WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.120 --> 00:00:05.040 You are now listening to the Someone's Favorite Productions podcast Network. 2 00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:20.640 Hello there, and welcome back to the disc connected here 3 00:00:20.679 --> 00:00:23.760 with Omar and Ranjeet, who are the founders behind a 4 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:27.320 company that I sincerely hope everybody hears a lot more 5 00:00:27.359 --> 00:00:31.000 about for this year. That is the cloud Door. Gentlemen, 6 00:00:31.039 --> 00:00:32.119 thanks for making time for this. 7 00:00:32.880 --> 00:00:33.880 Hey, thanks for having us. 8 00:00:34.479 --> 00:00:35.840 Yeah, thank you for having us. 9 00:00:37.000 --> 00:00:39.039 The first thing that we should do is define what 10 00:00:39.079 --> 00:00:42.200 the cloud Door is, and it is an upcoming boutique 11 00:00:42.200 --> 00:00:46.399 company that is releasing a kickstarter for everybody to donate to. Omar, 12 00:00:46.479 --> 00:00:48.240 can you share where the name of the cloud Door 13 00:00:48.359 --> 00:00:49.200 came from? 14 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:55.679 Yeah, so the name itself came from comes from a 15 00:00:55.799 --> 00:01:00.960 short money call film. It's kind of expired until film, 16 00:01:01.280 --> 00:01:05.840 which actually Rinji did a screening of the cloud Door 17 00:01:05.879 --> 00:01:10.359 at was it? Was it in Stuttgard was it? Or Frankfurt? 18 00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:12.680 It was the it was the year before last. I 19 00:01:13.040 --> 00:01:16.519 did one in London at the Garden Cinema, which is 20 00:01:16.560 --> 00:01:18.280 a new cinema in Covent Garden, and you know we 21 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:20.280 did we did one together in Frankfort as well. 22 00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:21.439 Nice. 23 00:01:21.879 --> 00:01:25.120 Yeah, So the the idea was I think we've always 24 00:01:25.159 --> 00:01:28.400 been big fans of kind of alternative Indian cinema, and 25 00:01:28.480 --> 00:01:31.319 money called is kind of like so important and critical too, 26 00:01:32.480 --> 00:01:36.079 kind of the experimental, avant guarde side of kind of 27 00:01:36.079 --> 00:01:39.760 of Indian cinema. So it's a very kind we felt 28 00:01:39.760 --> 00:01:42.400 it was a very kind of apt title as well, 29 00:01:42.519 --> 00:01:45.400 very catchy as well, and kind of fitted into kind 30 00:01:45.439 --> 00:01:47.519 of our kind of ethos and spirit or kind of 31 00:01:47.599 --> 00:01:49.719 what we want to do with the label is. 32 00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:50.640 That we do. 33 00:01:50.719 --> 00:01:53.159 We're we are interested in genre films at the same time, 34 00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:56.920 but we're also very much kind of focused on kind 35 00:01:56.920 --> 00:02:02.120 of independ independent of alternative, esoteric mar films that are 36 00:02:02.120 --> 00:02:05.560 out there which often don't get you know, a platform 37 00:02:05.599 --> 00:02:08.159 and get don't get seen by kind of film audiences 38 00:02:08.199 --> 00:02:11.919 and you know and collectors as well. So it kind 39 00:02:11.919 --> 00:02:15.639 of came from our kind of appreciation, understanding and love 40 00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:17.199 of kind of money goals kind of work. 41 00:02:17.319 --> 00:02:21.840 Really, that's I mean, it's it's a noble mission. It's 42 00:02:21.840 --> 00:02:27.400 something that is vastly underserved across many of these boutique labels. Rogie, 43 00:02:27.479 --> 00:02:33.520 you guys are focusing on South Asian cinema, primarily Indian cinema. Obviously, 44 00:02:33.560 --> 00:02:36.199 there there's a very big hole missing in that market. 45 00:02:36.240 --> 00:02:38.680 But one one question I'd love to hear is why 46 00:02:38.680 --> 00:02:42.599 has that classically been so underserved or difficult to license 47 00:02:42.680 --> 00:02:44.560 for For many of these other companies. 48 00:02:45.159 --> 00:02:48.199 It's it's really falling away as a market. I mean, 49 00:02:48.840 --> 00:02:52.400 growing up in the UK in the eighties, the actual 50 00:02:52.560 --> 00:02:56.800 South Asian communities and in fact even other immigrant communities. 