Giving a shout-out to OTT Films

By Marcie MacLellan
 
When I first moved to London over 6 years ago, I was on a mission to make more films. But, not knowing a soul, I had no idea where to find like-minded filmmakers. Luckily a quick snoop around Facebook led me to OTT Films. After attending a free networking event where drinks and discussion flowed freely, I posted a script for ‘I do’ on their interactive forum in hopes of finding a director. Within a few days, I did. Three months later, my film was made with director Lewis Martin-Soucy. Two months after that, we were heading to Cannes for its screening.

When Summer School, our latest documentary on feminist activism, was just an idea - OTT Films was the first place I went for advice. And again, I was able to pull together a stellar team including John Miguel King and Tim Hawkins.  So, I have no hesitation in recommending OTT Films as a networking group to get involved with.

They describe themselves as a collaborative group of filmmakers working together to help make films – and this is exactly what they do. Members come together through an online forum and group meetings to discuss the projects they’re making, and projects they’d like to make. So, if you have an interest in directing, acting, composing, make up, editing, visual effects or any other aspect of filmmaking, check them out at ottfilms.co.uk.

Artists Talking: Review of Summer School

Summer School Premiere at Women of the World Festival, Southbank Centre, 12 March 2011

Documentary film Summer School, produced and directed by Marcie MacLellan for Incontext Productions, premiered at the Women of the World Festival at Southbank, 11-13 March 2011.  The film started as a personal project for Marcie and was made on almost no budget.  She is now looking to distribute the film, perhaps through educational organisations.

Summer School documents an activist training event run in Summer 2010 by UK Feminista.  It focuses on the story of a small number of participants and follows their journey to, during and after the Summer School.   Geri, for instance, came to the Summer School from Rugby, not a place welcoming of feminist activism.  On her return, after the School, she set up a feminist group at her university.  Matt McCormack-Evans founded the Anti Porn Men Project.

The screening was followed by a talk about the Future of Feminism with Pragna Patel of Southall Black Sisters and Kat Banyard founder of UK Feminista.

Points raised in the film and in discussion included the need to involve men in feminist activism, the need to change fundamentally what it means to be a man - a change that needs to come from men - and the need to overcome the myth of the man-hating feminist.  Also the need to consider feminism in a global context. 

Pragna Patel emphasised that it is key to connect with struggles around the world - Middle East uprisings, struggles for human rights - to achieve unity across struggles.  She felt the greatest challenge is the rise of religious power and what that means for women.  Kat emphasised that the porn industry can not be tackled in the UK alone - transnational links need to be built; feminism has a long history of transnational organising, she highlighted.

The chair asked what were the benefits of women joining together.  Pragna's response was that strength lies in unity.  'I don't think we can achieve anything on our own - we really need to be able to connect with other interests.  It has to be a feminism that is inclusive but that is also located in wider movements.  But that can be difficult because men often say that feminism needs to wait until after the revolution.'

How do we learn from the past and keep feminism going?

Kat felt that key was developing and maintaining an organising infrastructure - other campaigns have better structures (the TUC, for example).  For the future of feminism, Kat feels, it's really important to be engaging men on a sustained basis.  For instance, rape is now legislated against, but how do we stop it happening?  Kat sees a need to change what it means to be a man; to change the socially constructed ideas of masculinity.  Likewise, men need to actively engage - it's not enough to stand back and support it in principle only.

Pragna felt that activism is how feminism will be kept alive.  She felt that in the past too many feminists were coopted by the mainstream and forgot what the message of feminism was.  There needs to be feminists on both the inside and the outside of institutional power structures.

