The Hide Release Dates


The guys over at Poisson Rouge Pictures have got in touch with IndieFlicks to tell us that their latest film, The Hide, will be released shortly. Directed by Marek Losey and receiving a number of great reviews from the likes of Channel 4 Film and Empire it will be on release at The ICA from June 4th as well as having screenings at the BFI and Glasgow Film House towards the end of the month.

For more information please visit their official website - click

IndieFlicks: Interview

Sebastian Smith is one of the 3 directors of Dead Wood, with David Bryant and Richard Stiles. They met at film school in Newport, Wales and remained friends ever since, forming Menan Films. Their first short as a trio, also titled ‘Dead Wood’ won a prize in the Zone Horror/Frightfest’s ‘Cut’ competition and has screened at festivals around the world. Dead Wood the feature was released on DVD in the UK on April 13th. In addition to directing, Sebastian is a television documentary editor. IndieFlicks was lucky enough to grab a few words with Sebastian to discuss Dead Wood and its creation.

IndieFlicks: What got you started in film?

Sebastian: I was drawn to the dark side of films by accident. My Mum and Dad took me to see Watership Down when I was a kid - I must have been about 6. I think they thought it would be rabbits having fun and it’s so violent! It freaked me out but at the same time I loved it. So violence in film does corrupt young fragile minds. When I was about 15 a mate of mine had a big old VHS camera and we made a bad horror movie. It was just a laugh - we went to the local butchers and asked for a pig’s eyeball and he carved it out of a head there and then. The film was absolute shit but it was such fun, I was hooked from then on.

IndieFlicks: Where did the idea for Dead Wood come from?

Sebastian: The idea for Dead Wood came about as we realised we needed to make a film for as little as possible, using things that were free. Trees are free. It started from there and grew.

IndieFlicks: How long did it take to write the script?

Sebastian: We had a few story meetings in the pub. I don’t actually remember them, they degenerated into drunken rantings after a few hours. But somehow from that David Bryant was able to pull a script together in 3 days! That script bears slim resemblance to the final film but that’s what we basically shot.

IndieFlicks: How did you raise money for the film?

Sebastian: We didn’t. We realised it would be really difficult to raise money and we wanted to spend that time and energy making the film. So we just grabbed our cameras and off we went.

IndieFlicks: How was it received?

Sebastian: We’ve been very pleased with the response Dead Wood has got from people. Watching it at festivals with other people is the most nerve-wracking experience. And when people laugh and gasp at the right places it’s an incredible feeling. In the industry too, we had about 10 sales agents all wanting to represent the film, we sold to Lionsgate in the US so it was great to think yes, we did something right.

IndieFlicks: What can we expect to see from you in the future?

Sebastian: We’re working on a new film called ‘Hunting Ground’ about a team of army cadets that get trapped on an island with a group of psycho-crazed special forces guys. It’s a relentless action-packed bloodbath!

IndieFlicks: What advice would you give to any budding filmmakers out there?

Sebastian: No one cares about you, no one wants to give you anything, you’re not special. So pick up a camera and prove everyone wrong. Every time you hit record you’re saying “Fuck you, I’m doing it anyway.” What are you waiting for?

For more information on Dead Wood please visit the official website - click
If you wish to purchase the film you can find it at Amazon and Play

The Weekly Interview

Alisa Arnah is the director of the feature documentary Out at Lunch. IndieFlicks was lucky enough to get in touch with Alisa and the producer of Out at Lunch, Emma Brogen, to talk about the film and their experience within the film industry.

IndieFlicks: How did you get into filmmaking?

Alisa: Well I came from acting so I have several years experience of being on set, albeit on the other side of the camera. I got involved with producing a couple of short films that I was also acting in and quickly realised that I really wanted to have a go at directing. One day Emma called me up with this idea and a couple of weeks later we were shooting and making it all up as we went along. We were lucky to find a talented and patient DOP who was great at bridging the gaps in our technical knowledge.

IndieFlicks: Where did the idea of Out At Lunch come from?

Emma: Graduation was drawing near and I wanted to do something to mark the end of what had been, for me, a very special time in my life. That’s where the idea for the lunch came from, as for the documentary, well that was just obvious. A bunch of gay’s trying to persuade their parents to not only acknowledge their sexuality but to come and have a polite meal in a room full of people pretending it was normal! I couldn’t resist. On a more serious note, it meant a lot to me. I wanted to give an honest, open portrayal of what it really meant to be a lesbian and to explore why the prospect of asking their parents to lunch caused near panic in so many of my friends.

IndieFlicks: Did the production face any problems or challenges?

Alisa: Well the whole thing was a great big learning curve for us but looking back it actually went incredibly smoothly.

Emma: Technically, no, unless you count trying to persuade our vertigo suffering DoP to carry out one of the interviews on top of a rather high roof. The biggest challenge for me was persuading everyone that they wanted to go on camera and talk things that were very personal to them. But in the end they were all amazing, they freely opened up and explained so eloquently about their experiences that I had to spend most interview holding back tears!

IndieFlicks: How is the post production process going and when do you expect the film to be completed by?

Alisa: We are currently raising awareness of the film and raising funds for completion. I’m finding the editing process quite daunting with a documentary as opposed to a short film because you don’t have a script, there are so many choices to be made. But that’s what makes it exciting too, we’re hoping to get a final cut finished in the summer.

IndieFlicks: What is next for LifeSliceFilms once Out at Lunch is complete?

Alisa: We still have a long way to go with this project and it really demands all of out time at the moment. But we are keen to start shooting again soon. Our aim is to keep making films that give an insight people or lifestyles that you wouldn’t necessarily be exposed to otherwise. There are fascinating stories everywhere.

For more information on Out at Lunch and LifeSliceFilms please visit their website -  Click

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