51 00:02:57.080 --> 00:03:01.319 So I'm from the Midlands, you're from the North, and 52 00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:04.960 there's there's sort of you know, decades old South Asian 53 00:03:04.960 --> 00:03:07.680 immigrant communities and in those areas in the UK, but 54 00:03:07.759 --> 00:03:11.120 also the Chinese community in Liverpool, the Turkish community in 55 00:03:11.159 --> 00:03:14.520 Berlin and parts of Germany were at the forefront of 56 00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:17.879 the VHS home video market in the eighties. They set 57 00:03:17.919 --> 00:03:21.080 up their own stores and as well as renting out 58 00:03:21.120 --> 00:03:25.520 the sort of the latest blockbusters, they also imported a 59 00:03:25.560 --> 00:03:27.719 lot of stuff from there from their home countries. So 60 00:03:27.719 --> 00:03:32.159 so I grew up you know, weekly visits, multiple weeklysits 61 00:03:32.840 --> 00:03:35.879 to the local VHS store renting a whole load of 62 00:03:37.159 --> 00:03:39.879 not only latest releases, but you know, old movies from 63 00:03:39.879 --> 00:03:43.360 the from the forties and fifties as well as the latest, 64 00:03:43.360 --> 00:03:46.319 sort of the latest US blockbuster that was available on 65 00:03:46.599 --> 00:03:50.280 video as well. So I think there's always been. There's 66 00:03:50.319 --> 00:03:53.479 always been a market in terms of people wanted to 67 00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:55.919 watch this stuff. What's really changed over the last few 68 00:03:56.000 --> 00:04:00.719 years is I've noticed whenever I visit India in the past, 69 00:04:01.080 --> 00:04:03.960 you know, even up until maybe about ten years ago, 70 00:04:04.520 --> 00:04:07.159 you could pick up really good quality like DVDs of 71 00:04:07.560 --> 00:04:10.639 your classic favorites and really cheaply and they were very 72 00:04:10.639 --> 00:04:14.360 well made, and they had English subtitles, and you know, 73 00:04:14.400 --> 00:04:18.839 there were decent copies, and that has pretty much disappeared, 74 00:04:19.079 --> 00:04:21.639 I would say, in the last ten years. The only 75 00:04:21.680 --> 00:04:24.079 way you can get your hands on this is usually 76 00:04:24.120 --> 00:04:28.560 sort of bootleg copies from local grocery stores and mobile 77 00:04:28.600 --> 00:04:32.040 phone stores where it's sort of three films to a DVD, 78 00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:34.600 not even a DVD, like a VCD, like really low 79 00:04:34.680 --> 00:04:38.600 res sort of YouTube Brits. Because no one's interested in 80 00:04:38.600 --> 00:04:42.560 this stuff. It's all it's all available on streaming, you know, 81 00:04:42.639 --> 00:04:45.279 all the major streamers have sort of entered the South 82 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:50.680 Ocean market now and often the stuff, particularly I think 83 00:04:50.800 --> 00:04:56.079 during the pandemic went straight to straight to streaming effectively. However, 84 00:04:56.399 --> 00:04:59.319 you know, there is a I think, what surprise owned 85 00:04:59.319 --> 00:05:03.199 by myself, We just started teasing the idea of even 86 00:05:03.279 --> 00:05:06.120 doing this is there's a huge there's a huge sort 87 00:05:06.120 --> 00:05:10.319 of demand for this regardless. You know, I'd love to 88 00:05:10.360 --> 00:05:12.959 get a lot of these films on home video and 89 00:05:13.160 --> 00:05:14.879 watch them. I'd love to have all the extras. I'd 90 00:05:14.879 --> 00:05:20.519 love to have the lovely artwork. And I suppose why 91 00:05:20.560 --> 00:05:23.839 is it still underserved now? I think there's also a 92 00:05:25.519 --> 00:05:28.800 sort of opacity. I would say it's sort of mysteriousness 93 00:05:28.839 --> 00:05:30.560 about how do you license this stuff and how you 94 00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:33.319 source this stuff that own One and I have sort 95 00:05:33.319 --> 00:05:37.199 of tried to solve in our various ways as curators, 96 00:05:38.199 --> 00:05:40.360 and so that's given us the network to be able 97 00:05:40.360 --> 00:05:42.279 to sort of crack that a little bit, crack that open, 98 00:05:43.120 --> 00:05:45.959 not just for ourselves, but for other curators, for venues, 99 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:50.600 for maybe other labels as well. So I think I 100 