature film SoulBoy listen to new film and TV pitches from local, regional and nation film makers.

Creative England, BFI, Cascade Pictures, The Works, Salt, Moviehouse Entertainment, Highpoint Media, Guerilla Films and Film 4 are all ready to part with their development funds and help make your ideas into reality.

The Marketplace is specifically designed for filmmakers, animators, writers or producers who have projects ready to go and would like the opportunity to pitch these ideas in a one to one setting with potential investors and partners.

Projects can range from having a completed film, documentary or animation looking for sales or distribution to having a fully developed script/treatment or concept that require finance.

THIS EVENT IS FULLY BOOKED

Tickets £3

Tickets will be available to buy on the door (subject to availability). Online booking has now finished.

United Kingdom/USA, 2012

This is the third instalment of the latest Batman trilogy and Caine plays Alfred, Bruce Wayne’s loyal butler. Despite his tarnished reputation after the events of The Dark Knight, in which he took the rap for Dent’s crimes, Batman (Christian Bale) feels compelled to intervene to assist the city and its police force which is struggling to cope with Bane’s plans to destroy the city.

Tickets can be purchased on the door, subject to availability.

Image credits:
© 2012 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Courtesy of BFI
© 2012 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Legendary Pictures Funding, LLC

Animation categories

Best International Animation – Reflection
Director Planktoon and Yoshimichi Tamura, France. 
Watch the trailer for Reflection.
 
Best UK Animation – Ctrl.
Director, Matt Waruszynski
 
Best Student Animation – Ride of Passage.
Director, Christian Bøving-Anderson, Denmark
Watch the trailer for Ride of Passage

Film categories

Best International Short Feature – Jacobo.
Director, David Del Águila, Spain
Watch the trailer for Jacobo
 
Best UK Short Feature – Inertia. 
Director, Will Herbert
Watch the trailer for Inertia

Best Student Short Feature – Ludzie Normalni.
Director, Piotr Zlotorowicz, Poland

Made in Staffordshire

The Craftsman.Director, Lee Murphy
Watch the trailer for The Craftsman

Councillor Mark Meredith, cabinet member for economic development, culture and sport, said: “The independent panel of judges had a very difficult job this year in deciding the winners of each category.
 
“The fact that we had double the amount of entries compared to last year shows how the festival’s reputation is growing not only at home but also abroad.
 
“It’s fantastic that we have people from countries such as Denmark, Spain and Poland entering our competition and wanting to be associated with it.
 
“We said we would make Stoke-on-Trent a great place to live in our Mandate for Change and the film festival is a brilliant example of putting that into practice.”
 
The winner of the Made in Staffordshire category was Stafford-based Sheringham Studios with its 28-minute love story The Craftsman, based on the book by acclaimed Irish author Stuart Neville. This category recognises films where at least one of the creative team lives in Stoke-on-Trent or the Staffordshire region.

Director Lee Murphy said: “We’re delighted to receive this award, even more so with it being a local film festival.

“A lot of hard work went into making the film and it’s nice to have it recognised in this way.”
 
The festival, which runs from March 1 to March 5, will open with the UK premiere of a new British comedy, Pulp. Produced by Stoke-on-Trent company Reels in Motion and Staffordshire-based Dare Productions, the film was shot on location in the city and the West Midlands and already has a huge following online with more than a million views on YouTube.
 
This year’s festival focuses on the best of British and organisers have put together a packed line-up, including film premieres, masterclass sessions from industry professionals and the region’s first film Marketplace.

Inspired by the book of the same name by Graham Jones, the film charts the rapid rise of record shops in the 1960′s / 70s and 80’s, the influence of the chart, the underhand deals, the demise of vinyl and rise of the CD as well as new technologies. Hear from over 20 record shop owners and music industry leaders such as Tony Wadsworth as well as musicians including Paul Weller, Johnny Marr, Norman Cook, Billy Bragg, Nerina Pallot, Richard Hawley and Clint Boon as they all tell us how the shops became and still are a part of their own musical education, a place to cherish and discover new bands and new music.

More than a piece of nostalgia, Last Shop Standing takes a tantalising look into the future, the stores that are opening, who is succeeding and the individual and unique passion that drives those who remain, and intend to be here long after the supermarkets have given up and the last chain store has closed. Screening constantly somewhere in the UK over the last four months the film has also been in demand in Europe, South America, South East Asia and Australasia, testimony to its universal appeal.

Especially for Record Store Day 2013, we are releasing a Special Deluxe version of the film with 20 minutes of extras and outtakes.
Last Shop Standing will have an unusual public debut in the United States. Instead of one red-carpet screening in a single location, Record Store Day-participating stores across the country will hold screenings in their communities some time in the week before Record Store Day. This Record Store Premiere Week event will usher in Record Store Day on April 20, 2013, and the new Delux DVD of the critically acclaimed film will be one of the official releases available that day.

