stewartcomrie.com

Eye For Film Battenberg Review

2010-07-01T05:03:00.000-07:00

This is a haunting stop-motion work, recalling the Victorian era with its profusion of cast iron and string and dolls' house furniture and taxidermy. There is complicated arrangement of red thread and machinery, emanating from a sewing machine and running at one point through a mincing machine. It seems to terminate with a squirrel, with chilling red eyes.

There is a magpie outside. It watches, and is watched, until it flies into a window. It's brought inside for tea, and the titular Battenberg. There are drawers in drawers, hidden compartments, scuttling things, noises - this is unsettling, concerning, rewarding.

Little touches make it - the music by Raydale Dower and Jamie Bolland is note-perfect, the tea set and the guestbook entries, the doubly-miniature railway that brings the cake from some hidden alcove are all well-judged. The melted doll servitors, the cogs and gears and spindles, the wrapping paper on the structure inside the house, indeed, the house itself all raise questions. The ending is fascinating too, suggesting all sorts of things.

Stewart Comrie's film has already won awards, and it deserves them - unpicking what is on the screen isn't a challenge, but it is a mystery - how whatever it is we are watching came to be, what its motive is - unfathomable, but compelling, it deserves to be sought out. It's a sweet little treat, with a pattern in the middle and a somewhat odd-looking exterior.

Eye For Film

Edinburgh International Film Festival Trailblazers 2010

2010-06-13T11:01:00.000-07:00

As part of Battenberg's selection for the prestigious EIFF I have been named one of the festivals Trailblazers.

Established in 2007, Trailblazers is the EIFF’s flagship talent showcase - a key element in our promotion of new talent and our service to the UK industry, on which we are pleased to collaborate with Skillset.

The chosen filmmakers will be presented with every opportunity to forward their promising careers and diverse modes of working via the Festival’s structures and services. After the Festival, we stay in touch and track their progress – which is how we know about people like Eduard Grau, a 2007 Trailblazer who recently shot Tom Ford’s hit A Single Man after his cinematography showreel was picked up by one of the film’s producers in Edinburgh. Former Trailblazers with new feature films in the programme this year include Nichola Burley, star of SoulBoy; Bryan Larkin, actor in The Red Machine; and Lol Crawley, cinematographer on Donkeys.

http://www.edfilmfest.org.uk/industry/trailblazers/2010/stewart-comrie

JIM POOLE AWARD

2010-06-03T02:46:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to BATTENBERG for taking out first prize at the 2010 Jim Poole Scottish Short Film Awards. Director: Stewart Comrie, Producer: Anna Odell, Animator: Stewart Comrie.

The audience award winning film was FOOL PROOF
Director/Producer: Louis Paxton
Writers: Paddy Kondracki & Louis Paxton

The annual Jim Poole Scottish Short Film Award commenced in 1999 to demonstrate commitment to supporting Scottish filmmakers. Launched as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, it was named in honour of the visionary who re-opened the cinema as the Cameo in 1947.

Now run as a collaborative venture with Scottish Screen and The Belmont Picturehouse, Aberdeen, the tenth Jim Poole Short Film Award was presented at a special finalists screening on Sunday 30th May 2010, 5.30pm at the Cameo Cinema.

PERSPECTIVES FOR ANIMATED FILM Exchange Forum Dresden - Belgrad: 22 - 29 April 2010

2010-05-03T01:32:00.000-07:00

Recently attended the 'Perspectives for Animated Film Exchange Forum Dresden - Belgrad: 22 - 29 April 2010'. Scottish Screen kindly funded my participation in this event.

Bafta win for short Battenberg

2010-05-03T01:24:00.000-07:00

Battenberg by Stewart Comrie wins BAFTA Scotland New Talent Award 2010 for Best Animation

Congratulations to Director Stewart Comrie for winning the BAFTA Scotland New Talent Award 2010 for Best Animation for Animated Short Battenberg.

Inspired by a Roald Dahl story. Stewart Comrie developed, directed and animated Battenberg in 2009 through Digicult's Scottish Digital Shorts programme. The film was funded by Scottish Screen and the UK Film Council in association with BBC Scotland. Battenberg was produced by Anna Odell.

Ewan Angus, Chair of BAFTA Scotland said “BAFTA Scotland is delighted to showcase such a range of emerging talent from all across Scotland. It is especially important in the current climate that we support, commend and inspire excellence and the potential for excellence. My congratulations go to all the winners and nominees."

Scottish Students on Screen

2010-04-03T01:58:00.000-07:00

I recently presented a talk at the CCA in Glasgow on the process of creating my short film Battenberg and my collaberation with the Digicult Company.

SSoS is a one day festival designed to foster stronger links between education and the moving image industries. SSoS is managed by BAFTA and funded by Scottish Screen, and has been running a innovative programme of events for the past 11 years. 2010 promises to be another fantastic day full of exciting sessions, screenings, workshops and masterclasses providing all you need to know about getting into the industry.

SSoS 2010 will take place on Tuesday 16 March from 10am - 5pm and tickets should be booked in advance via the CCA box office on 0141 352 4900.

2010-04-01T16:47:00.000-07:00

Trailer for my Short film Battenberg
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Synopsis

Colliding with the dusty window of an abandoned guest-house, an unwitting bird fails to realise the curious horror lurking within.

Hidden inside, a strange dual universe awaits the accidental visitor. Amid the disorientating, skewed décor, indiscernible creatures scuttle, jars teem with dark mystery and a shadowy presence resides with ambiguous motives, ready to lure us into it’s rooms of curiosity.

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Genesis

Stewart Comrie developed, directed and animated Battenberg in 2009 through Digicult’s Scottish Digital Shorts programme. The film was funded by Scottish Screen and the UK Film Council in association with BBC Scotland.

Email: stewartcomrie@hotmail.com

Phone: 07731844498

http://www.digicult.co.uk

cult@digicult.co.uk

Running Time 12 minutes

Credits

Writer/Director Stewart Comrie

Animation Stewart Comrie

Producer Anna Odell

Production Designer Stewart Comrie

Assistant Art Director Jenny Hood

Script Editor Jenny Hood

Script Development Andy Kennedy

Original Music Jamie Bolland & Raydale Dower

Editor Rachel Tunnard

Sound Design Romano Valerio at Arc

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Running Time 12 minutes