00:05:50.639 --> 00:05:53.279 think it's a combination of that sort of market completely 101 00:05:53.360 --> 00:05:57.480 changing over the last ten years, but also for those 102 00:05:57.519 --> 00:06:00.279 people who are interested just having no idea how you 103 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:02.079 find these films and how you're licensed them. 104 00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:06.199 Yeah, it's been really interesting to see people react to 105 00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:08.959 some of the major releases, especially from that part of 106 00:06:08.959 --> 00:06:12.000 the world, that have hit, like Mona Macabreau in the 107 00:06:12.079 --> 00:06:14.560 in the US that put out the Bollywood horror box 108 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:17.639 set and seeing the people literally like fall in love 109 00:06:17.800 --> 00:06:20.079 with the cinema as they finally get to watch through 110 00:06:20.120 --> 00:06:24.000 the films. What has really made me excited about this 111 00:06:24.319 --> 00:06:28.360 is you both seem uniquely qualified to tackle this Omar. 112 00:06:28.439 --> 00:06:31.120 What kind of backgrounds do you guys have that has 113 00:06:31.879 --> 00:06:34.800 led to the professional ability to be able to tackle 114 00:06:34.839 --> 00:06:36.839 something as grand as this. 115 00:06:38.120 --> 00:06:42.800 Yeah, I think just to go back to what Rinji 116 00:06:42.879 --> 00:06:45.319 they're saying, I just kind of echoey sentiments about kind 117 00:06:45.319 --> 00:06:48.639 of I think what's happened in India is that the 118 00:06:48.720 --> 00:06:51.079 kind of the home video kind of market has collapsed. 119 00:06:51.120 --> 00:06:54.079 There's kind of void ground. It's kind of like an abyss. 120 00:06:54.160 --> 00:06:59.720 And a lot of films, I mean, Netflix, Amazon Prime, 121 00:06:59.759 --> 00:07:03.160 all these kind of streaming sites have an important role 122 00:07:03.240 --> 00:07:07.279 to play. But unfortunately, I think even though they do 123 00:07:07.839 --> 00:07:10.800 hoover up a lot of the independent kind of films 124 00:07:10.879 --> 00:07:13.240 and put them on their kind of platform, it can 125 00:07:13.279 --> 00:07:15.639 be sometimes difficult to even find those films if you 126 00:07:15.680 --> 00:07:18.519 want to kind of watch them as well. So there's 127 00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:21.079 challenges there with kind of the algorithm, which had been 128 00:07:21.120 --> 00:07:25.120 talked about endlessly by many different kind of people, which 129 00:07:25.160 --> 00:07:29.720 I think is still the case but I think now, 130 00:07:29.839 --> 00:07:33.360 I think as curators, I think what we discovered is 131 00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:37.240 that it's it is difficult to find those films a license. 132 00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:40.040 But I think once you kind of get into that 133 00:07:40.120 --> 00:07:43.680 world and start speaking to people and banging on doors, 134 00:07:43.720 --> 00:07:46.920 it is really kind of critical. But kind of going 135 00:07:46.920 --> 00:07:49.319 back to what you just said about kind of my background. 136 00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:52.800 So my background is very much similar to Kin and 137 00:07:52.879 --> 00:07:56.360 Jeets in terms of like film curation and programming. I 138 00:07:56.360 --> 00:07:58.639 initially started as a teacher, so I was I was 139 00:07:58.720 --> 00:08:02.480 teaching film media for fifteen years at six to one college, 140 00:08:02.519 --> 00:08:07.199 teaching kind of filmmaking, storyboarding, film analysis. So I did 141 00:08:07.240 --> 00:08:08.279 that fifteen years. 142 00:08:08.279 --> 00:08:09.160 I left. 143 00:08:10.839 --> 00:08:14.439 And then I went to University of Manchester did a PhD. 144 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:18.079 So I got funded by the Arts Humanities Research Council to. 145 00:08:19.879 --> 00:08:20.560 Do a PhD. 146 00:08:20.639 --> 00:08:24.040 And my interest was very much in parallel cinema, Indian 147 00:08:24.079 --> 00:08:29.160 parallel cinema, so independent kind of film movement, the first 148 00:08:29.160 --> 00:08:34.600 one reading in India and South Asia, postcolonial one in 149 00:08:34.639 --> 00:08:37.639 the late sixties early seventies. So I kind of researched that. 150 00:08:38.120 --> 00:08:40.399 So I spent a bit of time in academia. I 151 00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:42.200 left that, I mean in a kind of a different 152 00:08:42.240 --> 00:08:45.759 role now doing something completely different to kind of film, 153 00:08:45.799 --> 00:08:49.399 but the whole kind of film kind of fixation and 154 00:08:49.480 --> 00:08:52.440 obsession and passion was always in the background. It is something 155 00:08:52.480 --> 00:08:54.720 I was always kind of doing on a constant basis. 