We are delighted to showcase work from a selection of young female filmmakers based at East Sussex College as a way to help mark International Women's Day this Monday 8 March 2021.
We're also celebrating the day with our Feminista Film Festival selection of online films, and special film discussion on Monday 8 March, which we hope you can enjoy.
Watch the students' films
Introducing work from female filmmakers studying at East Sussex College, many of whom are also part of our Young Electrics young film programmers group.
We chatted to them about their work and film in general...
Student: Ella Vaney
Film: Altered Perception
Can you tell us about your film?
I enjoyed collecting footage for the film, I wanted to film scenes in an altered way to how they may usually be perceived by using blurring and overlaying clips. I was happy with the outcome of the film as using text in a film was something I had not experimented with before but I was pleased with the effect it made. The film clips were inspired by water, nature, and light, while the text overlays were inspired by text layout on pieces of graphic design such as posters and magazines.
What does filmmaking offer you as an artist?
Filmmaking is an effective way to document perspective, to explore composition and layout. I believe it is important to document experiences through film, especially in a time like this where we are experiencing events that rarely occur. Editing is also a very important process to me, as I enjoy experimenting with composing clips together, and seeing which clips fit together better than others.
Have developments in camera technology/phone cameras changed the way you work?
I mainly create my films using a camera, as I love the blurry depth of field you can achieve with a camera lens, however developments in smartphone technology makes it entirely possible to shoot professional films from a phone. With effective time lapse and slow motion functions on a phone, and video editing software being readily available to download as apps, filmmaking is more accessible than it has ever been before.
Student: Nam Srichaiyaphum
Film: The Shadowing
Can you tell us about your film?
I created this film exploring altered perception, I enjoyed experimenting creating and
capturing movements as images of shadows and elements. It was really interesting
defining my perspective through reflections from abstracted shadows.
It feels like my life was like a shadow through being in lockdown, so I wanted to
represent it in the shadows and explore that feeling of something being there as well
as not there – my point of views of being held captive inside a square room, my bed
my only surrounding environment.
Student: Lola Martin Harker
Film: Clocking In
Do you remember the moment your love for movie making was sparked?
I remember I was with some friends and I realised I wanted to make moments of my life last forever, and the best way to do that was to capture them and turn them into art, making them last forever.
Do you have a memory to share about a great film night at the cinema?
When I turned five I rented out the Electric Palace Cinema room and I watched Kung Fu Panda for my birthday.
Is there something you try to subvert, avoid or rebel against in your work?
A close minded pessimistic mindset towards life which many people have in today’s society, where they think there isn’t beauty in the little things and the wonderfully magical coincidence called earth. I try and contradict these ideas with the films I make, showing the wonders of the universe.
How do you plan your work – with a script, storyboards or another method?
I storyboard shots and ideas but in a very loose way, and then when it comes to filming and I do it very intuitively and go with the flow of what looks right. I then review the clips I captured and go back to the storyboard to develop these. The final product never looks like the original storyboard.
What parts of living in Hastings has influenced your work?
The people. Hastings is full of so many interesting people, some I’ve got to know and found out their beautiful stories. Others I just watch, through store windows, the view from the cliffs, the people out on beach days, and the students sitting in the atrium. This is where most of my work is inspired from.
Do live audiences in a cinema matter to you?
To a certain extent yes, I would love to get my work out there and I think a live audience is a great way to do that, and to get an idea across. However, internal validation from yourself is more important - all that matters is that you enjoy making the work.
Student: Tilia Guildbaurd-Walter
Film: Hands of Poker
Can you tell us about your film?
I created this film out of the idea of exploring hands and the stories they can tell. I was ultimately working on pushing my technical skills and improving my film knowledge.
I really enjoyed learning about different elements of film making and experimenting with angles and ideas for coming to my final plan.
This film definitely has an interesting perspective because a very fundamental part of poker is 'the poker face,' but I don’t show that in my work. I learnt a lot and I am proud of the technical development journey this has taken me on.
Do you remember a moment when your love for the moving image was sparked?
