Flatpack Festival joins up with Colmore Business District for a mini film festival, Film Bug

Flatpack returns to Birmingham from 14 -18 March for its sixth festival. This year Flatpack has joined up with Colmore Business District (CBD) to take over the city’s commercial centre from Wednesday 14 to Friday 16 March. FILM BUG, a festival within a film festival, will screen a diverse programme of features and shorts in unusual locations around CBD.

On Wednesday 14 March Flatpack will descend on CBD to celebrate its rich history and extraordinary architecture. Often described as Birmingham’s mini Manhattan, it is a vibrant and modern area where beautiful listed buildings, such as the iconic former Grand Hotel, stand next to more contemporary designs like One Snowhill.

CBD board director, Diane Benussi said, ‘We are delighted to bring an excellent programme of films to everyone in Colmore Business District. Film Bug will provide a bespoke schedule of screenings at CBD’s superb range of venues and provide something different at lunchtimes and after work. We’re proud to partner with Flatpack Festival, a renowned cultural event in the city.’

The festival opens with ANOTHER FINE MESS, a selection of silent film classics chosen by acclaimed pianist and composer NEIL BRAND. The night will feature early Laurel and Hardy comedies alongside some lesser known but equally entertaining shorts. A compilation of old favourites and rediscovered gems with a nod to the patron saint of this year’s festival, CHARLIE HALL. Brand, who is familiar for his work on Radio 4’s THE FILM PROGRAMME and on the television series PAUL MERTON’S SILENT CLOWNS, will also introduce the films and score them live.

Other highlights include KIT DOWNES AND LESLEY BARNES: ANIMATION AND IMPROVISATION (Thursday 15 March) KIT DOWNES is a pianist, composer, and Mercury Prize nominee. LESLEY BARNES is a Glasgow-based illustrator and filmmaker who has worked with Belle and Sebastian. Last year they joined forces with geneticist ADAM RUTHERFORD to create DNA-inspired multimedia show ANIMATION/MIGRATION for the Cheltenham Jazz Festival. They will be reprising this performance and presenting a number of new pieces which mix live compositions and improvisations with short films and still images. Presented in association with BIRMINGHAM JAZZ.

On Thursday and Friday there will also be a whole host of free shorts programmes and events on offer from KINO 10, IDEASTAP, FLIP FESTIVAL, and UNDERWIRE FESTIVAL. JUST FILM CO-OPERATIVE, BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL FILM SOCIETY, STIRCHLEY HAPPENINGS, and JUNIPER CINEMA will all be holding film screenings, including Ealing comedy THE LAVENDER HILL MOB (1951) and classic mod film QUADROPHENIA (1979).

Other FILM BUG venues include the Old Joint Stock, BCU School of Art (Margaret St.), Café Costes, Urban Coffee, and The Old Royal. All screenings will be free, excluding ANOTHER FINE MESS and the KIT DOWNES performance.

Want to know more about Film Bug and Flatpack Festival as a whole? Drop in to the Film Bug Hub at Urban Coffee Company, 30 Church Street from 15-16 March.

The full Flatpack Festival programme is now online and tickets are available from www.flatpackfestival.org.uk

• Film Bug takes over venues across Birmingham’s commercial centre
• Silent cinema, live scores and an array of short films
• Film Bug and Flatpack unite film nights & organisations from across the city
• Find out more by dropping into the Film Bug Hub at Urban Coffee Company on 15 & 16 March.