156 00:08:55.200 --> 00:08:59.879 So in twenty seventeen, I founded one of kind of 157 00:09:00.120 --> 00:09:06.000 North's first regular kind of seasons on independent kind of films, 158 00:09:06.039 --> 00:09:09.320 which is based at home in Manchester, which is one 159 00:09:09.360 --> 00:09:11.679 of the Northwest kind of like most important kind of 160 00:09:11.679 --> 00:09:15.519 cultural kind of spaces for showing independent films. So I 161 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:18.639 found it a season called Not Just Bollywood. So we 162 00:09:19.279 --> 00:09:22.399 each year we've been trying to show a slate of 163 00:09:22.440 --> 00:09:26.919 different kind of alternative independent films to audiences. Do q 164 00:09:27.080 --> 00:09:30.919 and as do other work around it introductions, so try 165 00:09:30.960 --> 00:09:34.639 to kind of broadened kind of audiences kind of ideas 166 00:09:34.679 --> 00:09:37.320 of what Indian cinema and what South Asian cinema is 167 00:09:37.360 --> 00:09:40.120 to them, because I think it's still looked at through 168 00:09:40.159 --> 00:09:43.360 the prism of kind of Bollywood and the way in 169 00:09:43.440 --> 00:09:46.720 which kind of film culture often kind of represents and 170 00:09:47.600 --> 00:09:50.399 prioritizes kind of the mainstream films is often at the 171 00:09:50.440 --> 00:09:51.399 expense of kind. 172 00:09:51.200 --> 00:09:53.759 Of the you know, the. 173 00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:55.759 The more interesting kind of films that often fall to 174 00:09:55.759 --> 00:09:58.360 the wayside and no one kind of really engages with. 175 00:09:58.960 --> 00:09:59.759 So I think. 176 00:10:01.279 --> 00:10:05.440 I've always been an avid collector myself in terms of 177 00:10:05.480 --> 00:10:09.200 Blu rays and DVDs as well and vhs. Remember the 178 00:10:09.240 --> 00:10:11.879 first VHS I bought was I think, I think with 179 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:14.000 Batman and die Hard from. 180 00:10:13.799 --> 00:10:14.679 The local. 181 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:18.720 Either it was Boots or wool Worst and remember, you know, 182 00:10:19.399 --> 00:10:22.120 it started very early, that kind of relationship with physical 183 00:10:22.759 --> 00:10:25.840 and I think it's for me, it's and I think 184 00:10:25.840 --> 00:10:29.080 for un Cheeth as well. It's been really really fundamental 185 00:10:29.159 --> 00:10:32.399 to kind of keeping a lot of these films alive 186 00:10:32.440 --> 00:10:36.159 and keeping them going because streaming is one thing, but 187 00:10:36.440 --> 00:10:40.600 it can't replicate what physical media does because it gives 188 00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:43.600 you the actual quality of the film. It gives you 189 00:10:43.639 --> 00:10:44.919 all those special features. 190 00:10:45.039 --> 00:10:45.879 It's like vinyl. 191 00:10:46.039 --> 00:10:47.759 You pick up a piece of vinyl, you pick up 192 00:10:47.799 --> 00:10:51.399 the album, you immerse yourself in that whole experience. You're 193 00:10:51.399 --> 00:10:54.799 reading the notes, that kind of you're listening to the 194 00:10:54.840 --> 00:10:57.480 tracks one by one, you're not skipping when you are 195 00:10:57.519 --> 00:11:01.600 onlike you know on Spotify and stuff. So I've always 196 00:11:01.639 --> 00:11:04.279 loved that kind of culture and the investment and the 197 00:11:04.279 --> 00:11:07.879 time that goes into producing all these Blu rays. So 198 00:11:07.879 --> 00:11:09.480 I'd always want to look at them and go, wow, 199 00:11:09.559 --> 00:11:13.120 this is it's incredible. Why isn't there something like this 200 00:11:13.200 --> 00:11:16.919 for South Asian cinema. There should be because it's such 