I have a vague memory of sitting in a pub in Dublin with my dad in probably 2019, and we were talking about different things about film and the film industry, and he was telling me about when he worked as a cinema projectionist and had to make sure the physical film reels lined up properly and within that conversation, I just had this feeling of “I want to be a part of the film world.” That’s what started it all off for me.
Tell us about a film that you would have liked to have made?
I always have ongoing concepts: an idea that is currently floating around my mind is the relationship you have with yourself, different versions of yourself, and how they would interact with each other. The conversations I have with myself to motivate myself and take care of myself have become even more prevalent within this time in lockdown. I would really like to turn this into a film and I think using visuals that overlap each other and different colours and textures would be really interesting.
I would love to have made the film Beach Rats. I find that the cinematography and colouring is so beautiful and the close ups have really inspired me.
How do you plan your work – with a script, storyboards or another method?
I find that when I start planning I conceptualize everything in my head, almost like a dream, I know what it looks like but at the same time I don’t. I find a way to make these plans solidify slightly is to have a conversation with someone and often I will audio record so that I can go back and revisit it later.
For the film I just made I was doing a lot of experimental shots looking at angles and things, so I took snapshots from my footage and printed them off and annotated them to make a storyboard to help with the final filming process.
What parts of living in Hastings has influenced your work?
Being at college in Hastings has influenced my work on a subconscious level. Hastings has such a creative energy to it and there always seems to be an opportunity to get involved in things and these have grown me as a person and therefore developed my creative work.
Tell us about an unusual event where you have screened your work or attended a film screening?
In 2019, my friend and I collaborated on a film to enter into Hailsham’s ‘3 minute flix’ competition. I remember the excitement when we got told that we had been shortlisted in the over 16s and adults category and our film was going to be screened. We won the competition: that was an incredible experience! My smile was so big when they announced the winner.
Student: Maya Ramnarine
Film: A world without memories
Can you tell us about your film?
I made this film to create a piece to signify how important memories are and past experiences can be.
Throughout this project my ideas have been developing to create this final outcome, my first plan was to create a life size family tree using ornaments and a patchwork piece to represent different family members.
From this point my ideas developed to create a film portraying this final outcome using an interview I had with my mum about what memories mean to her layered over some footage I recorded and old family videos. The interview process allowed me to have an honest informal conversation about memories I’ve never heard before, allowing her an opportunity to talk about her past which she loved sharing.
In the future I want to produce more interview style films, as I was made aware of how important it is to discuss your past and learn from others' experiences.
Do you have a memory to share about a great film night at the cinema?
A few years ago a group of friends and I went to watch a screening on the first night of a film. I had never been to see a film where people were left speechless at the end and some even cheered and clapped. This surreal experience made me realise how powerful a film can be and the emotive connections that can be formed from films.
Tell us about a film you would have liked to have made?
I would have loved to have made a documentary film called ‘Cobra Gypsies,’ a short documentary film directed by Raphael Treza. This documentary captures a community in Northern India in the deserted plains. I was captivated by their way of life and especially their bold and bright fabrics the communities wear with pride.
Watching this documentary has influenced my future ambitions particularly going to document places around the world, but also to capture certain perspectives of others lives unseen before, educating and informing others from the work I produce.
Is there something you try to subvert, avoid or rebel against in your work?
Within my work I strive to produce pieces of work that capture alternative perspectives using a variety of materials and often try not to stick with one particular practice. I often engage in socio-political themes with my work trying to make others aware of the wider world and others experiences, subverting away from commonly spoken about themes.
Within my future work I would love to explore gender stereotypes people face and challenge perspectives through my future work.
What parts of living in Hastings has influenced your work?
Living beside the sea has had an impact on my work, it provides me with the space to gain new ideas and thoughts for upcoming projects and film ideas and the occasional sea swim helps too. Hastings is full of interesting people and creatives giving me that further inspiration.
Tell us about an unusual event where you have screened your work or viewed a film screening?
A film screening I’ll never forget was when I went to a cinema in Trinidad. Whenever there was a funny moment in the film some of the audience would get up out of their seat and run down the aisles with laughter, clapping and cheering and then frantically sit back down. It was the most entertaining yet irritating cinema experience.