More information on Premiere screenings in the US and record store-sponsored premieres worldwide will be coming soon, and screening information will be posted on www.recordstoreday.com   Email information@recordstoreday.com for more information. 

“Last Shop Standing is a great window into the minds of record store people and artists who share a passion for music. It’s just plain cool and anyone who supports record stores, or worked in a record store, or supports their local record store, will really enjoy it. Record Store Day is proud to make it our official film for 2013.”
 Michael Kurtz – Co-founder, Record Store Day

“You are never going to discover Captain Beefheart or the 13th Floor Elevators or the Velvet Underground in your local supermarket, ever. ”
Richard Hawley, Musician

“Last Shop Standing is more than just a film about collecting records. It’s about passions, and people caring about what they love. It is a story about records, and some other very important things.” 
Johnny Marr, Musician

Trailer
Watch the trailer on YouTube

‘Like’ the Last Shop Standing Facebook page

The Staffordshire Saxon is a popular, 9ft statue that stands in the foyer of the Pottteries Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent. The artwork, created by renowned artist Andrew Edwards, directly references and celebrates the now, world famous Staffordshire Hoard which is on display in the specially designed Hoard Gallery.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council are open to submissions that will  provide an innovative, contemporary and dynamic short animation and will consider submissions from artists working in a variety of animation formats. This is an exciting opportunity for an artist to work on a commission within the prestigious Potteries Museum and Art Gallery that will be distinctive, high profile and linked to an important public art work.

Closing Date for all submissions is 5:00pm on Friday 1st March  2013
Deadline for completion of animation is 30th June 2013
Maximum Budget of this project is £10,000 (excluding VAT)

Click here to download the application pack

If you are interested in this commission or you would like to get in touch please contact
Paul Bailey, Cultural Development Officer on (01782) 237055 or email paul.bailey@stoke.gov.uk

All applications to be submitted via email to paul.bailey@stoke.gov.uk before 5:00pm on Friday 1st March 2013

Outline Brief
Stoke-on-Trent City Council is looking to appoint an individual or company to deliver a comprehensive independent evaluation of the 2013 Stoke Your Fires Film Festival.  This evaluation will include a review of the festival, consultation with partners, stakeholders and audiences and present recommendations for the future direction.

• Closing Date for all applications is 5:00pm on Friday 15 February 2013
• All work to be completed by the end of March 2013
• Festival Dates 1-5 March 2013
• Maximum Budget £2000 (tbc) excluding VAT.

Background
2011 saw the original Stoke Your Fires Animation Festival transform into a truly diverse film festival representing the best of the midlands region and independent film from across the UK.  This junction was the perfect time to revisit the festivals identity and the creation of a new contemporary brand and ID reflecting the quality and ambition of the festival was developed.

The 2011 festival featured an international awards competition, 3 new film commissions, one of which Blood and Bone China that has since been screened at the London Film and Comic Con and the Marseille Film festival, 2 UK premieres and a four day industry/student focused convention with special guest speakers including Oscar Winning Double Negative Visual FX Company.

In 2012 the festival continued to follow this trend and concentrated its core focus around professional industry development, partnering with both Sheffield Doc/Fest and the Producers’ Forum to deliver a range of professional master classes from some of the best film makers in the industry.

2013 is set to once again enhance the festivals reputation within the sector by establishing the first ever marketplace event to be held in the Midlands region attracting filmmakers from all over the UK to pitch their scripts and ideas to UK financers and distribution companies.
The festival is curated by Stoke-on-Trent City Council with support from The Producers’ Forum, Animation Forum WM and Staffordshire University, and a core working group of local creative industries.  To further develop this offer we are now looking to appoint a freelance individual/organisation to deliver a comprehensive independent evaluation of the festival that will influence not only the future direction of the festival but support the development of the sector locally.

What we require

A freelance individual/organisation to:

• Review/evaluate the 2013 Stoke Your Fires Festival (1-5 March 2013)
• Consult with all partners, stakeholders, industry and audiences
• Present recommendations for future festival development (Including identification of potential collaborations and funding streams)

All work to be completed by the end of March 2013
Maximum Budget £2000 (tbc) excluding VAT.

If you are interested in this commission or you would to get in touch please contact Marc Wootton, Cultural Development Officer on 01782 234193 or email marc.wootton@stoke.gov.uk

Submission
To be considered for this commission please include: 

• Note outlining your response to the requirements of the brief and your ability and experience to deliver – max. 500 words
• Full contact details, including biographies of who would deliver the contract.
• Summary of relevant credentials (embedded in document and/or via links)

All applications to be submitted via email to marc.wootton@stoke.gov.uk before 5:00pm on Friday 15 February 2013