201 00:11:16.919 --> 00:11:20.159 a huge kind of you know, often it's often been 202 00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:21.799 a it still is a very kind of gap in 203 00:11:21.840 --> 00:11:26.360 the market, really so, and I always like would tweet 204 00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:28.799 about write about it, and Mi Gright would be why 205 00:11:28.879 --> 00:11:31.360 criter you and why you're releasing all these you know, 206 00:11:31.639 --> 00:11:36.000 Indian films, saying kind of like arrow, and I think 207 00:11:36.039 --> 00:11:38.840 it was a Master of Cinema Eureka. There were moments 208 00:11:38.840 --> 00:11:42.600 where those boutique labels have flirted with the idea of 209 00:11:42.679 --> 00:11:46.080 kind of releasing Indian films, but they've often gone down 210 00:11:46.120 --> 00:11:50.960 the root of a strategic ray films, which is, you know, 211 00:11:52.679 --> 00:11:55.200 the classic kind of default position, just release a ray 212 00:11:55.279 --> 00:11:58.200 film and will be okay. And I think when I 213 00:11:58.240 --> 00:12:02.559 spoke with remembers people with Nick Wrigley, who I think 214 00:12:02.679 --> 00:12:06.240 was involved with Masters of Cinema Eureka initially I think 215 00:12:06.279 --> 00:12:09.720 he still think he works an Indicator and powerhouse and 216 00:12:09.759 --> 00:12:12.440 stuff now and he I said to him, look, why 217 00:12:12.840 --> 00:12:15.879 you only released that one ray film, which was Abijahn 218 00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:18.639 and it was on DVD and said, come on, let's 219 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:20.759 do some more. There's so much stuff out there you 220 00:12:20.759 --> 00:12:24.639 could release. And I remember the comments coming back with 221 00:12:24.720 --> 00:12:27.240 that there's just not an appetite there. Audiences don't want 222 00:12:27.240 --> 00:12:30.480 to buy these films. But this was admittedly, I think 223 00:12:30.759 --> 00:12:33.960 ten years ago, so it was like a decade ago. 224 00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:38.519 But I think I think there is a significant audience 225 00:12:38.559 --> 00:12:42.600 out there who would want to purchase, you know, South 226 00:12:42.639 --> 00:12:45.320 Asian Indian films on Blu Ray have them on their 227 00:12:45.320 --> 00:12:47.679 shelf in the way in which you know, Criteria Arrow 228 00:12:48.320 --> 00:12:52.000 have kind of given them these releases. So yeah, I 229 00:12:52.039 --> 00:12:58.080 think i'd say I'm and I'd say we're pretty qualified 230 00:12:58.120 --> 00:12:59.440 to kind of do this project. 231 00:13:02.120 --> 00:13:04.519 What about you, Renjie, what's your background? Like they got 232 00:13:04.559 --> 00:13:06.399 you here And. 233 00:13:06.399 --> 00:13:09.320 I'd come into the film work pretty late in life, 234 00:13:09.360 --> 00:13:11.720 so I'm a businessman as my day job and that's 235 00:13:11.759 --> 00:13:15.120 what pays the bills. But actually, I think this is 236 00:13:15.120 --> 00:13:18.320 probably the first project where it sort of covers all 237 00:13:18.320 --> 00:13:20.440 the bases in terms of my experience because we're setting 238 00:13:20.519 --> 00:13:22.759 up a new business effectively, So I've got all that background. 239 00:13:22.799 --> 00:13:23.919 I know what to do. I know how to set 240 00:13:23.960 --> 00:13:25.320 up a limited company, I know how to get an 241 00:13:25.320 --> 00:13:27.360 account and all that sort of stuff. Done it before 242 00:13:27.399 --> 00:13:30.480 plenty of times. But on the film side, it's something 243 00:13:30.559 --> 00:13:33.080 I got involved with it really as a supporter to 244 00:13:33.120 --> 00:13:36.320 begin with about sort of eight nine years ago, just 245 00:13:36.480 --> 00:13:40.000 attending all of the different dy film clubs and independent 246 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:42.840 venues and film fests in London. There was a real 247 00:13:42.879 --> 00:13:45.639 sort of renaissance of that you know in a while back, 248 00:13:45.639 --> 00:13:50.679 which is continuing today thankfully, and just like giving them 249 00:13:50.679 --> 00:13:54.399 moral support and creating social media account and like promote 250 00:13:54.440 --> 00:13:57.320 all of these great things that are happening. And as 251 00:13:57.320 --> 00:13:59.600 a sort of as a punter as an audience member, 252 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:01.679 I also sort of picked up on you know, what 253 00:14:01.720 --> 00:14:04.399 went well and what didn't go well, and you know 254 00:14:04.440 --> 00:14:07.039 what I was looking for in a really good created event. 