Links:
Incontext Productions: http://incontextproductions.com/
More information about the Summer School event in 2010 is available here:
http://www.ukfeminista.org.uk/all-events/3-ukfeminista-event/72-summerschool.html
UK Feminista: http://www.ukfeminista.org.uk/
Southall Black Sisters: http://www.southallblacksisters.org.uk/
The Anti Porn Men Project: http://www.antipornmen.org/

Reposted from: http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/837659

And a wee bit of press

www.lecool.com/london

Press release for the premiere screening of Summer School

Summer School, a documentary about the new generation of feminist activists, premieres at WOW Festival on 12 March, 2011

The film is followed by a panel discussion on the Future of Feminism

Incontext Productions, an independent London-based production company, has teamed up with UK Feminista, a leading UK feminist campaigning organisation, to announce the premiere screening of Summer School. This forty-minute documentary, produced with the support of OTT films, celebrates the new generation of feminist activists and is being screened as part of Southbank Centre's WOW (Women of the World) Festival.

Marcie MacLellan, Director and Producer of Summer School said:

“The media has been buzzing with news of a feminist resurgence, and I wanted to understand why. This documentary follows young feminists who attended UK Feminista’s Summer School, hosted last year. The goal was to discover what was motivating new activists to get involved. The film’s intent is not to address the history of feminism. Rather, it challenges the myths of what it means to be a feminist today, and tells the story of new, young activists who are willing to fight for what they believe in.”

Over 350 women and men from across the UK attended UK Feminista’s Summer School last July. The sell-out event marked a major upsurge in feminist activity, with some commentators heralding a new ‘heyday’ for British feminism (1).

Following the film, a panel of speakers will discuss the future of feminism. These speakers include Pragna Patel, a founding member of Southall Black Sisters, Matt McCormack-Evans, founder of the Anti Porn Men Project, and Kat Banyard, co-founder of UK Feminista and author of the Equality Illusion.

Kat Banyard, Director of UK Feminista and author of The Equality Illusion, said:

“A backlash against gains made in the 1970s pushed feminism into the political wilderness. But the tide is turning. A new movement is gathering pace, and it is brimming with energy and excitement. The days of dismissing feminism as a moribund movement are over. Feminism is back, and it is here to stay.”

The premier of Summer School, which was made on a budget of less than £500, will take place at the WOW – Women of the World event, Southbank Centre’s new annual festival in celebration of the international achievements and role of women.

When and where:

Date: Sat 12-Mar-2011

Time: 14:00 to 15:00

Place: London - Southbank Centre

Address: Southbank Centre,

Belvedere Rd

London
SE1 8XX

About Incontext Productions: www.incontextproductions.com

Incontext Productions is an independent production company based in Shoreditch, London.  Film projects completed in 2010 include the short film, I do (Revelations 2010: Cannes Short Film Corner) and the documentary short, Child’s Play (Best Screenplay Nomination: Underwire Film Festival, Mumsnet: ‘Let Girls Be Girls’ campaign). Summer School (running time: 38 min: 40 sec) is Marcie’s directorial debut.

About UK Feminista: www.ukfeminista.org.uk

UK Feminista is a feminist campaigning organisation. Its purpose is to end the continuing inequalities between women and men. UK Feminista acts as a bridge between ordinary people on the ground who want to do something about gender inequality – and the many fantastic feminist organisations both in the UK and abroad spearheading campaigns.

Their vision is of a society in which women live free from sexism and enjoy all the rights enshrined in CEDAW (the 'women's bill of rights'). In pursuit of this vision, UK Feminista’s mission is to inspire, enable and mobilise feminist activism UK-wide.

About WOW – Women of the World festival: www.southbankcentre.co.uk/wow

WOW – Women of the World is Southbank Centre's new annual three-day festival launching in 2011. The event will run from Friday 11 – Sunday 13 March across the Southbank Centre site (including the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room, The Clore Ballroom and various function rooms and foyers). WOW - Women of the World was set up by Southbank Centre Artistic Director Jude Kelly OBE to promote, celebrate and recognise the achievements of women and explore some of the challenges facing them. The festival has two strands - one includes performances such as gigs, films, comedy, classical music, theatre and readings. The other is a conference with debates, talks, networking and mentoring opportunities, workshops and lots of fun, free things to do.