Cables & Cameras takes over Watershed for second edition of Inspired weekend

Following its successful first Watershed takeover, Bristol’s Cables & Cameras returns for another Inspired weekend of previews, screenings and discussions celebrating the talents of home-grown filmmakers of colour. This year’s edition also includes an opportunity to take part in an immersive new VR project.

The weekend kicks off on Friday 2 September with a keynote speech from Pierre Godson-Amamoo of youth platform Your Cinema Productions, who’ll be sharing his accumulated wisdom on building online communities to showcase POC culture. Next up is the Bristol premiere of What They Left, the second short film by rising Ugandan-born British director Mevis Birungi. After the screening, she’ll be joined by actress Sonja Varela for a conversation hosted by Adam Murray of the Bristol Black Horror Club.

https://youtu.be/2ERHSW2fElY

That’s followed by more horror from Leon Oldstrong, whose new stereotype-dodging comedy-horror The Lies of Our Confines begins with a pair of youth group leaders taking bunch of young black males from a deprived inner city community on an excursion into the great outdoors. Leon and members of the cast will be present for this one, which is followed by a discussion with Adam Murray.

Teanne and Anthony Andrews of We Are Parable

Saturday kicks off with a couple of events that should be of interest to anyone seeking a career in the creative industries. VIVIDA founder Simeon Quarrie gives a personal talk entitled The Business of Creativity, revealing his working methods, how he got where he is today and the mistakes he made along the way. That’s followed by an Audience Development Workshop with Anthony and Teanne Andrews, whose award-winning film exhibition company We Are Parable has a mission to create memorable experiences showcasing black culture on screen.

After that, Somali feminist art collective dhaqan collective present the local premiere of The Gravedigger’s Wife. Khadar Ayderus Ahmed’s directorial debut is the story of an impoverished gravedigger who risks everything to save his wife and family. Unveiled during Critics’ Week in Cannes 2021, this became a hit on the international festival circuit and is the first Somali film to be marketed to a wide audience in the UK.

Leon Oldstrong is back on Sunday with the provocative Virtually There, his first VR film. A very different project from The Lies of Our Confines, this explores the epidemic of knife crime among young people from a uniquely immersive 360 degree perspective. It offers participants the opportunity to explore a tragic incident from multiple perspectives, stepping into the shoes of each party involved.

Appropriately enough, Inspired concludes with a New Voices showcase of recent short films by regional filmmakers. These include Cables & Cameras founder Gary Thompson’s 25 Years of Full Cycle Records, alongside My Name Is Yours by Clarenz Gutierrez Badlis, Galahad Jones by Bex Goff, Günther by Cal Hagen, Skeletal Behaviours by Stella Jordan and Another day in Buenoseres by Cameron Medford-Hawkins.

Inspired runs from Friday 2 – Sunday 4 September. Go here for tickets and further information.

Main pic: The Gravedigger’s Wife. All images supplied by Watershed.