255 00:14:07.639 --> 00:14:09.559 And as part of that, I you know, I got 256 00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:12.039 invited to do some myself as well, because just sort 257 00:14:12.039 --> 00:14:15.200 of talking to people involved in that world and supporting 258 00:14:15.240 --> 00:14:17.840 behind the scenes, I suppose sort of people picked up 259 00:14:17.879 --> 00:14:20.519 on the fact that I that I love cinema myself 260 00:14:20.519 --> 00:14:24.879 and all forms of it as well, and we're interested 261 00:14:24.879 --> 00:14:28.120 in my choices and in putting them on in venues 262 00:14:28.159 --> 00:14:30.600 and talking about them and doing all the sort of 263 00:14:30.679 --> 00:14:34.879 extras as well. So I started out as a film 264 00:14:34.919 --> 00:14:40.840 creator screening Octopusy the Bond film under a railway arch 265 00:14:41.039 --> 00:14:43.519 in East London in like a real sort of hipster 266 00:14:43.639 --> 00:14:46.360 area of like upcoming East London. And it was it 267 00:14:46.399 --> 00:14:49.080 was a proper hipster venue because by day it was 268 00:14:49.120 --> 00:14:52.240 a vinyl shop and they also had like a pop 269 00:14:52.320 --> 00:14:55.320 up restaurant and then during the evening that they'd clear 270 00:14:55.360 --> 00:14:58.600 away all the all the crates and there'd be there'd 271 00:14:58.600 --> 00:15:00.679 be a set of steps bricks steps, so people would 272 00:15:00.679 --> 00:15:03.200 just sit on and the screen would come down and 273 00:15:03.240 --> 00:15:05.399 they're just put the films and films in the evening. 274 00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:07.799 Unfortunately they lost their license, but it was while that 275 00:15:07.960 --> 00:15:10.399 then you lasted it. It was quite a cool place and 276 00:15:11.759 --> 00:15:16.159 the guy who was like inviting guest curators there was 277 00:15:16.200 --> 00:15:18.279 there was a chap who used to run a sci 278 00:15:18.279 --> 00:15:20.879 fi theater in London which was a great little film 279 00:15:20.919 --> 00:15:23.639 club when it lasted. They used to do used to 280 00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:26.480 do a different sci fi film every month and some 281 00:15:26.559 --> 00:15:30.159 real like you know, cult films and rarities in their 282 00:15:30.200 --> 00:15:32.480 in their program. But what they would also do is 283 00:15:32.519 --> 00:15:36.720 they would get an artist to do a special especially 284 00:15:36.720 --> 00:15:39.519 commission poster and postcard for it, and they would get 285 00:15:39.559 --> 00:15:43.399 a scientist related to the topic of the film to 286 00:15:43.480 --> 00:15:48.120 do a little talk and it was great, and yeah, 287 00:15:48.159 --> 00:15:51.320 shout out to the Graham at Sci Fi Theater wherever 288 00:15:51.320 --> 00:15:54.200 he is. And it was a great little film club. 289 00:15:54.200 --> 00:15:56.519 They started off in the back of a pub and 290 00:15:56.600 --> 00:15:58.039 then they and then they sort of branched out to 291 00:15:58.080 --> 00:16:01.200 actual cinemas and so he invited so, look, there's an 292 00:16:01.200 --> 00:16:04.720 independent venue here. They're sort of pretty much open, so 293 00:16:04.799 --> 00:16:07.600 you're doing whatever you want. And I thought, okay, well, 294 00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:10.000 out of all of the things that are probably never 295 00:16:10.039 --> 00:16:12.120 going to get invited to do, I'm going to do 296 00:16:12.200 --> 00:16:15.480 something called turban Scene on Screen, where I did a 297 00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:20.320 whole monthly set of screenings about films where there was 298 00:16:20.360 --> 00:16:26.000 sort of notable leading or sort of side characters that 299 00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:33.720 wore turbans and particularly sort of mable seeks. And particularly 300 00:16:33.720 --> 00:16:36.679 for the first three or four films films that resonated 301 00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:42.720 with me growing up, so Octopusy, The English Patient, and 302 00:16:43.519 --> 00:16:46.240 The Life Aquatic, the Wes Anderson film. So those are 303 00:16:46.240 --> 00:16:48.519 the first three films, and then as I sort of 304 00:16:48.519 --> 00:16:52.480 got into putting on the events, I did everything around 305 00:16:52.519 --> 00:16:54.559 it as well, so that I've managed to get Kabir Beeddy, 306 00:16:54.679 --> 00:16:58.600 the guy who plays the henchmen in octopusy to Skypitt 307 00:16:58.679 --> 00:17:01.519 from India and actually introduce the film. And that was 308 00:17:01.519 --> 00:17:04.119 a coup from my very first screening and it sort 309 00:17:04.119 --> 00:17:06.400 of went on from that. You know, I had live 310 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:10.000 music for the Wes Anderson film. I managed to find 311 00:17:11.119 --> 00:17:14.960 a British singer songwriter who knew Portuguese and who could 312 00:17:15.039 --> 00:17:18.400 sing the David Bowie songs in Portuguese like just like 313 00:17:18.440 --> 00:17:20.039 in the film, and we had a little concert for 314 00:17:20.079 --> 00:17:23.640 thirty minutes before the screening with the English patient. I 315 00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:27.359 managed to find a British South Asian filmmaker had done 316 00:17:27.359 --> 00:17:30.920 a documentary about seeks who served in World War Two, 317 00:17:31.240 --> 00:17:33.480 and so we've got a little bit of education to 318 00:17:33.559 --> 00:17:35.880 go with the film, to say, actually, you know this 319 00:17:35.960 --> 00:17:40.519 is this is a real thing, this is you know, 320 00:17:40.839 --> 00:17:44.519 this is a great sort of form of representation. So 321 00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:46.640 what started off as a sort of bit of fun 322 00:17:46.680 --> 00:17:49.799 on the side, so slowly as the screenings developed and 323 00:17:49.839 --> 00:17:52.039 I started doing midnight double bills, I started sort of 324 00:17:52.039 --> 00:17:54.559 branching out and all sorts of you know, all sorts 325 00:17:54.599 --> 00:17:57.640 of crazy films that I love to watch and share 326 00:17:57.640 --> 00:17:59.920 with other people. Is over the years, I sort of 327 00:18:00.039 --> 00:18:04.119 somehow accidentally became an expert at it. So all the 328 00:18:04.200 --> 00:18:07.039 stuff that I thought was like super super difficult because 329 00:18:07.039 --> 00:18:09.480 I'm nobody who just doesn't know how to do this 330 00:18:09.559 --> 00:18:13.079 stuff apparently was super difficult for everyone. And just by 331 00:18:13.160 --> 00:18:18.240 doing it year after year, I've sort of somehow, somehow 332 00:18:18.279 --> 00:18:22.440 sort of cracked it. And then and and I try 333 00:18:22.440 --> 00:18:24.240 and share that with as many people as I can, 334 00:18:24.319 --> 00:18:26.759 because I think, I think the more people who are 335 00:18:26.799 --> 00:18:29.559 able to do this, the better for the film ecosystem. 336 00:18:29.680 --> 00:18:34.119 So I get invited every year to talk to film 337 00:18:34.200 --> 00:18:36.799 creation students at the National Film Television School here in 338 00:18:37.400 --> 00:18:39.960 the UK, and I try to mentor as many sort 339 00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:42.359 of up and coming film creators as I can in 340 00:18:42.440 --> 00:18:45.039 terms of just linking them up with this is the 341 00:18:45.079 --> 00:18:47.599 contact you need if you if you need to license 342 00:18:47.640 --> 00:18:50.400 a film, and this archive or this is a contact 343 00:18:50.400 --> 00:18:52.160 for a venue if you if you're thinking of doing 344 00:18:52.160 --> 00:18:57.079 your program there. Because I think the other aspects as 345 00:18:57.119 --> 00:19:00.039 to my background and why I love doing what I 346 00:19:00.079 --> 00:19:05.839 do is I think London compared to other European cities 347 00:19:05.880 --> 00:19:08.759 and certainly the big US cities, so like New York, 348 00:19:08.920 --> 00:19:15.759 LA and then Paris, Rome, Milan as Urich. It just 349 00:19:15.799 --> 00:19:22.440 doesn't have It doesn't have the amount of sort of 350 00:19:22.480 --> 00:19:26.319 repertory film going that you'd expect for the size of population. 351 00:19:28.599 --> 00:19:30.200 It has a lot, there's a lot going on, and 352 00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:33.319 there are some fantastic venues here, but you just look. 353 00:19:33.400 --> 00:19:34.799 You just look at some of these other cities and 354 00:19:34.799 --> 00:19:36.400 you visit them and you think, this is the sort 355 00:19:36.400 --> 00:19:38.960 of if you scale it up to London, we're nowhere 356 00:19:39.000 --> 00:19:42.119 near what's happening in what's happening in New York comparis, 357 00:19:43.119 --> 00:19:46.240 and so I think, I think in that void of 358 00:19:47.000 --> 00:19:51.279 big cinemas or institutional film institutes and the like sort 359 00:19:51.279 --> 00:19:54.279 of doing this stuff, it's the DIY community. It's the 360 00:19:54.480 --> 00:19:57.440 it's the film club putting on a DVD in their 361 00:19:57.519 --> 00:20:00.559 local library or church hall. Are sort of filling that gap. 362 00:20:00.799 --> 00:20:03.359 And I'm sort of glad to be part of that community. 363 00:20:03.400 --> 00:20:08.160 Really, that is incredible. I mean, you've been curating supplements 364 00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:10.599 for releases for a long time. Basically it sounds like 365 00:20:10.680 --> 00:20:15.039 in a live fashion, which is immense. One thing that 366 00:20:15.160 --> 00:20:19.759 makes this whole you know, home video interesting and needed 367 00:20:20.160 --> 00:20:22.240 in twenty twenty five more than anything, I think, is 368 00:20:22.279 --> 00:20:26.400 those contextual extras that you literally already doing. So who 369 00:20:26.440 --> 00:20:28.599 are some of the companies that have been inspiring you, 370 00:20:28.640 --> 00:20:30.559 guys that you're going to be trying to live up 371 00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:33.799 to some of these supplements when you release your films. 372 00:20:35.559 --> 00:20:38.319 Well, if I can just say a shout out to 373 00:20:38.359 --> 00:20:41.680 some of the anonymous companies first, because as a film creator, 374 00:20:42.000 --> 00:20:44.720 if it wasn't for so For example, I know I 375 00:20:44.759 --> 00:20:48.359 screamed I screened like an old French black and white film. 376 00:20:48.359 --> 00:20:50.880 If it wasn't for the fact that a Korean distributor 377 00:20:50.920 --> 00:20:53.920 had put that in DVD, I wouldn't have been able 378 00:20:53.960 --> 00:20:55.799 to get a decent copy of it. So it's similar 379 00:20:55.799 --> 00:20:57.279 to I think I've got it near me, just give 380 00:20:57.319 --> 00:21:01.079 me a moment. I'm screening this film later in the year. 381 00:21:01.400 --> 00:21:05.720 It's a British film called Our Mother's House with Dirt Bogart. Now, 382 00:21:05.799 --> 00:21:08.960 I've managed to license this from from major sort of 383 00:21:08.960 --> 00:21:11.559 licensing firm, but you can't get hold of it anywhere. 384 00:21:11.599 --> 00:21:14.720 So it's only because there's this archive collection DVD of 385 00:21:14.720 --> 00:21:16.680 it that I'm able to screen it at all. And 386 00:21:16.720 --> 00:21:19.359 I'm not I'm not sort of a format snob. If 387 00:21:19.480 --> 00:21:22.839 if I have to screen it on on some nineties 388 00:21:22.920 --> 00:21:25.160 DVD I will. It's better than not screening it at all. 389 00:21:25.240 --> 00:21:28.519 Quite frankly, I don't want to be sort of tied 390 00:21:28.559 --> 00:21:31.440 down to just what's what's coming out the latest restoration circuit. 391 00:21:31.440 --> 00:21:32.960 Although I am thankful for all the sort of new 392 00:21:33.000 --> 00:21:35.400 restorations that are coming out, I don't want to just 393 00:21:35.440 --> 00:21:38.839 be sort of bound to that. So a shout out 394 00:21:38.839 --> 00:21:43.119 to all those nineties DVD producers and two thousands that 395 00:21:43.119 --> 00:21:46.799 that and their stuff is still circulating on eBay. And 396 00:21:46.839 --> 00:21:49.519 if it wasn't for them, quite a few of my 397 00:21:49.559 --> 00:21:52.359 screenings just wouldn't have gone ahead. In fact, even the screening, 398 00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:54.680 even the screening of the cloud Door, which our label 399 00:21:54.720 --> 00:21:58.519 is named after. If it wasn't for the German producer 400 00:21:58.559 --> 00:22:00.920 who had created who would commission money called to make 401 00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:07.599